Mary Nash Stoddard's Blog, page 16

Dossier "Edulcorants de Synthèse" L'amère vérité sur...

Dossier "Edulcorants de Synthèse" 

L'amère vérité sur l'aspartame

Les substituts du sucre à base d'aspartame causent des symptômes inquiétants allant de la perte de mémoire jusqu'à des tumeurs au cerveau. Mais en dépit de l'approbation par la FDA (Food & Drug Administration - organisme de certification et de contrôle des aliments et médicaments aux États-Unis) le plaçant au tableau des additifs alimentaires "sans danger", l'aspartame est l'une des substances les plus dangereuses jamais imposées à un public sans méfiance.

Extrait du Nexus Magazine, Volume 2,
28 (Oct-Nov 95) et Volume 3

Aspartame/Neotame est le terme technique pour les marques portant le nom de NutraSweet, Canderel, Equal, AminoSweet, Spoonfuls, Susta et Equal-Measure. L'aspartame fut découvert accidentellement en 1965, lorsque James Schattler, un chimiste de G.D. Searle Company, était en train de tester un médicament antiulcère. L'aspartame fut autorisé pour les aliments secs en 1981 et pour les boissons gazeuses en 1983. Il fut au début approuvé pour les aliments secs le 26 juillet 1974, mais en raison d'objections émises par le Dr. John W. Olney, chercheur en science neurologique, et par l'Avocat général à la consommation, James Turner, Esq., en août 1974, et suite à des enquêtes sur les pratiques de recherche de G.D. Searle, la Food and Drug Administration (FDA) américaine a dû retarder son approbation de l'aspartame (5 décembre 1974). En 1985, Monsanto a acquis G.D. Searle et sépara Searle Pharmaceuticals et The NutraSweet Company en filiales distinctes.

L'aspartame est, de loin, la substance la plus dangereuse sur le marché à être ajoutée aux aliments. L'aspartame est tenu pour responsable de plus de 75% des réactions défavorables aux additifs alimentaires dont il a été fait rapport à la FDA. Bon nombre de ces réactions sont très sérieuses, y compris des attaques d'apoplexie et la mort ainsi qu'il en a été fait récemment état dans un rapport de février 1994 du Department of Health and Human Services. (1) Quelques-uns des 90 symptômes répertoriés et énumérés dans le rapport comme étant causés par l'aspartame incluent : Maux de tête/migraines, étourdissements, crises d'apoplexie, nausées, engourdissements, spasmes musculaires, gains de poids, irritations cutanées, dépression, fatigue, irritabilité, tachycardie, insomnie, problèmes visuels, perte d'ouie, palpitations cardiaques, difficultés respiratoires, crises d'anxiété, difficultés d'élocution, perte du goût, goût de fer, vertige, perte de mémoire et douleurs articulaires.

Selon les chercheurs et les médecins étudiant les effets indésirables de l'aspartame, les maladies chroniques suivantes peuvent être causée ou aggravées par l'ingestion d'aspartame: (2) tumeurs au cerveau, sclérose en plaques, épilepsie, syndrome de fatigue chronique, maladie de Parkinson, maladie d'Alzheimer, retard mental, lymphome, malformations congénitales, fibromalgie et diabètes.

L'aspartame est composé de trois produits chimiques : l'acide aspartique, la phénylalanine et le méthanol. Le livre "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" de James et Phyllis Balch, range l'aspartame dans la catégorie des "poisons chimiques". Comme vous allez le voir, c'est exactement ce qu'il est.

L'ACIDE ASPARTIQUE (40% DE L'ASPARTAME) Le Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, professeur en neurochirurgie à la Medical University of Mississippi, a récemment publié un ouvrage détaillant in extenso les dommages causés par l'ingestion excessive d'acide aspartique issu de l'aspartame. [Quatre vingt dix neuf pour cent du glutamate de monosodium 9MSG est de l'acide glutamique. Les dommages qu'il cause sont également documentés dans le livre de Blaylock.] Blaylock fait mention de près de 500 références scientifiques afin de démontrer comment un excès d'acides aminés libres excitateurs tels que l'acide aspartique et l'acide glutamique dans notre alimentation sont cause de sérieux désordres neurologiques chroniques et d'une myriade d'autres symptômes aigus. (3)

RÉSUMÉ DE LA FAÇON DONT L'ASPARTAME/NEOTAME CAUSE DES DOMMAGES L'aspartame et le glutamate agissent comme neurotransmetteurs dans le cerveau en facilitant la transmission de l'information entre les neurones. Trop d'aspartame ou de glutamate dans le cerveau détruit certains neurones en autorisant l'invasion excessive de calcium dans les cellules. Cette invasion déclenche des taux excessifs de radicaux libres qui tuent les cellules. La perte en cellules nerveuses qui peut être causée par le glutamate et l'aspartame en excès est la raison pour laquelle on les appelle "excitotoxines". Ils "excitent" ou stimulent la mort des cellules nerveuses.

L'acide aspartique est un acide aminé. Pris sous sa forme libre (non relié aux protéines), il élève d'une façon significative le niveau de plasma sanguin en aspartame et glutamate. L'excès d'aspartame et de glutamate dans le plasma sanguin, peu après l'ingestion d'aspartame ou de produits contenant de l'acide glutamique libre (précurseurs du glutamate), provoque une élévation du niveau de ces neurotransmetteurs dans certaines zones du cerveau.

La barrière sanguine du cerveau (Blood Brain Barrier [BBB]) qui normalement protège le cerveau d'un excès de glutamate ou d'aspartame, aussi bien que de toxines, 1) n'est pas complètement développée pendant l'enfance, 2) ne protège pas complètement toutes les régions du cerveau, 3) est endommagée par un nombre de conditions chroniques et aiguës et 4) permet l'infiltration d'un excès de glutamate et d'aspartame dans le cerveau, même lorsqu'elle est intacte.

L'excès de glutamate et d'aspartame commence lentement à détruire les neurones. La grande majorité (75%+) des cellules nerveuses d'une zone particulière du cerveau sont tuées avant même que les symptômes cliniques d'une maladie chronique ne soient décelés. Quelques unes des nombreuses maladies chroniques dont il a été démontré qu'elles sont causées par une exposition à long terme au dommage des excitotoxines comprennent : la sclérose en plaques, ALS, perte de mémoire, problème hormonaux, perte d'audition, crises d'épilepsie, maladie d'Alzheimer, maladie de Parkinson, hypoglycémie, démence du Sida, lésions du cerveau et désordres neuroendocrinaux.

Les risques encourus par les nourrissons, enfants, femmes enceintes, personnes âgées et les personnes avec des problèmes de santé chroniques causés par les excitotoxines sont grands. Même la Federation of American Societies For Experimental Biology (FASEB), qui minimise habituellement les problèmes et se conforme à la ligne de conduite de la FDA, a déclaré récemment "qu'il était prudent d'éviter l'utilisation de suppléments diététiques d'acide L-glutamique chez les femmes enceintes, les nourrissons et les enfants. L'existence d'une évidence d'effets secondaires potentiels endocrinaux, tels qu'une prolactine et une cortisolie élevée et des réponses différentielles entre hommes et femmes, suggéreraient également un lien neuroendocrinal et qu'un supplément d'acide L-glutamique devrait être évité par les femmes en âge de procréer et les individus atteints de désordres affectifs." (4) L'acide aspartique de l'aspartame possède les même effets délétères sur le corps que l'acide glutamique.

Le mécanisme exact des réactions aiguës à l'excès du glutamate et de l'aspartame libre est actuellement débattu. Ainsi qu'il en est fait état par la FDA, ces réactions incluent: (5) Maux de tête/migraines, nausées, douleurs abdominales, fatigue (bloque l'entrée suffisante de glucose dans le cerveau), problèmes du sommeil, problème de vision, attaque d'anxiété, dépression et asthme/oppression respiratoire.

Une des plaintes commune chez les personnes souffrant des effets de l'aspartame est la perte de mémoire. Ironiquement, en 1987, G.D.Searle, le fabricant de l'aspartame, entreprit une recherche sur un médicament pouvant combattre les pertes de mémoire causées par les dommages dus aux acides aminés excitotoxiques. Blaylock est l'un des nombreux scientifiques et médecins intéressés par les dommages causés par les excitotoxines dus à l'ingestion d'aspartame et de MSG. Quelques-uns des nombreux experts qui se sont manifestés contre les dommages causés par l'aspartame et le glutamate incluent Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., psychologue expérimental, spécialisée en recherche conceptuelle. De même, Olney, professeur dans le département de psychiatrie, School of Medecine, Washington University, neuroscientifique et chercheur et l'une des autorités les plus représentatives en matière d'excitotoxines. (Il informa Searle en 1971 que l'acide aspartique causait des trous dans le cerveau des souris). Également, Francis J. Waickman, Docteur en médecine, à qui a été attribué le Rinkel and Forman Awards et diplômé par le Conseil en pédiatrie, allergies et immunologie.

D'autres scientifiques concernés sont : John R. Hain, Docteur en médecine, Diplômé par le Conseil en pathologie de médecine légale.

PHÉNYLALANINE (50% DE L'ASPARTAME) La phénylalanine est un acide aminé qui est normalement présent dans le cerveau. Les personnes souffrant du désordre génétique, phenylketonuria (PKU), ne peuvent pas métaboliser la phénylalanine. Ceci conduit à des hauts niveaux dangereux de phénylalanine dans le cerveau (parfois mortels). Il a été démontré que l'ingestion d'aspartame, particulièrement avec des hydrates de carbones, peut provoquer des niveaux excessifs de phénylalanine dans le cerveau, même chez des personnes ne souffrant pas de PKU. Ceci n'est pas une simple théorie, car de nombreuses personnes ayant mangé de grandes quantités d'aspartame au cours d'une longue période de temps et ne souffrant pas de PKU, ont été reconnues possédant des niveaux excessifs de phénylalanine dans le sang. Des niveaux excessifs de phénylalanine dans le cerveau peuvent amener une décroissance du niveau de sérotonine dans le cerveau, conduisant à des désordres émotionnels comme la dépression. Il a été démontré au cours de tests sur l'homme que les niveaux de phénylalanine dans le sang étaient accrus d'une façon significative chez les sujets humains ayant utilisé chroniquement l'aspartame. (6) Même une seule prise d'aspartame fait monter les niveaux de phénylalanine. Dans son témoignage devant le Congrès américain, le Dr. Louis J. Elsas démontra qu'une haute teneur en phénylalanine dans le sang peut se concentrer dans des parties du cerveau et est particulièrement dangereuse pour les nourrissons et les foetus. Il a également démontré que la phénylalanine est métabolisée bien plus efficacement par les rongeurs que par les humains. (7)

La prise en compte d'un cas de niveaux de phénylalanine extrêmement élevés provoqués par l'aspartame a été publiée récemment par le "Wednesday Journal" dans un article intitulé "An aspartame Nightmare" (un cauchemar à l'aspartame). John Cook commença par boire 6 à 8 boissons light par jour. Ces symptômes débutèrent par des pertes de mémoire et de fréquents maux de tête. Il continua par développer un besoin accru de boissons édulcorées à l'aspartame. Sa condition physique se détériora tellement qu'il connu des changements d'humeur importants et de violentes colères. Alors même qu'il ne souffrait pas de PKU, un examen sanguin révéla un niveau de phénylalanine de 80 mg/dl. Il dévoila également une fonction cérébrale anormale et une détérioration du cerveau. Après avoir interrompu sa consommation d'aspartame, ses symptômes se sont améliorés radicalement.(8)

Ainsi que Blaylock le souligne dans son ouvrage, les premières études mesurant l'accumulation de phénylalanine dans le cerveau étaient défectueuses. Les chercheurs qui la mesurèrent dans des régions spécifiques du cerveau et non la moyenne dans tout le cerveau notèrent des hausses significatives des niveaux de phénylalanine. Spécifiquement, les régions de l'hypothalamus, medulla oblongata et corpus striatum du cerveau avaient l'augmentation la plus importante en phénylalanine. Blaylock poursuit en soulignant que l'augmentation excessive de phénylalanine dans le cerveau peut causer de la schizophrénie ou rendre les personnes susceptibles de souffrir d'une attaque d'apoplexie.

Ainsi, une utilisation excessive, à long terme, de l'aspartame peut mener à une accélération des ventes des inhibiteurs à la sératonine tel que le Prozac et des médicaments pour contrôler la schizophrénie et les attaques.

MÉTHANOL (ALCOOL DE BOIS D'AKA/POISON) (10% DE L'ASPARTAME) Le Méthanol/alcool de bois est un poison mortel. Certaines personnes peuvent se rappeler du méthanol comme étant le poison qui a été à l'origine de la perte de la vue, ou de la mort, de certains alcooliques "risque-tout". Le méthanol est graduellement libéré dans l'intestin grêle lorsque l'aspartame du groupe méthyle rencontre l'enzyme chymotryspine.

L'absorption du méthanol par l'organisme est accélérée considérablement lorsque du méthanol libre est ingéré. Le méthanol libre est créé à partir de l'aspartame lorsqu'il est chauffé au-dessus de 30° centigrade. Ceci s'opère lorsque le produit contenant de l'aspartame est incorrectement stocké ou lorsqu'il est chauffé (par exemple, comme composant d'un produit "alimentaire" tel que le Jello). Le méthanol se décompose dans le corps en acide formique et en formaldehyde. Le formaldehyde est une neurotoxine mortelle. Une évaluation du méthanol établie par l'EPA déclare que le méthanol "est considéré comme poison cumulatif compte tenu de la faible proportion qui en est éliminée une fois qu'il est absorbé. Dans l'organisme, le méthanol s'oxyde en formaldehyde et en acide formique; chacun de ces deux métabolites sont toxiques." Il est recommandé une limite de consommation de 7.8 mg/jour. Un litre de boisson édulcorée à l'aspartame contient environ 56 mg de méthanol. Les gros utilisateurs de produits contenant de l'aspartame consomment jusqu'à 250 mg de méthanol quotidiennement ou 32 fois la limite fixée par l'EPA. (9)

Les symptômes d'un empoisonnement au méthanol sont des maux de tête, bourdonnement d'oreilles, dérangements gastro-intestinaux, faiblesse, vertige, frissons, trous de mémoire, engourdissement et douleurs fulgurantes des extrémités, troubles du comportement et névrite. Les problèmes les plus connus d'un empoisonnement au méthanol sont les problèmes de la vue comprenant vision embrumée, rétrécissement progressif du champ visuel, vision voilée, vision obscurcie, dommages rétiniens et perte de la vue. Le formaldehyde est un cancérigène connu, il cause des dommages à la rétine, s'oppose à la reproduction de l'ADN et cause des malformations congénitales. (10)

Étant donné l'absence de certains enzymes clefs, les humains sont beaucoup plus sensibles aux effets toxiques du méthanol que les animaux. Par conséquent, des tests d'aspartame ou de méthanol sur des animaux ne reflètent pas précisément les dangers encourus par les humains. Ainsi que le souligne le Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, Directeur du Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory à l'Université de l'État de l'Arizona, « Il n'existe aucune étude sur les humains ou les mammifères pour évaluer les effets mutagène, tératogène ou cancérigène possibles conséquentes à l'administration chronique de l'alcool de méthyle. » (11)

Il se sentit tellement concerné en voyant les conclusions sur la sécurité demeurer sans solutions qu'il adressa une requête à la FDA réclamant une audition afin de discuter de ces résultats. Il demanda à la FDA de « ralentir la publication des conclusions concernant les boissons sucrées assez longtemps afin qu'il soit possible de répondre à quelques-unes des questions essentielles. Il n'est pas juste que vous laissiez tout le poids de l'authentification sur le petit nombre que nous représentons alors que nous possédons des ressources tellement limitées. Vous ne devez pas oublier que vous êtes l'ultime défense du public américain. Une fois que vous en aurez autorisé l'usage (de l'aspartame), il n'y aura littéralement plus rien que moi ou mes collègues ne pourrons faire pour inverser le processus. L'aspartame rejoindra alors la saccharine, les agents sulfites et Dieu sait encore combien d'autres composants contestables prescrits pour insulter la constitution humaine avec l'approbation du gouvernement. » (10) Peu de temps après, le commissaire à la FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. approuva l'utilisation de l'aspartame dans les boissons gazeuses, puis il fut engagé par une société de relations publiques de la G.D. Searle. (11)

Il a été souligné que certains des jus de fruits et des boissons alcoolisées contiennent de petites quantités de méthanol. Il est important de se rappeler, cependant, que le méthanol n'apparaît jamais seul. Dans tous les cas, l'éthanol est présent, usuellement en plus grandes quantités. L'éthanol est un antidote à la toxicité du méthanol chez l'homme. (9) Les hommes des troupes de l'opération "Desert Storm" (guerre du Golfe) furent "régalées" avec de grandes quantités de boissons édulcorées à l'aspartame qui avaient été chauffées à plus de 30° centigrades par le soleil de l'Arabie Saoudite. Beaucoup d'entre eux en revinrent avec de nombreux désordres similaires à ceux trouvés chez des individus qui avaient été chimiquement empoisonnés par le formaldehyde. Le méthanol libre dans ces breuvages peut avoir été un facteur contribuant à ces maladies. D'autres produits dérivés de l'aspartame tel que le DKP (voir ci-dessus) peut également avoir été un facteur. En 1993, dans un acte qui peut être décrit comme "inconscient", le FDA approuva l'aspartame comme ingrédient dans un certain nombre d'articles d'alimentaires qui seraient toujours chauffés au-dessus de 30° centigrades.

DIKETOPIPERAZINE (DKP) La DKP est un produit dérivé de la métabolisation de l'aspartame. La DKP a été impliquée dans l'apparition de tumeurs au cerveau. Olney a remarqué que la DKP, lorsqu'elle était nitroazotée dans l'intestin, produisait un composant qui était similaire au N-nitrosourea, un composant chimique puissant causant des tumeurs au cerveau. Certains auteurs ont dit que la DKP est produite après ingestion de l'aspartame. Je ne suis pas sûr que ce soit correct. Il est définitivement vrai que la DKP est formée dans des produits liquides contenant de l'aspartame au cours d'un stockage prolongé.

G.D. Searle a conduit une expérimentation sur des animaux pour vérifier la sûreté de la DKP. La FDA releva un certain nombre d'erreurs, y compris « des erreurs d'écriture, d'animaux mélangés, d'animaux à qui on n'administrait pas la drogue qu'ils étaient supposés prendre, de perte de spécimens pathologiques due à une mauvaise manipulation » et de nombreuses autres erreurs. (12) Ces procédures de laboratoires négligentes peuvent expliquer pourquoi les animaux servant aux tests et ceux servant de groupe contrôle avaient seize fois plus de tumeurs au cerveau que le nombre auquel on pourrait s'attendre au cours d'expérimentations de cette durée.

Par un tour du sort, très peu de temps après la découverte de ces erreurs d'expérimentation, la FDA utilisa des protocoles recommandés par G.D. Searle pour développer les standards industriels de la FDA pour les pratiques des laboratoires alimentaires. (11) La DKP a également été impliquée comme ayant causé des polypes utérins et des modifications du taux de cholestérol par le Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, toxicologue de la FDA, dans sa déposition devant le Sénat des États-Unis. (13)

ALIMENTS RÉSULTANT DE L'ASPARTAME

Les composants de l'aspartame peuvent entraîner l'apparition d'une foule de maladies diverses. Quelques-unes apparaissent graduellement, d'autres sont immédiates, avec des réactions aiguës.

Il y a une énorme population d'individus qui souffrent de symptômes attribués à l'aspartame et cependant ils ne comprennent pas pourquoi les plantes ou les médicaments ne parviennent pas à les soulager de leurs problèmes. Il y a d'autres utilisateurs d'aspartame qui paraissent ne pas souffrir de réactions immédiates à l'aspartame. Mais même ces individus sont susceptibles à long terme de souffrir des dommages causés par les acides aminés excitateurs, la phénylalanine, le méthanol et la DKP. Quelques-uns des nombreux désordres qui m'inquiètent particulièrement incluent les suivants.

malformations congénitales

Le Dr. Diana Dow Edwards, un chercheur, fut commanditée par Monsanto afin d'étudier les possibilités de malformations congénitales causées par l'ingestion d'aspartame. Après qu'une information préliminaire ait fait état d'informations négatives au sujet de l'aspartame, les fonds alloués à la recherche furent retirés. Un pédiatre génétique à Emory University a attesté que l'aspartame causait des malformations congénitales. 7360-367

Dans le livre "While Waiting" (En attendant) : un guide prénatal de George R. Verrilli, M.D. et Anne Marie Mueser, il est fait état que l'aspartame est soupçonné de causer des dommages au cerveau des individus sensibles. Ces effets peuvent faire courir un risque à un foetus. Des chercheurs ont suggéré que de grandes doses d'aspartame peuvent être associées à des problèmes allant d'étourdissements et de modifications subtiles du cerveau à des retards mentaux.

Cancer (Cancer du cerveau) En 1981, Satya Dubey, un statisticien du FDA, déclara que l'information concernant l'aspartame et les tumeurs au cerveau était si "préoccupante" qu'il pourrait ne pas recommander l'autorisation du NutraSweet. (14) Au cours d'une étude menée sur une période de deux ans et conduite par le fabricant de l'aspartame, douze des 320 rats nourris normalement et à l'aspartame développèrent des tumeurs au cerveau alors qu'aucun des rats de contrôle n'eurent de tumeurs. Cinq des douze tumeurs furent trouvées sur des rats nourris avec de faibles doses d'aspartame. (15) L'autorisation de l'aspartame fut une violation de l'amendement Delaney (aux États-Unis) qui était censé prémunir contre l'introduction dans notre alimentation de substances cancérigènes tel que le méthanol (Formaldehyde) et la DKP. Feu le Dr. Adrian Gross, un toxicologue de la FDA, affirma dans son témoignage devant le Congrès américain que l'aspartame était capable de provoquer des tumeurs au cerveau. Il devint illégal pour la FDA d'en permettre une prise quotidienne, quelqu'en soit la dose. Il établit dans sa déposition que les études de la compagnie Searle étaient « dans une large mesure, sujettes à caution » et que « au moins, une de ces études avait établi au-delà de tout doute raisonnable que l'aspartame est capable d'induire des tumeurs au cerveau des animaux d'expérience... » Il conclut sa déposition en demandant, « Quelle peut être la raison de l'apparent refus de la FDA d'invoquer pour cet additif alimentaire le bien-nommé amendement Delaney sur la loi concernant l'alimentation, les médicaments et les cosmétiques?... Et si la FDA elle-même décide de violer la loi, que reste-t-il pour protéger la santé du public? » (16)

Au cours des années 70, on découvrit que le fabricant de l'aspartame avait falsifié des études de plusieurs façons. Une des techniques utilisées était de supprimer les tumeurs apparues sur les animaux soumis aux tests et de les remettre en circulation dans le groupe d'étude. Une autre technique employée pour falsifier ces études étaient de faire figurer sur les listes, des animaux morts comme ayant survécu aux tests. Ainsi, l'information concernant les tumeurs du cerveau était encore pire qu'on aurait pu le croire précédemment. De plus, un ancien employé du fabricant de l'aspartame, Raymond Schroeder, informa la DPA le 13 juillet 1977 que les particules de DKP étaient en si grandes quantités que les rats pouvaient faire la différence entre le DKP et leur alimentation normale. (12)

Il est intéressant de noter que l'indice des tumeurs au cerveau chez les personnes de plus de 65 ans s'est accrue de 67% entre les années 1973 et 1990. Les tumeurs au cerveau dans les groupes de tous âges se sont accrues de 10%. La croissance la plus importante s'opéra au cours des années 1985-1987. (17)

Le diabète

L'American Diabetes Association (ADA) va même jusqu'à recommander ce poison chimique à des personnes souffrant du diabète. Selon la recherche menée par H.J. Roberts, diabétologue, membre de l'ADA et faisant autorité dans l'étude des édulcorants artificiels, l'aspartame : 1) conduit à une accélération des diabètes cliniques. 2) est la cause d'une difficulté de contrôle du diabète chez les diabétiques insulino-dépendants ou traités par voie orale. 3) conduit à l'aggravation des complications du diabète telle que la rétinopathie, les cataractes, la neuropathie et la gastroparésie. 4) cause des convulsions.

Dans une déclaration concernant l'utilisation des produits contenant de l'aspartame par des personnes souffrant de diabète et d'hypoglycémie, Robert dit : « Malheureusement, bon nombre de mes patients habituels et d'autres vus en consultation, développent de sérieuses complications métaboliques, neurologiques et autres qui pourraient être spécifiquement attribuées à l'usage des produits contenant de l'aspartame. Ceci fut mis en évidence par : la perte du contrôle du diabète, l'intensification de l'hypoglycémie, l'apparition de soi-disant "réactions à l'insuline" (y compris des convulsions) qui en fait furent reconnues comme des réactions à l'aspartame et la précipitation, l'aggravation ou la simulation de complications diabétiques (spécialement une diminution de la vue et de la neuropathie) pendant l'utilisation de ces produits. Une amélioration frappante de ces symptômes se révéla après l'éviction de l'aspartame et la prompte et prévisible récurrence de ces problèmes lorsque le patient reprenait des produits à l'aspartame, consciemment ou par inadvertance. » Roberts poursuit ainsi : « Je regrette l'omission des autres médecins et de l'American Diabetes Association (ADA) d'émettre les avertissements appropriés aux patients et aux utilisateurs basés sur ces découvertes répétées qui ont été décrites dans mes études exemptes de toute influence corporative et dans mes publications. »

Baylock déclara que des excitotoxines telles que celles trouvées dans l'aspartame peuvent accélérer le diabète chez des sujets qui sont génétiquement susceptibles de souffrir de cette maladie. (5)

Désordres émotionnels

Une étude "en double aveugle" sur les effets de l'aspartame sur des sujets souffrant de désordres émotionnels fut récemment menée par le Dr. Ralph G. Walton. Étant donné que l'étude ne fut pas commanditée/contrôlée par les fabricants d'aspartame, la compagnie NutraSweet refusa de lui vendre de l'aspartame. Walton fut obligé de s'en procurer et de le faire certifier par une source extérieure. L'étude démontra une croissance importante de graves symptômes chez les personnes prenant de l'aspartame. Certains de ces symptômes étaient si graves que l'Institutional Review Bord se trouva dans l'obligation d'arrêter l'étude. Trois des participants avaient dit qu'ils avaient été "empoisonnés" par l'aspartame. Walton conclut que « des individus sujets à des désordres émotionnels sont particulièrement sensibles à cet édulcorant artificiel; son utilisation par cette population devrait être découragée. » (18) Conscient que l'expérimentation ne pourrait pas être répétée compte tenu du danger encouru par les sujets soumis aux tests, Walton fut cité récemment comme disant : « Je sais que cela provoque des crises d'apoplexie. Je suis convaincu également que cela provoque avec certitude des modifications comportementales. Je suis très en colère de voir cette substance sur le marché. Je mets personnellement en cause la validité et la véracité de n'importe laquelle des études commanditées par NutraSweet Company. » (19)

Il est fait état de nombreux cas de faibles niveaux de sérotonine cervicale, de dépressions et autres désordres émotionnels qui ont été reliés à l'aspartame et qui sont souvent soulagés en arrêtant la consommation d'aspartame. Des chercheurs ont souligné que l'augmentation des niveaux de phénylalanine dans le cerveau, qui peut arriver et arrive chez des sujets ne souffrant pas de PKU, provoque une baisse du niveau de ce neuro-transmetteur (sérotonine) qui mène à une foule de désordres émotionnels différents. Le Dr. William M. Pardrige de l'UCLA déclara dans son témoignage devant le Sénat américain qu'un adolescent buvant quatre bouteilles de 16 onces (487 grs) de boisson gazeuse (soda) Diète (sans sucre) par jour subit une énorme hausse du niveau de phénylalanine.

Épilepsie/Apoplexie

Avec le nombre important et croissant d'apoplexies causées par l'aspartame, il est triste de constater que l'Epilepsy Foundation fait la promotion de la "sécurité" de l'aspartame. Au Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 80 personnes qui avaient souffert de crises d'apoplexie après ingestion d'aspartame avaient été mises en observation. Le Community Nutrition Institute apporta les conclusions suivantes de cette observation : « Ces 80 cas correspondent à la définition même de la FDA d'un risque imminent encouru pour la santé publique et qui entraîne normalement le retrait expéditif d'un produit par la FDA. »

Le magazine de l'Air Force "Flying Safety" et celui de la Navy "Navy Physiology" ont publié des articles mettant en garde contre les nombreux dangers de l'aspartame incluant les effets nocifs cumulatifs du méthanol et les plus grandes possibilités de malformations congénitales. Les articles notaient que l'ingestion de l'aspartame pouvaient rendre les pilotes plus susceptibles à des crises d'apoplexie et de vertige. Vingt articles émettant des avertissements au sujet de l'ingestion d'aspartame pendant un vol ont pu être lus dans le National Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989) et Plane & Pilot (1990) et un article avertissant des dangers de l'aspartame fut présenté au 57ème Congrès Annuel de l'Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986). (Mary Nash Stoddard's - Aspartame Consumer Safety Network &; Pilot Hotline since 1987)

Récemment, une ligne ouverte accessible 24 heures sur 24 fut mise en place pour répondre aux pilotes souffrant de réactions aiguës à l'ingestion d'aspartame. Plus de 600 pilotes ont déclaré avoir eu des symptômes incluant ceux qui mentionnés dans le rapport à propos de crises d'épilepsie dans leur cockpit dues à l'aspartame. (21)

Une des premières études sur l'aspartame fut réalisée en 1969 par un scientifique indépendant, le Dr. Harry Waisman. Il étudia les effets de l'aspartame sur des bébés primates. Sur les sept bébés singes, l'un mourut au bout de 300 jours et cinq autres eurent des crises d'épilepsie. Bien entendu, ces découvertes négatives ne furent pas soumises à la FDA au cours de la procédure d'approbation. (22)

Pourquoi n'entendons-nous pas parler de ces choses-là? La raison pour laquelle les gens n'entendent pas parler des sérieuses réactions à l'aspartame est double : 1) Manque d'information de la population générale. Il n'est pas fait mention dans les journaux des maladies causées par l'aspartame comme le sont les accidents d'avion. Ceci parce que ces incidents arrivent isolément dans des milliers d'endroits différents des États-Unis (et du monde). 2) La plupart des gens n'associent pas leurs symptômes à un emploi à long terme de l'aspartame. Pour les gens qui ont ainsi détruit un pourcentage important des cellules de leur cerveau et ainsi causé une maladie chronique, il leur est impossible de pouvoir associer cette maladie à la consommation d'aspartame. La façon dont l'aspartame a été approuvé est une leçon démontrant comment les industries chimiques et pharmaceutiques peuvent manipuler les organismes gouvernementaux telle la FDA, les organisations "corrompues" telle l'American Dietetic Association et l'ensemble de la communauté scientifique avec des études mal réalisées et frauduleuses soutenues par les industriels et financées par les fabricants d'aspartame.

Erik Millstone, un chercheur au Science Policy Research de l'Université du Sussex a compilé des milliers de pages de preuves, certaines ayant été obtenues par l'usage de la loi 23 sur la liberté de l'information, démontrant que : 1. des tests en laboratoires étaient falsifiés et les dangers dissimulés; 2. des tumeurs furent enlevés d'animaux et des animaux qui étaient morts furent "ressuscités" dans les rapports de laboratoire; 3. des déclarations fausses et trompeuses ont été faites à la FDA; 4. les deux juges d'instruction fédéraux missionnés pour réunir des charges de fraudes contre le fabricant d'aspartame furent engagés par le cabinet d'avocat du fabricant, laissant dépasser le terme du délai légal de prescription; 5. le Commissaire de la FDA ne tint pas compte des objections émises par le propre bureau d'études de la FDA. Peu de temps après cette décision, ce commissaire accepta un poste chez Burson-Marsteller, la société chargée des relations publiques de G.D. Searle.

Une commission d'enquête publique (Public Board of Inquiry, PBOI) fut mise en place en 1980. Elle comprenait trois scientifiques qui étudièrent les objections d'Olney et Turner contre l'autorisation de l'aspartame. Ils votèrent unanimement contre l'approbation de l'aspartame. Le Commissaire de la FDA, le Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. nomma alors une commission scientifique de 5 personnes pour étudier les découvertes de la PBOI. Après qu'il fut clair que la commission confirmerait la décision de la PBOI par un vote de 3 contre 2, une autre personne fut adjointe à la commission, créant de ce fait une impasse par un vote de 3 contre 3. Ceci permit au Commissaire de la FDA de briser l'impasse et d'approuver l'aspartame pour les aliments secs en 1981. Le Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, doyenne scientifique d'une commission d'étude d'un Bureau of Foods de la FDA mise en place en août 1977 afin d'étudier le rapport Bressler (un rapport qui décrivait les procédures douteuses de la compagnie G.D. Searle au cours des tests probatoires) explique : « Il était particulièrement évident que quelque part le long de la chaîne, les officiels du bureau travaillaient à une exonération. » En 1987, le Dr. Verrett dans une déposition devant le Sénat Américain, déclara que les expérimentations menées par Searle étaient "désastreuses". Elle déclara que son équipe fut instruite de ne pas émettre de commentaires sur la validité des études ni de s'en préoccuper. Elle déclara qu'il n'avait pas été apporté réponse à des questions concernant les malformations congénitales. Elle poursuivit sa déposition en exposant le fait qu'il avait été démontré que la DKP accroissait la formation de polypes utérins et augmentait le taux de cholestérol dans le sang et que l'augmentation de la température du produit mène à un accroissement de la production de la DKP. (13)

Les "portes tournantes"

La FDA et les fabricants d'aspartame eurent un mouvement de personnel important pendant de nombreuses années. A part le Commissaire de la FDA et les deux juges d'instruction fédéraux démissionnant pour être engagés par des sociétés en relation avec G.D. Searle, quatre autres officiels de la FDA en relation avec l'approbation de l'aspartame acceptèrent des emplois en relation avec l'industrie du NutraSweet entre 1979 et 1982, y compris le Commissaire Délégué de la FDA, l'Assistant Spécial au Commissaire de la FDA, le Directeur adjoint du Bureau of Foods and Toxicology et le Procureur impliqué dans le Bureau d'Enquête Publique (Public Board of Inquiry). (24)

Il est important de réaliser que ce phénomène dit des "portes tournantes" s'est répété durant des décennies. Elle fit également état du fait que plus de 150 fonctionnaires hauts placés de la FDA possédaient des actions de compagnies qu'ils avaient la responsabilité de surveiller. De nombreuses organisations et universités reçurent des sommes très importantes de compagnies reliées à la NutraSweet Association, un groupe de compagnies promouvant l'utilisation de l'aspartame. En janvier 1993, l'American Dietetic Association reçu un don de 75 000 US$ de la NutraSweet Company. L'American Dietetic Association a déclaré que la NutraSweet Company rédigeait ses pages intitulées "Des Faits". (25)

Plusieurs autres organisations et chercheurs soi-disant "indépendants" reçoivent des sommes importantes des fabricants d'aspartame. L'American Diabetes Association a reçu un montant très important de NutraSweet, dont notamment une somme pour le fonctionnement d'une école culinaire à Chicago (vraisemblablement pour enseigner aux diabétiques comment utiliser NutraSweet dans leur cuisine).

Un chercheur d'un état de la Nouvelle-Angleterre qui avait souligné par le passé les dangers de l'aspartame est maintenant un consultant à l'emploi de Monsanto. Un autre chercheur du sud-est des États-Unis avait témoigné des dangers de l'aspartame pour les foetus. Un journaliste d'enquête a révélé qu'on lui a demandé de « la fermer » afin d'éviter la perte d'un don important en provenance d'un fabricant de cola diététique appartenant à la NutraSweet Association.

Que fait la FDA pour protéger le consommateur des dangers de l'aspartame?

Moins que rien.

En 1992, la FDA autorisa l'utilisation de l'aspartame dans les boissons maltées, les céréales pour petit déjeuner et les garnitures et gâteaux glacés. En 1993, la FDA autorisa l'utilisation de l'aspartame dans les bonbons durs et mous, les boissons non-alcoolisées en vogue, les boissons au thé, les jus de fruits et les concentrés, les viennoiseries et les préparations à pâtisserie, les gelées, les crèmes et nappages pour les pâtisseries.

En 1991, la FDA a interdit l'importation du stevia. La poudre de cette feuille a été utilisée pendant des centaines d'années comme édulcorant. Elle est largement utilisée au Japon sans aucun effet contraire. Des scientifiques engagés pour étudier le stevia l'ont déclaré propre à la consommation humaine, ce qui a été tout à fait reconnu dans de nombreuses régions du monde où il n'est pas interdit. Toutes les personnes à qui j'ai parlé de cette question croient que le stevia a été interdit afin qu'il ne puisse s'implanter aux USA et réduire ainsi les ventes de l'aspartame. (26)

Que fait le Congrès américain pour protéger le consommateur des dangers de l'aspartame? Rien.

Que fait l'Administration américaine (Président) pour protéger le consommateur des dangers de l'aspartame? Rien.

La consommation d'aspartame n'est pas seulement un problème aux USA. Il est en vente dans plus de 70 pays dans le monde.

L'ASPARTAME PEUT ÊTRE TROUVÉ DANS : - les petits-déjeuners instantanés - les rafraîchisseurs d'haleine (rice-bouche) - les céréales - les gommes à mâcher sans sucre - les mélanges au cacao - les boissons au café - les desserts réfrigérés - les desserts gélatineux - les boissons à base de jus de fruits - les laxatifs - les multivitamines pour adulter et pour enfants - les boissons au lait - les médicaments et suppléments nutritifs - les mélanges mixés - les boissons non alcoolisées - les édulcorants de table - les boissons au thé - les thés et cafés instantanés - les mousses et crèmes décoratives - les glaçages - les yaourts (yogourts)

Il m'a été dit que de l'aspartame a été trouvé dans des produits alors qu'il n'était pas mentionné sur la liste des ingrédients figurant sur l'emballage. On doit faire particulièrement attention aux produits pharmaceutiques et aux suppléments nutritionnels. J'ai été informé que même quelques suppléments fabriqués par des fabricants connus tel que Twinlabs contiennent de l'aspartame.

OUVRAGES *Dr. Woodrow Monte: While Science Sleeps; Blaylock, Russell L., Excitotoxins : The Taste That Kills (Health Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, |1994). Un des meilleurs ouvrages disponibles sur les excitotoxines. Vaut le coup d'être lu !  *Mary Nash Stoddard, Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame, disponible par le réseau de l'aspartame Consumer Safety. *Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, (Aspartame Consumer Safety Network synopsis.) ASPARTAME CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK and Pilot Hotline (since 1987) - USA Tél.: (214) 387-4001 ;  email: marystod@airmail.net

Pour obtenir plus de renseignements (disponible en anglais seulement), mettez juste dans la ligne "sujet" de votre courriel :  la fondatrice de Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline, Hon. Mary Nash Stoddard.

Mais surtout visitez:<http://aspartamesafety.com/> <http://marystod.blogspot.com/><http://www. 
youtube.com /watch?v=RQoOajjC8GE> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgBiw_Il5YMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mVA03IzsFM&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-vO8aY-I4Y&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSx2E9iz36w&feature=relatedhttp://twitter.com/marystodhttp://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=%22Mary+Nash+Stoddard%22

posted by Mary Nash Stoddard on April, 25Read more…

ASPARTAME EDUCATOR'S SUCCESSFUL BAN OF ASPARTAME COLLEGE COOKING CLASS

Educating the Educators

ASPARTAME BRAIN DAMAGE IN PKU AND OTHERS - WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE

The Washington Post & The Daily Record, 1987 New fuel for NutraSweet debate Researchers clash over findings on safety of sugar substitute
By SANDY ROVNER-The Washington Post Daily Record Newspaper Monday June 1, 1987
WASHINGTON˜A series of scientific studies in this country and abroad is stirring new concern among some scientists over the safety of aspartame, the immensely popular sugar substitute marketed as NutraSweet. But a spokesman for the company cited the same studies as evidence that the product is safe. An estimated 4,000 tons of the sweetener, some 200 times sweeter than sugar, is consumed every year, and sales are estimated now at more than $l billion annually and increasing rapidly. 
Last month, at a scientific conference that was closed to the press, researchers reported that heavy aspartame use appears to increase migraine headaches and seizures in susceptible individuals, cause changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) readings and may even be related to birth defects and retardation. However, Dr. Frank Kotsonis, head of research for the NutraSweet Co., said he found the studies either seriously flawed or used to support unwarranted conclusions. And Dr. Bennett A. Shaywitz, chief of pediatric neurology at Yale University, said he found the ambience at the conference "similar to past meetings on the usefulness of the Feingold diet as a cure for hyperactive children. "There was a fanaticism there that made me very uncomfortable." Shaywitz is conducting a study of aspartame in seizure-prone children between the ages of 5 and 12 but so far has been unable to demonstrate any adverse effects from the sweetener. G D Searle, which manufactures aspartame, and the NutraSweet Co, which markets it have maintained that the substance's 1981 Food and Drug Administration approval came with more safety studies than any product in history. 
Some researchers believe, however, that because the tests were looking for acute deleterious effects they missed the more subtle effects that may occur over a long period of time. Dr. Paul Spiers, a clinical neuropsychologist of the Behavioral Neurology Unit and the Harvard Medical School's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, presented at the meeting some preliminary evidence that use of aspartame over a period of time might affect intellectual functioning in normal users. In an interview Spiers said the findings had been something of an accident. He had been planning to study the effects of aspartame on individuals who reported that they had suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame. However, he was first ethically bound to run the tests on normal control subjects to confirm their safety. "For that reason," he said, "we went out and selected people specifically who had a history of using NutraSweet products and were not aware of it having any adverse effects on them. We picked normal neurological histories, no history of psychiatric illness and no physical problem˜nothing, in fact, that would suggest that we would expect to have problems.
The group was given aspartame capsules up to the FDA's maximum allowable limit˜50 milligrams per Kilogram of weight˜three times a day for 12 days. Unexpectedly, the researchers began to find "cognitive deficits" in some of the neuropsychological tests then done on the group. Among the tests was a sophisticated computer test called "Think Fast," which requires comparisons, copying and recall of patterns of blocks and sequences of letters. Spiers describes it as "quite demanding and self-paced, becoming increasingly difficult. Normally when a test like this is repeated, subjects tend to improve in their performance as they learn how the test is done." Nevertheless the subjects on aspartame failed to improve and some of them frankly showed a reverse pattern where their performance got worse." 
Although he was admittedly dealing with only a few subjects and checking performances on only a small number of the tests that were administered, Spiers believes the findings are important A second group of volunteers who were given a placebo instead of aspartame showed none of the problems manifested by the aspartame group. The computer test and others measured functioning of the brain's frontal lobe, Spiers said, "simulating what the brain does in everyday life.""We are wondering whether in fact this substance may be capable of having a subtle effect on cognitive functioning that people may not necessarily be aware of. Think of the implications, for example, on an average college student who starts consuming a liter of this stuff during examination period, and it may in fact he interfering with his concentration and attention skills." Said Spiers; "This kind of neuro-psychological cognitive examination has never been used to investigate the effects of new drugs of any kind. 
Now we have food additives that are more like drugs than foods are introduced into the dietary chain but have direct effects on the brain's neurotransmitter system. But because the chemical industry is 20 years ahead of the regulators, thus far no one has attempted to apply more sophisticated methods of testing brain functions to these problems. 
"NutraSweet's principal ingredient is an amino acid called phenylalanlne (PHE), which is found, along with other amino acids, in protein. There is a genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) in which the ability to normally process the amino acid is impaired. Without careful dietary restriction of protein, PKU babies may suffer severe, irreversible mental retardation. All products containing NutraSweet must warn against its use where PKU exists. 
Now, however, specialists and researchers believe that there may be many more people who carry the gene for PKU but show no symptoms who, however, may be unable to deal with the extra load of PHE that comes from using products containing NutraSweet. Dr. Reuben Matalon, a geneticist and pediatrician at the University of Illinois warned those at the conference that perhaps millions of PKU carriers are at risk of varying reactions to aspartame, as are the fetuses of pregnant carriers.Another major study presented at the conference suggested that the use of aspartame could increase the frequency of migraine headache fourfold. 
However, both Kotsonis and Shaywitz said they believed the study was poorly conducted. They cited another study done at Duke University (at Duke's G.D. Searle Ctr.), now awaiting publication that found no link between migraines and NutraSweet. (Funded by manufacturer.) Dr. Richard J. Wurtman, neurophysiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the organizers of the conference, called for more studies of the 3,000 people who have complained of reactions to NutraSweet. "Except for the migraine study, which is preliminary, at this point we cannot say aspartame is responsible for all those anecdotes. Still, given the basic science findings and the anecdotes," Wurtman said, "the index of suspicion is high." Said Spiers: "I think it is in everyone's interest to do good research on this. 
It may turn out that it is just a labeling issue, that the warning needs to be broader. People still smoke, but they smoke knowing the consequences. The difference here is that people have not understood the consequences " "How many people even know that the FDA has attached a limit to aspartame consumption?" asked James Wagoner. Legislative aide to Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, (Ohio). (Bowing to industry pressure, in a previously unprecented move, FDA also doubled their normal Allowed Daily Intake for aspartame.)
Metzenbaum has introduced legislation requiring that labeling include information about how much NutraSweet is contained in a serving of a given product. The FDA‚s limit of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight translates to about four liters of a diet drink for an adult but only to about three cans for a child who weighs about 30 pounds."Americans,'' Wagoner said at the conference, "drink over 20 billion cans of diet soft drinks a year. And that doesn't count the gum, pudding, breakfast cereal, chewable vitamins, tooth paste, juices, frozen pops - all sweetened. with NutraSweet 
"Researchers reported last month that that heavy aspartame use appears to increase migraine headaches and seizures in susceptible individuals cause changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) readings and may even be related to birth defects and retardation.'We are wondering whether, in fact, this substance may be capable of having a subtle effect on cognitive functioning that people may not necessarily be aware of. Think of the implications, for example, on an average college student who starts consuming a liter of this stuff during examination period, and it may in fact be Interfering with his concentration and attention skills. Dr. Paul Spiers



posted by Mary Nash Stoddard on March, 17

ASPARBESITY Epidemic Started w/Illegal FDA Approval of ASPARTAME in 1981

"IDIOCRACY" Is Alive & Well in A Country That Bans The Lesser of Two Evils: HFCS v ASPARTAME Which Will Win?September 27, 2012Either way, the Consumer is the Loser in this Battle! A proposed ban on large-sized sugary sodas may drive consumers to sodas filled instead with formaldehyde, as a breakdown product of Aspartame's 10% methanol content.In an attempt to combat the obesity epidemic, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg asked the Board of Health to ban the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces by movie theaters, restaurants, mobile food carts, and delis, though not grocery stores or convenience stores—so 7-Eleven's 44-ounce Super Big Gulp is safe. (It also must be stated that there is not one grain of refined cane sugar in a regular Soft Drink. They all contain the highly-controversial, genetically-modified sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup.) Another little known fact is this: the so-called Sugar Lobby pales in comparison to the megalithic Artificial Sweetener Industry, which literally has billions in its coffers with which to vigorously fight any threat to its dominance in the world.
The Bloomberg Ban, now in effect, exempts not only diet sodas, but also fruit-based drinks, dairy-based drinks, and alcoholic beverages, no matter how many calories they contain.
Most soft drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is a corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired level of sweetness. A Genetically-Modified Sweetener! 

Astonishingly, the mayor has exempted so-called diet drinks featuring artificial sweeteners Aspartame and Neotame. The mayor seems to like them and his legal action will undoubtedly push more people into choosing them. There is evidence these drinks are extremely dangerous, some scientists call them 'neurotoxic,' potentially much more so than the drinks they would replace.Aspartame and Neotame (aka Equal/ NutraSweet), which are used in more than 6,000 diet products, foods, gums, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, have carcinogenic effects at a dose level within range of allowable human daily intake—effects that are magnified when exposure begins during pregnancy. One packet of Equal contains 33 mg. of aspartame; one can of Diet Coke contains approximately 200 mg. of Aspartame and 20 mg of methanol. One-half cup of sugarfree Jello contains 40 mg. of Aspartame and 4 mg. of methanol. Ten percent of each aspartame molecule is methanol, which is converted, at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees Fahrenheit, into formaldehyde—which, in turn, is converted to formic acid. The other 90% is composed of phenylalanine (may cause mental retardation & seizures) and aspartic acid (caused 'holes' in the brains of lab animals.) These amino acids, when found in nature are harmless.  When ingested in isolation, as in Aspartame, they are neurotoxic.Aspartame has been implicated in the development of Gulf War syndrome. Huge amounts of diet drinks were shipped to Gulf War troops, who were drinking it, after it converted to toxic breakdown products in high temperatures. In the transcripts of the August, 1985 Senate Hearings on the Safety of Aspartame, the National Soft Drink Association stated their objections to the sweetener, saying "After a few weeks in storage in hot climates, there is little to no Aspartame left in a Diet Soda." Instead, only the toxic breakdown products remain. Aspartame has been shown to decompose into: methanol (wood alcohol), formaldehyde, diketopiperazine (brain tumor agent), and other toxins. Coca-Cola started using aspartame in Diet Coke in 1984.In a study on seven monkeys, five had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%. Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder of Dallas/Washington-based Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, set up a hotline for pilots in 1987. Stoddard reports that pilots are having grand mal seizures in the cockpits of commercial airline flights due to Aspartame, and others are crashing the flight simulator at training facilities while in seizure. Aspartame also blocks production of serotonin—a chemical that regulates aggressive behaviors, sleep patterns and menstrual cycles in women.Diet sodas in general are linked to a 61% increase in strokes and heart attacks, according to the American Stroke Association. Interestingly, Alliance for Natural Health reports: the population studied for this landmark report consists of all New Yorkers!In a 1976 FDA document on GRAS substances, it stated: "High-fructose corn syrups are predicted to increase in production and to replace sucrose and invert sugar in up to 30 percent of their applications by 1980-85, based largely on relative costs." The document further states: " Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic. … However,  Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared (artificially-sweetened?)  foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic (cavity triggers.)   Mayor Bloomberg's Law demonstrates a complete ignorance of science on his part. When government tries to force people to behave in a certain way on pain of fines or worse, there is always the risk of unintended consequences, separate from the question of whether government should be telling people what to eat in the first place. In reality, is this a Civil Rights Issue?

What even the most informed scientists know about food (and medical treatments) is continuously changing. Over time people will become better informed and hopefully, better choices will be made. When government officials jump in with heavy-handed punishment, there is too much risk they will get the science wrong, as in this case, or else, they will arbitrarily force today's science into law, even though science is consistently evolving. Don't forget - at one time, "More Doctors Smoked Camels Than Any Other Brand!" proclaimed the ad in the Journal of American Medical Association JAMA, a peer-reviewd scientific, medical publication. 
The mayor, states opposition to his ban is "ridiculous." But is it? There are many reasons to oppose it, not the least of which is scientifically well documented and may be found in numerous independent peer-reviewed studies."It must also be stated", said Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Founder, Stoddard, "If this legislation is dropped in favor of tax penalties to be levied on consumers who purchase regular HFCS sweetened Sodas - we propose Diet Sodas be taxed on a basis equal with the Regular Sodas."###(article taken from published research of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline, since 1987, along with information on the proposed NYC ban of HFCS sweetened Large Diet Drinks, presented June 5, 2012, by The Alliance for Natural Health)
For more information:http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/661834.Mary_Nash_Stoddardhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825841/http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.aspartamesafety.com/ 
http://www.worldeducationcouncil.org/the-council/founding-board-members/mary-nash-stoddard/ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=95

ASPARBESITY COMING TO NYC SOON?

The Sinister Side of Banning HFCS Sweetened Sodas In NYC - Now CAJune 5, 2012 A proposed ban on large-sized sugary sodas may drive consumers to sodas filled instead with formaldehyde, as a breakdown product of Aspartame's 10% methanol content.On June 12, in an attempt to combat the obesity epidemic, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will ask the Board of Health to ban the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces by movie theaters, restaurants, mobile food carts, and delis, though not grocery stores or convenience stores—so 7-Eleven's 44-ounce Super Big Gulp is safe. It also must be stated that there is not one grain of refined cane sugar in a regular Soft Drink. They all contain the highly-controversial, genetically-modified sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup. Another little known fact is this: the so-called Sugar Lobby pales in comparison to the megalithic Artificial Sweetener Industry, which literally has billions in its coffers with which to vigorously fight any threat to its dominance in the world.The Bloomberg proposal would exempt not only diet sodas, but also fruit-based drinks, dairy-based drinks, and alcoholic beverages, no matter how many calories they contain.Most soft drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is a corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired level of sweetness. Astonishingly, the mayor has exempted so-called diet drinks featuring artificial sweeteners Aspartame and Neotame. The mayor seems to like them and his proposal will undoubtedly push more people into choosing them. There is evidence these drinks are extremely dangerous, some scientists call them 'neurotoxic,' potentially much more so than the drinks they would replace.Aspartame and Neotame (aka Equal/ NutraSweet), which are used in more than 6,000 diet products, foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, have carcinogenic effects at a dose level within range of human daily intake—effects that are magnified when exposure begins during pregnancy. One packet of Equal contains 33 mg. of aspartame; one can of Diet Coke contains approximately 200 mg. of Aspartame and 20 mg of methanol. One-half cup of sugarfreeJello contains 40 mg. of Aspartame and 4 mg. of methanol. Ten percent of each aspartame molecule is methanol, which is converted, at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees Fahrenheit, into formaldehyde—which, in turn, is converted to formic acid. The other 90% is composed of phenylalanine (may cause mental retardation & seizures) and aspartic acid (caused 'holes' in the brains of lab animals.) These amino acids, when found in nature are harmless.  When ingested in isolation, as in Aspartame, they are neurotoxic.Aspartame has been implicated in the development of Gulf War syndrome. Huge amounts of diet drinks were shipped to Gulf War troops, who were drinking it, after it converted to toxic breakdown products in high temperatures. In the transcripts of the August, 1985 Senate Hearings on the Safety of Aspartame, the National Soft Drink Association stated their objections to the sweetener, saying "After a few weeks in storage in hot climates, there is little to no Aspartame left in a Diet Soda." Instead, only the toxic breakdown products remain. Aspartame has been shown to decompose into: methanol (wood alcohol), formaldehyde, diketopiperazine (brain tumor agent), and other toxins. Coca-Cola started using aspartame in Diet Coke in 1984.In a study on seven monkeys, five had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%. Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder of Dallas/Washington-based Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, set up a hotline for pilots in 1987. Stoddard reports that pilots are having grand mal seizures in the cockpits of commercial airline flights due to Aspartame, and others are crashing the flight simulator at training facilities while in seizure. Aspartame also blocks production of serotonin—a chemical that regulates aggressive behaviors, sleep patterns and menstrual cycles in women.Diet sodas in general are linked to a 61% increase in strokes and heart attacks, according to the American Stroke Association. Interestingly, Alliance for Natural Health reports: the population studied for this landmark report consists of all New Yorkers!In a 1976 FDA document on GRAS substances, it stated: "High-fructose corn syrups are predicted to increase in production and to replace sucrose and invert sugar in up to 30 percent of their applications by 1980-85, based largely on relative costs." The document further states: " Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic. … However,  Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared (artificially-sweetened?)  foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic.   Mayor Bloomberg needs to seriously rethink his proposed ban. It demonstrates a complete ignorance of science on his part. When government tries to force people to behave a certain way on pain of fines or worse, there is always the risk of unintended consequences, separate from the question of whether government should be telling people what to eat in the first place.What even the most informed scientists know about food (and medical treatments) is continuously changing. Over time people will become better informed and hopefully, better choices will be made. When government officials jump in with heavy-handed punishment, there is too much risk they will get the science wrong, as in this case, or else, they will arbitrarily force today's science into law, even though science is consistently evolving. Don't forget - at one time, "More Doctors Smoked Camels Than Any Other Brand!" proclaimed the ad in the Journal of American Medical Association JAMA, a peer-reviewd scientific, medical publication. The mayor, states opposition to his ban is "ridiculous." But is it? There are many reasons to oppose it, not the least of which is scientifically well documented and may be found in numerous independent peer-reviewed studies.It must also be stated, said Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Founder, Stoddard, "If this legislation is dropped in favor of tax penalties to be levied on consumers who purchase regular HFCS sweetened Sodas - we propose Diet Sodas be taxed on a basis equal with the Regular Sodas."###(article taken from published research of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline, since 1987, along with information on the proposed NYC ban of HFCS sweetened Large Diet Drinks, presented June 5, 2012, by The Alliance for Natural Health)
For more information:http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/661834.Mary_Nash_Stoddardhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825841/http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.aspartamesafety.com/ 
http://www.worldeducationcouncil.org/the-council/founding-board-members/mary-nash-stoddard/ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=95

The Sinister Dark Side of Banning HFCS Sweetened Sodas In...

The Sinister Dark Side of Banning HFCS Sweetened Sodas In NYC & Now CAJune 5, 2012 A proposed ban on large-sized sugary sodas may drive consumers to sodas filled instead with formaldehyde, as a breakdown product of Aspartame's 10% methanol content.On June 12, in an attempt to combat the obesity epidemic, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will ask the Board of Health to ban the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces by movie theaters, restaurants, mobile food carts, and delis, though not grocery stores or convenience stores—so 7-Eleven's 44-ounce Super Big Gulp is safe. It also must be stated that there is not one grain of refined cane sugar in a regular Soft Drink. They all contain the highly-controversial, genetically-modified sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup. Another little known fact is this: the so-called Sugar Lobby pales in comparison to the megalithic Artificial Sweetener Industry, which literally has billions in its coffers with which to vigorously fight any threat to its dominance in the world.The Bloomberg proposal would exempt not only diet sodas, but also fruit-based drinks, dairy-based drinks, and alcoholic beverages, no matter how many calories they contain.Most soft drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is a corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired level of sweetness. Astonishingly, the mayor has exempted so-called diet drinks featuring artificial sweeteners Aspartame and Neotame. The mayor seems to like them and his proposal will undoubtedly push more people into choosing them. There is evidence these drinks are extremely dangerous, some scientists call them 'neurotoxic,' potentially much more so than the drinks they would replace.Aspartame and Neotame (aka Equal/ NutraSweet), which are used in more than 6,000 diet products, foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, have carcinogenic effects at a dose level within range of human daily intake—effects that are magnified when exposure begins during pregnancy. One packet of Equal contains 33 mg. of aspartame; one can of Diet Coke contains approximately 200 mg. of Aspartame and 20 mg of methanol. One-half cup of sugarfreeJello contains 40 mg. of Aspartame and 4 mg. of methanol. Ten percent of each aspartame molecule is methanol, which is converted, at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees Fahrenheit, into formaldehyde—which, in turn, is converted to formic acid. The other 90% is composed of phenylalanine (may cause mental retardation & seizures) and aspartic acid (caused 'holes' in the brains of lab animals.) These amino acids, when found in nature are harmless.  When ingested in isolation, as in Aspartame, they are neurotoxic.Aspartame has been implicated in the development of Gulf War syndrome. Huge amounts of diet drinks were shipped to Gulf War troops, who were drinking it, after it converted to toxic breakdown products in high temperatures. In the transcripts of the August, 1985 Senate Hearings on the Safety of Aspartame, the National Soft Drink Association stated their objections to the sweetener, saying "After a few weeks in storage in hot climates, there is little to no Aspartame left in a Diet Soda." Instead, only the toxic breakdown products remain. Aspartame has been shown to decompose into: methanol (wood alcohol), formaldehyde, diketopiperazine (brain tumor agent), and other toxins. Coca-Cola started using aspartame in Diet Coke in 1984.In a study on seven monkeys, five had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%. Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder of Dallas/Washington-based Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, set up a hotline for pilots in 1987. Stoddard reports that pilots are having grand mal seizures in the cockpits of commercial airline flights due to Aspartame, and others are crashing the flight simulator at training facilities while in seizure. Aspartame also blocks production of serotonin—a chemical that regulates aggressive behaviors, sleep patterns and menstrual cycles in women.Diet sodas in general are linked to a 61% increase in strokes and heart attacks, according to the American Stroke Association. Interestingly, Alliance for Natural Health reports: the population studied for this landmark report consists of all New Yorkers!In a 1976 FDA document on GRAS substances, it stated: "High-fructose corn syrups are predicted to increase in production and to replace sucrose and invert sugar in up to 30 percent of their applications by 1980-85, based largely on relative costs." The document further states: " Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic. … However,  Informing the consumer of the sugar content of foods by appropriate labeling could lead to judicious use of sweetened foods. Choices could be made easier with a greater selection of less sugared (artificially-sweetened?)  foods in the market place. The Select Committee has weighed all of the foregoing and concludes that: Evidence exists that simple sugars, including glucose and fructose [and, therefore, corn sugar(dextrose), corn syrup including high-fructose corn syrup, and invert sugars] are cariogenic.   Mayor Bloomberg needs to seriously rethink his proposed ban. It demonstrates a complete ignorance of science on his part. When government tries to force people to behave a certain way on pain of fines or worse, there is always the risk of unintended consequences, separate from the question of whether government should be telling people what to eat in the first place.What even the most informed scientists know about food (and medical treatments) is continuously changing. Over time people will become better informed and hopefully, better choices will be made. When government officials jump in with heavy-handed punishment, there is too much risk they will get the science wrong, as in this case, or else, they will arbitrarily force today's science into law, even though science is consistently evolving. Don't forget - at one time, "More Doctors Smoked Camels Than Any Other Brand!" proclaimed the ad in the Journal of American Medical Association JAMA, a peer-reviewd scientific, medical publication. The mayor, states opposition to his ban is "ridiculous." But is it? There are many reasons to oppose it, not the least of which is scientifically well documented and may be found in numerous independent peer-reviewed studies.It must also be stated, said Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Founder, Stoddard, "If this legislation is dropped in favor of tax penalties to be levied on consumers who purchase regular HFCS sweetened Sodas - we propose Diet Sodas be taxed on a basis equal with the Regular Sodas."###(article taken from published research of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline, since 1987, along with information on the proposed NYC ban of HFCS sweetened Large Diet Drinks, presented June 5, 2012, by The Alliance for Natural Health)
For more information:http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/661834.Mary_Nash_Stoddardhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825841/http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/http://marystod.blogspot.com/http://www.aspartamesafety.com/ 
http://www.worldeducationcouncil.org/the-council/founding-board-members/mary-nash-stoddard/ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=95

TEEN VOGUE MAGAZINE, September Issue, pgs. 341 and 368. E...

TEEN VOGUE MAGAZINE, September Issue, pgs. 341 and 368. Eva Chen

SWEET NOTHINGS
Is your favorite low-cal sweetener too good to be true? Eva Chen investigates.
They’re everywhere you look, in Easter egg bright packets at your favorite restaurant, in your must have diet soda, and even in your mouthwash. Big business, it seems, has never been sweeter. More than 200 million Americans use artificial sweeteners each year, supporting a multibillion dollar industry that proponents argue is necessary for diabetics and the obese. But sugar substitutes have also found a cult following in an unexpected genre: teens.
“Regular sugar is my last resort,” says Lauren, sixteen, from Tampa. “I’m a fan of Sweet ‘N Low. It adds more sweetness than plain old sugar.” On the surface, Lauren’s enthusiasm seems innocuous enough. If a product looks like sugar and tastes like sugar, it’s probably the same as sugar, right? Kim Collier, a Sacramento, California based sports nutritionist for AthletiCamps begs to differ. “There're not the same. I know I certainly wouldn’t touch them. People who use these products think they are going to lose weight. Instead, they just mess up their bodies.”
The three most popular sugar substitutes contain the chemicals aspartame [a main ingredient in Equal], saccharin [used in Sweet ‘N Low], or sucralose [found in the country’s current best seller, Splenda] as their main sweetening ingredients. They pack a punch: on average, saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar, sucralose 600 times as sweet, and aspartame 200 times as sweet. And while that might sound tempting to those afflicted with a sweet tooth, their origins are less than organic. All were discovered - by accident - in laboratories: aspartame by a scientist creating an ulcer medication; saccharin by a chemist working with coal tar derivatives: and sucralose by a researcher inventing an insecticide.
So how do they work? Some, like Equal [made with two amino acids and methanol] and Sweet ‘N Low [made by combining two chemicals], are considered to be no-calorie because they’re exponentially sweeter than real sugar [and therefore require less per serving]; others, like Splenda [which is made with two chlorine atoms], [Ed. actually, it’s three chlorine atoms], tamper with the original molecular form of sugar to render it indigestible to the body.
“These products are hardly natural, even if they’re marketed to be. Place a patch of any of them on the tip of your tongue,” advises Collier. “It doesn’t taste sweet - it’s more like a chemical sensation. Do you want to put that in your body?” For Allie, fifteen, from Missouri, the answer is still yes. “I can taste the difference between Splenda and regular sugar, but it’s worth it,” she says. “Losing weight is more important.”
Experts warn against Allie’s mentality. “Girls think they can use four spoonfuls of fake sugar and it’s better than half a spoonful of real stuff,” notes Collier. “They’re wrong. These sweeteners can be a lot worse for you.” A 2004 study by Purdue University in Indiana backs up her theory, indicating that they may contribute to weight gain because the body becomes unable to gauge the number of calories consumed in other sweet tasting foods. “When you eat something sweet, your taste receptors signal to the brain that your body will have incoming nutrition,” explains Collier. “When the body doesn’t get the nourishment, it craves more food. Your body gets into starvation mode, holding on to every ounce of fat.”
Some scientists caution that weight gain [and the less than attractive side effects of diarrhea and gas] could be the least of your concerns. Sugar substitutes have been at the center of controversy since their discovery: While all of the products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], some studies seem to indicate that aspartame and saccharin could be carcinogenic. Most teens are surprised to hear the news. “How can small crystals cause cancer?” asks Lauren. “Even if they do, they still taste good.” Aspartame, found in many diet sodas, was discovered in a 2005 Italian study to be associated with leukemia and lymphoma in rats that were fed the human equivalent of three cans of diet soda a day. Anecdotal evidence also has it associated with migraines, seizures, and Alzheimer’s disease. “I have a college aged client who drank her first diet soda before class, had her second afterward, and, throughout the day, had two six packs,” says collier. “She began displaying symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It may not be proven in studies, but I know that when she cut out diet pop, she got better.”
Saccharin, one of the oldest artificial sweeteners, also has a checkered past. In light of studies from the 1970s in which rats developed bladder cancer after being fed high quantities, the FDA once sought to ban the additive. It’s since been declared safe by the World Health Organization, but the National Cancer Institute and FDA stated [about three decades ago] that there was “suggestive evidence” that people who were heavy users had some indication of an increased risk of cancer. And while the jury’s still out on America’s favorite sweetener, McNeil Nutritionals [the maker of Splenda] is currently fighting lawsuits from the sugar industry for allegedly falsely advertising that Splenda is made from sugar.
According to Rebecca Appleman, R.D., a nutritionist based in New York City, just know what you’re consuming. “The problem isn’t having an occasional product that contains sugar substitutes,” she explains. “It’s that people are unaware of how much sugar - real and fake - they consume.” As an alternative to adding sugar to your diet, she recommends choosing foods that are naturally sweet, like fruit. “I use raw honey as a sweetener,” adds Collier. “As with everything else, be as natural as possible. You can’t cut out all chemicals, but when it comes to food, why tamper with Mother Nature?”
- 30 -www.teenvogue.comwww.athleticamps.com

TEEN CONSUMER ALERT From TEEN VOGUE

TEEN VOGUE MAGAZINE, September Issue, pgs. 341 and 368. Eva Chen

SWEET NOTHINGS
Is your favorite low-cal sweetener too good to be true? Eva Chen investigates.
They're everywhere you look, in Easter egg bright packets at your favorite restaurant, in your must have diet soda, and even in your mouthwash. Big business, it seems, has never been sweeter. More than 200 million Americans use artificial sweeteners each year, supporting a multibillion dollar industry that proponents argue is necessary for diabetics and the obese. But sugar substitutes have also found a cult following in an unexpected genre: teens.
"Regular sugar is my last resort," says Lauren, sixteen, from Tampa. "I'm a fan of Sweet 'N Low. It adds more sweetness than plain old sugar." On the surface, Lauren's enthusiasm seems innocuous enough. If a product looks like sugar and tastes like sugar, it's probably the same as sugar, right? Kim Collier, a Sacramento, California based sports nutritionist for AthletiCamps begs to differ. "There're not the same. I know I certainly wouldn't touch them. People who use these products think they are going to lose weight. Instead, they just mess up their bodies."
The three most popular sugar substitutes contain the chemicals aspartame [a main ingredient in Equal], saccharin [used in Sweet 'N Low], or sucralose [found in the country's current best seller, Splenda] as their main sweetening ingredients. They pack a punch: on average, saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar, sucralose 600 times as sweet, and aspartame 200 times as sweet. And while that might sound tempting to those afflicted with a sweet tooth, their origins are less than organic. All were discovered - by accident - in laboratories: aspartame by a scientist creating an ulcer medication; saccharin by a chemist working with coal tar derivatives: and sucralose by a researcher inventing an insecticide.
So how do they work? Some, like Equal [made with two amino acids and methanol] and Sweet 'N Low [made by combining two chemicals], are considered to be no-calorie because they're exponentially sweeter than real sugar [and therefore require less per serving]; others, like Splenda [which is made with two chlorine atoms], [Ed. actually, it's three chlorine atoms], tamper with the original molecular form of sugar to render it indigestible to the body.
"These products are hardly natural, even if they're marketed to be. Place a patch of any of them on the tip of your tongue," advises Collier. "It doesn't taste sweet - it's more like a chemical sensation. Do you want to put that in your body?" For Allie, fifteen, from Missouri, the answer is still yes. "I can taste the difference between Splenda and regular sugar, but it's worth it," she says. "Losing weight is more important."
Experts warn against Allie's mentality. "Girls think they can use four spoonfuls of fake sugar and it's better than half a spoonful of real stuff," notes Collier. "They're wrong. These sweeteners can be a lot worse for you." A 2004 study by Purdue University in Indiana backs up her theory, indicating that they may contribute to weight gain because the body becomes unable to gauge the number of calories consumed in other sweet tasting foods. "When you eat something sweet, your taste receptors signal to the brain that your body will have incoming nutrition," explains Collier. "When the body doesn't get the nourishment, it craves more food. Your body gets into starvation mode, holding on to every ounce of fat."
Some scientists caution that weight gain [and the less than attractive side effects of diarrhea and gas] could be the least of your concerns. Sugar substitutes have been at the center of controversy since their discovery: While all of the products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], some studies seem to indicate that aspartame and saccharin could be carcinogenic. Most teens are surprised to hear the news. "How can small crystals cause cancer?" asks Lauren. "Even if they do, they still taste good." Aspartame, found in many diet sodas, was discovered in a 2005 Italian study to be associated with leukemia and lymphoma in rats that were fed the human equivalent of three cans of diet soda a day. Anecdotal evidence also has it associated with migraines, seizures, and Alzheimer's disease. "I have a college aged client who drank her first diet soda before class, had her second afterward, and, throughout the day, had two six packs," says collier. "She began displaying symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It may not be proven in studies, but I know that when she cut out diet pop, she got better."
Saccharin, one of the oldest artificial sweeteners, also has a checkered past. In light of studies from the 1970s in which rats developed bladder cancer after being fed high quantities, the FDA once sought to ban the additive. It's since been declared safe by the World Health Organization, but the National Cancer Institute and FDA stated [about three decades ago] that there was "suggestive evidence" that people who were heavy users had some indication of an increased risk of cancer. And while the jury's still out on America's favorite sweetener, McNeil Nutritionals [the maker of Splenda] is currently fighting lawsuits from the sugar industry for allegedly falsely advertising that Splenda is made from sugar.
According to Rebecca Appleman, R.D., a nutritionist based in New York City, just know what you're consuming. "The problem isn't having an occasional product that contains sugar substitutes," she explains. "It's that people are unaware of how much sugar - real and fake - they consume." As an alternative to adding sugar to your diet, she recommends choosing foods that are naturally sweet, like fruit. "I use raw honey as a sweetener," adds Collier. "As with everything else, be as natural as possible. You can't cut out all chemicals, but when it comes to food, why tamper with Mother Nature?"
- 30 -www.teenvogue.comwww.athleticamps.com

Aspartame-Related Cancers Kill FDA Dir. Who Approved The Sweetener and His Daughter Both 19 Years After He Approved NutraSweet's Use in Public Food Supply

Arthur Hayes Jr., 76; FDA boss died of Leukemia 2/11/10 almost 19 years after approving Aspartame, which caused Leukemia in scientific tests published in Peer-Reviewed Journal 3 years earlier. Incredibly, Hayes' 45 y.o. daughter, Lisa, died 6 months after her Dad from another Aspartame-related Cancer of the Pancreas. 
ARTHUR HAYES JR.By Dennis Hevesi
New York Times / March 2, 2010NEW YORK - Arthur Hayes Jr., who while leading the Food and Drug Administration during the Reagan administration helped calm consumer fears after a Tylenol poisoning case and, amid some controversy, approved the use of the artificial sweetener found in Equal and NutraSweet, died Feb. 11 in Danbury, Conn. He was 76 and lived in Oxford, Conn.
The cause was leukemia, said his son, Arthur III.Dr. Hayes, a pharmacological researcher, was appointed commissioner of the FDA by President Reagan in April 1981. He served until August 1983.The biggest crisis faced by the agency under Dr. Hayes was a nationwide alarm in 1982 caused by the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area who had taken Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. The case remains unsolved. Under Dr. Hayes's leadership, the government and the drug industry responded by developing the first federal regulations requiring tamper-resistant packaging for all over-the-counter drugs.In 1981, Dr. Hayes granted approval for the use of the sugar substitute aspartame in dry foods and as a tabletop sweetener. Research had found that aspartame was associated with high rates of cancers in rats that had been given large doses, starting at what would be the equivalent of four to five 20-ounce bottles of diet soda a day for a 150-pound person.Dr. Hayes insisted that there was no need for people to avoid the sweetener.Research done after Dr. Hayes's time as commissioner indicated that aspartame can sometimes cause incapacitating headaches and even seizures.Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. was born in Highland Park, Mich., one of four children of Arthur and Florence Gruber Hayes. His father was president of CBS Radio.Dr. Hayes received his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1955 from Santa Clara University and then went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, earning a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics in 1957. He returned to the United States to study medicine and graduated from Cornell University Medical School in 1964. He served in the US Army Medical Corps from 1965 to 1967.From 1967 to 1981, Dr. Hayes was an assistant professor of medicine and pharmacology at Cornell. He later became director of clinical pharmacology at the Pennsylvania State University medical school. After leaving the FDA, he was dean of New York Medical College and, in 1986, was named president of E.M. Pharmaceuticals.© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2010/03/02/arthur_hayes_jr_76_fda_boss_calmed_fears_during_tylenol_case/


http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ctpost/obituary.aspx?n=elizabeth-anne-waller-hayes-lisa&amp;pid=144047516http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.10271Login | Create Account | Feedback | Subscribe
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• Published in  115(9) Sep 2007

Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats
• Article
Morando Soffritti, Fiorella Belpoggi, Eva Tibaldi, Davide Degli Esposti, Michelina Lauriola


Abstract TopBackgroundIn a previous study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation (CMCRC/ERF), we demonstrated for the first time that aspartame (APM) is a multipotent carcinogenic agent when various doses are administered with feed to Sprague-Dawley rats from 8 weeks of age throughout the life span.ObjectiveThe aim of this second study is to better quantify the carcinogenic risk of APM, beginning treatment during fetal life.MethodsWe studied groups of 70–95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered APM (2,000, 400, or 0 ppm) with feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death.ResultsOur results show a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor–bearing animals in males (p &lt; 0.01), particularly in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p &lt; 0.01); b) a significant increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males treated with 2,000 ppm (p &lt; 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (p &lt; 0.01), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p &lt; 0.01); and c) a significant dose-related increase in incidence of mammary cancer in females (p &lt; 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsThe results of this carcinogenicity bioassay confirm and reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM's multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptable daily intake for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased.Keywords: artificial sweeteners, aspartame, carcinogenicity,lymphomas/leukemias, mammary cancers, prenatal exposure, Sprague-Dawley.
Citation: Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Tibaldi E, Esposti DD, Lauriola M 2007. Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats. Environ Health Perspect 115:1293-1297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.10271
Received: 16 March 2007; Accepted: 13 June 2007; Online: 13 June 2007
Address correspondence to M. Soffritti, Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, Castello di Bentivoglio, Via Saliceto, 3, 40010 Bentivoglio, Bologna, Italy. Telephone: 39 051 6640460. Fax: 39 051 6640223. E-mail:crcfr@ramazzini.itThis research was supported entirely by the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences.The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.
Aspartame (APM) is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners in the world. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for limited use in solid food in 1981, its authorization was extended to soft drinks in 1983 and then approved as a general sweetener in 1996 (FDA 1981, 1983, 1996). Likewise, the sweetener was approved for general use in the European Union in 1994 (EC Directive 1994). APM is now present in &gt; 6,000 consumer packaged goods and in nearly 500 pharmaceutical products, including children's medicines (Aspartame Information Center 2005). In the United States, &gt; 70% of aspartame sales are attributed to soft drinks (American Dietetic Association 2004). The acceptable daily intake (ADI) of aspartame is currently 50 mg/kg body weight (bw) in the United States and 40 mg/kg bw in the European Union for both children and adults. Daily consumption of artificial sweeteners by women of childbearing age and by children has been estimated at 2.5–5.0 mg/kg bw (Butchko et al. 2002). In a study of Swedish diabetics, the general APM intake was lower than the ADI, but the worst-case calculation of intake in the children's group was 114% of the ADI (Ilbäck et al. 2003).APM is metabolized in the gastric tract of rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans to its three constituents: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. When absorbed, aspartic acid is transformed into alanine plus oxaloacetate (Stegink 1984); phenylalanine is transformed mainly into tyrosine and, to a lesser extent, phenylethylamine and phenyl-pyruvate (Harper 1984); and methanol is transformed into formaldehyde and then to formic acid (Opperman 1984).In vitro and in vivo tests demonstrate that APM is not genotoxic. Likewise, long-term carcinogenicity studies conducted by the manufacturers of aspartame using rats and mice in the 1970s and 1980s did not demonstrate any carcinogenic effects. A detailed review of the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies available to date on APM has been published previously (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006). In our opinion, the small number of animals used per sex and per group and the termination of these experiments after 110 weeks of age, rather than observing animals over their life span, represent limiting factors when evaluating the carcinogenic risk or safety of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. It was for this reason, together with the growing use of APM in industrialized countries, that we designed and performed a mega-experiment using seven groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (100–150 per sex per group) treated with APM in feed at various dose levels (including one very close to the ADI for humans), from 8 weeks of age until natural death (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006). The study demonstrated for the first time that APM is a multipotential carcinogenic agent, capable of inducing, in our experimental conditionsa) a significant, dose-related increased incidence of malignant tumor–bearing animals in males (p ≤ 0.05) and in females (p ≤ 0.01), particularly in females treated at 50,000 ppm (p ≤ 0.01); b) a significant dose-related increase in lymphomas/leukemias in both males (p ≤ 0.05) and females (p ≤ 0.01), particularly in females treated at doses of 100,000 (p ≤ 0.01), 50,000 (p ≤ 0.01), 10,000 (p ≤ 0.05), 2,000 (p ≤ 0.05), or 400 ppm (p ≤ 0.01); c) a significant, dose-related increased incidence (p ≤ 0.01) of transitional cell carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter and their precursors (dysplasias) in females treated at 100,000 (p ≤ 0.01), 50,000 (p ≤ 0.01), 10,000 (p ≤ 0.01), 2,000 (p ≤ 0.05), or 400 ppm (p ≤ 0.05); d ) a significant, dose-related increased incidence of malignant schwannomas of peripheral nerves (p≤ 0.05) in males (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006).Given the consolidated experience of the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) in the conduct of long-term bioassays and the large number of rodents used in the study, the results attracted the attention of the scientific community, consumer and industry associations, and the national and international agencies responsible for food safety, including the Italian Superior Council of Health, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the U.S. FDA, Health Canada, and others. At their request, we provided each of these agencies with all available raw data related to the study.To our knowledge, only the EFSA has issued an official opinion on our study, releasing on 5 May 2006 a 40-page report in which they concluded that it is not necessary to revise their previous opinion on the absolute safety of APM (EFSA 2006).Subsequent to our findings of hematopoietic cancers in rats, and in light of persistent concerns among the scientific community of an association between APM and brain cancers, Lim et al. (2006) published the results of a study that assessed the correlation between the consumption of aspartame-containing beverages and the incidence of these types of cancers. The findings were based on data derived from a prospective study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Retired Persons, using a cohort of &gt; 285,000 men and &gt; 188,000 women between 50 and 71 years of age, who had satisfactorily responded to a self-administered food frequency questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on the consumption of beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened iced tea) potentially containing APM during the previous year. The questionnaires were mailed from 1995 to 1996 and the follow-up lasted until 2000. The conclusions of the study (Lim et al. 2006) did not support the hypothesis that APM increases hematopoietic or brain cancer risks.Recently a group of Italian authors (Gallus et al. 2007) published the results of an integrated network of case–control studies conducted in Italy between 1991 and 2004 on the potential correlation between artificial sweeteners (including APM) and cancer. The authors interviewed patients with histologically confirmed cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (598), esophagus (304), colon (1,225), rectum (728), larynx (460), breast (2,569), ovary (1,031), prostate (1,294), and kidney (renal cell carcinoma 767). Controls were 7,028 patients (3,301 men and 3,727 women) admitted to the same hospitals for acute, nonneoplastic disorders. Cases and controls were interviewed during their hospital stay, using a questionnaire on subjects' usual diet in the 2 years before diagnosis. The results reported a lack of association between artificial sweeteners and the risk of the aforementioned cancers.As soon as we perceived the carcinogenic effects of APM during the elaboration of the data in our first mega-experiment (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006), we planned an integrated program of long-term bioassays, beginning treatment from prenatal life, on &gt; 4,000 rats and mice in order to better quantify the carcinogenic risks of aspartame. In this report we present the results of a second study on APM in which male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to very low doses of APM in feed (100 or 20 mg/kg bw) from fetal life until natural death.
Materials and Methods TopThe APM used in this study was produced by Ajinomoto (Gravelines, France) and supplied by Giusto Faravelli S.p.A. (Milan, Italy). The purity of the APM, as determined by an infrared absorption spectrophotometer assay, was &gt; 98.7%: diketopiperazine was &lt; 0.3% and L-phenylalanine was &lt; 0.5%. APM was added to the standard diet, which has been used for &gt; 30 years at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center (CMCRC)/ERF, at APM concentrations of 2,000, 400, or 0 ppm to simulate an assumed daily APM intake of 100, 20, or 0 mg/kg bw. The feed was supplied by the producer on a monthly basis. The stability of the aspartame in feed was analyzed before the start of the study and periodically confirmed throughout the course of the biophase. The daily APM consumption (milligrams per kilogram body weight) was calculated estimating the average body weight for both males and females as 400 g for the duration of the experiment and the daily consumption of feed as 20 g/day.The feed was supplied ad libitum to groups of 70–95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats from the colony of the CMCRC/ERF. The basic tumorigram of this strain of rats is well known. Treatment began during fetal life, with administration of APM in feed to female breeders from the 12th day of pregnancy, when organogenesis is completed and before which time many tissues and organs are refractory to the effects of carcinogenic agents [International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 1973]. The breeders were sacrificed after weaning, and treatment of the offspring lasted until natural death. Control animals received the same feed without APM.At 4–5 weeks of age (after weaning), the experimental animals were identified by ear punch, separated by sex, and assigned to a respective dose group, depending on the APM concentration administered to the breeder. They were then housed five per cage in poly-carbonate cages (41 ? 25 ? 15 cm) with stainless-steel wire tops and a shallow layer of white wood shavings as bedding, and kept in a room used only for this experiment. The room was maintained at a temperature of 23 ± 2°C and relative humidity of 50–60%.All animals were kept under observation until natural death. The experiment was conducted according to Italian law regulating the use and humane treatment of animals for scientific purposes (Decreto Legislativo N. 116 1992).Mean daily drinking water and feed consumption were measured per cage, and body weight was measured individually, beginning at 6 weeks of age and continuing once each week for the first 13 weeks, then every 2 weeks until animals reached 110 weeks of age. Measurement of body weight continued every 2 weeks until the end of the experiment. To detect and register all gross lesions, the animals were clinically examined every 2 weeks for the duration of the experiment. To evaluate the status and behavior of the animals and to limit the postmortem modifications, a patrol was performed three times daily Monday–Friday and twice on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Deceased animals were registered and kept refrigerated for a maximum of 16–19 hr at 4°C until necropsy.The biophase ended at 147 weeks with the death of the last animal at the age of 144 weeks. Upon death, all animals underwent complete necropsy. Histopathology was routinely performed on the following organs and tissues of each animal from each group: skin and subcutaneous tissue, mammary gland, the brain (three sagittal sections), pituitary gland, Zymbal glands, salivary glands, Harderian glands, cranium (five sections, with oral and nasal cavities and external and internal ear ducts), tongue, thyroid, parathyroid, pharynx, larynx, thymus and mediastinal lymph nodes, trachea, lung and mainstem bronchi, heart, diaphragm, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands, esophagus, stomach (fore and glandular), intestine (four levels), urinary bladder, prostate (male only), vagina (female only), gonads, interscapular brown fat pad, subcutaneous and mesenteric lymph nodes, and other organs or tissues with pathologic lesions. All organs and tissues were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol except for bones, which were fixed in 10% formalin and then decalcified with 10% formaldehyde and 20% formic acid in water solution. The normal specimens were trimmed following CMCRC/ERF laboratory standard operating procedures. The pathologic tissue was trimmed to allow for the largest surface, including normal adjacent tissue. Trimmed specimens were processed in paraffin, and 3- to 5-?m sections of every specimen were obtained.Sections were routinely stained with hematoxylin and eosin. All slides were examined microscopically by the same group of pathologists following the same criteria of histopathologic evaluation and classification. A senior pathologist reviewed all tumors and all other lesions of oncologic interest.We performed statistical evaluations of the incidence and dose–response relationship of neoplastic lesions using the Cox regression model (Cox 1972). p-Values are reported in the tables.
Results TopThe experiment proceeded smoothly without unexpected occurrences. We observed no relevant differences in feed consumption between treated and untreated groups, in either males or females (Figure 1A,1B); no differences were observed in water consumption between groups or between sexes. No difference in mean body weight was observed in the treated groups compared with the controls (Figure 1C). We observed a slight decrease, seemingly dose related, in survival in the treated groups compared with the control group in both males and females (Figure 1D,1E).Oncologic results are reported in Tables 1 and 2 for males and females, respectively. Multiple tumors of different type and site, of different type in the same site, of the same type in bilateral organs, of the same type in the skin, in subcutaneous tissue, in mammary glands, or at distant sites of diffuse tissue (i.e., bones and skeletal muscle) were plotted as single/independent tumors. Multiple tumors of the same type in the same tissue and organ, apart those listed above, were plotted only once.Total malignant tumorsThe incidence of malignant tumor–bearing animals occurred with a significant, dose-related increase in males (p ≤ 0.01). The incidence of malignant tumors was significantly increased in males treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p ≤ 0.01) compared with controls (Table 1). Albeit not significant, a numeric increase of the incidence of animals bearing malignant tumors was also observed among females exposed to 2,000 ppm APM compared with controls (Table 2). Tumor types that contributed most to this increased incidence are presented below.Lymphomas/leukemiasThe occurrence of lymphomas/leukemias in males and females is reported in Tables 1 and 2. The data show that APM causes a significant, dose-related increased incidence in females (p ≤ 0.01). When compared with the untreated control group, the increased incidence of lymphomas/ leukemias in treated males and females was significant at 2,000 ppm APM (p ≤ 0.05 and p ≤ 0.01, respectively). In males, the most frequent histotypes observed were lymphoimmunoblastic lymphomas that mainly involved lung and mediastinal/peripheral nodes. In females, the most frequent histotypes were lymphocitic lymphomas and lymphoimmunoblastic lymphomas that mainly involved the thymus, lung, spleen, and peripheral nodes. The differential diagnoses were based on the morphologic criteria regularly used in our laboratories, according to the guidelines of the International Classification of Rodent Tumors (IARC 1993). Lymphomas/leukemias (this term includes all types of hemolymphosarcomas and leukemias) are neoplasias arising from hemolymphoreticular tissues. Their aggregation is regularly used in experimental carcino-genesis because both solid and circulating phases are present in many lymphoid neoplasms, and distinction between them is artificial (Harris et al. 2001).Mammary carcinomasThe incidence of mammary gland carcinomas in males and females is reported in Tables 1 and 2. A dose-related increase in the incidence of carcinomas was observed in females (p ≤ 0.05). The incidence of lesions in females exposed to 2,000 ppm APM was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) compared with the controls. Two carcinomas were also observed among males treated with 2,000 ppm APM.Historical controlsIn our laboratory over the last 20 years, the overall incidence of lymphomas/leukemias was 20.6% (range, 8.0–30.9%) among 2,265 male rats and 13.3% (range, 4.0–25.0%) among 2,274 female rats. The overall incidence of mammary cancers in the same group of female rats was 9.2% (range, 4.0–14.2%).
Discussion TopIn our first mega-experiment (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006), we demonstrated for the first time that APM is a multi-potential carcinogenic agent inducing, among other cancers, a dose-related, significant increase in lymphomas/leukemias in females.In the present study, in which we administered APM (2,000 and 400 ppm; equivalent to consumption of 100 and 20 mg/kg bw, respectively) to Sprague-Dawley rats in feed beginning during fetal life, we again confirmed that APM induces carcinogenic effects; we found a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor–bearing animals in males (p &lt; 0.01), in particular in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p &lt; 0.01); b) a significant increase in the incidence of lymphomas/ leukemias in males in the 2,000-ppm group (p &lt; 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in the incidence of lymphomas/ leukemias in females (p &lt; 0.01), in particular in the 2,000-ppm group (p &lt; 0.01); c) a significant dose-related increase in the incidence of mammary cancer in females (p &lt; 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p &lt; 0.05).When comparing life-span exposure beginning during prenatal and postnatal life, we have shown that prenatal exposure to APM clearly increases the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (Table 3). Moreover, when comparing the cumulative prevalence by age of death of animals with hemolymphoreticular neoplasias, it is clear that prenatal exposure to APM also accelerates the insurgence of these lesions in females (Figure 2).With regard to males, the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in the concurrent control (9.5%) falls within the lower range of our historical controls (8.0–30.9%), and the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in the group treated at the highest dose (17.1%) is close to the overall historical incidence (20.9%). Because the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias observed in males treated with 2,000 ppm APM is close to double the concurrent control, we consider these effects to be related to APM exposure (Haseman 1992, 1995; Haseman et al. 1984).The results of our second experiment (the present study) further disprove the alternative hypothesis suggested by the EFSA (2006)regarding the cause of lymphomas/leukemias in our colony, in which they considered the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias observed in our first experiment to be "unrelated to APM given the high background incidence of chronic inflammatory changes in the lung." First, as previously reported (Soffritti 2006), experimental animals that are allowed to die spontaneously are subject to infectious pathologies that are part of the natural dying process in both rodents and humans. Second, among the animals bearing lymphomas/ leukemias, we observed the diffusion of neoplastic tissue not only in the lung but also concurrently in various organs (liver, spleen, mediastinal and other lymph nodes). Finally, it should be noted that out of 49 agents reported to be carcinogenic in rats by the CMCRC/ERF, only 8 of these agents induced hemolymphoreticular malignancies. Of these, 3 were demonstrated in both males and females—formaldehyde (Soffritti et al. 2002b), mancozeb (Belpoggi et al. 2002a), and di-isopropyl-ether (Belpoggi et al. 2002b)—and 5 only in females—toluene (Soffritti et al. 2004), methyl alcohol (Soffritti et al. 2002a), methyl tert-butyl ether (Belpoggi et al. 1995), tert-amyl-methyl-ether (Belpoggi et al. 2002b), and APM (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006).The two aforementioned epidemiologic studies (Gallus et al. 2006; Lim et al. 2006) published after our first mega-experiment (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006) merit general comment. Both studies consider the eating habits of a large population of males and females 50–70 years of age in the 1990s. Given the time frame of these surveys and the commercialization of aspartame in the 1980s, the subjects' potential use of the sweetener could not have exceeded 10–15 years. It is difficult to believe that this limited adult period of exposure to APM could confirm or exclude a potential carcinogenic risk. The design of these studies underlines the importance of conducting an epidemiologic study in which exposure to APM is monitored beginning in fetal life, particularly given the use of products containing APM by children and women of child-bearing age.
Conclusions TopThe results of this study, our second long-term carcinogenicity bioassay on APM, not only confirm but also reinforce our first experimental demonstration (Belpoggi et al. 2006; Soffritti et al. 2005, 2006) of APM's multipotental carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the human ADI. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased.On the basis of the present findings, we believe that a review of the current regulations governing the use of aspartame cannot be delayed. This review is particularly urgent with regard to aspartame-containing beverages, which are heavily consumed by children.
Figures and Tables Top
Figure 1.Effects of APM exposure on feed consumption, body weight, and survival. Mean daily feed consumption in males (A) and females (B). (C) Mean body weights in males (M) and females (F). Survival in males (D) and females (E). Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.

Figure 2.Cumulative prevalence of death by age in female rats bearing hemolymphoreticular neoplasias. (A) Postnatal APM exposure. (B) Prenatal APM exposure. Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.

Table 1.Incidence of malignant tumors in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to APM from fetal day 12 throughout the life span.

Table 2.Incidence of malignant tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to APM from fetal day 12 throughout the life span.

Table 3.Comparison of the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in female Sprague-Dawley rats beginning APM exposure from postnatal or prenatal life.

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Monday, July 09, 2012Bridgeport, CT
Elizabeth Anne (Lisa) Waller-Hayes
ObituaryGuest Book3 entries "To Lisa's husband, children and the Hayes family- I was..." - Kathleen Orem
The Guest Book is expired.Restore the Guest BookWALLER-HAYES Elizabeth Anne (Lisa) Waller-Hayes, ('89), born on June 13, 1964, died June 9, at her home in Overveen, The Netherlands, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. An accomplished journalist, she worked for Health Action International, Medecines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and other international organizations devoted to health care and human rights, as a writer, editor, translator and communications strategy advisor. She was 45 years old. Her passion for social justice will live on in her work, and her love of the English language will be reflected in the Elizabeth Hayes and Family scholarships established in her name at the College of the Holy Cross and The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The Lisa Waller-Hayes Foundation, was recently established in The Netherlands to promote research and provide services to patients and families struggling with pancreatic cancer. (www.lisawallerhayesfoundation.com) In addition to her husband of 16 years, Arnoud (Nout) Waller, Lisa is survived by her two children, Bastiaan, 12, and Isabel, 10 of the Netherlands; her mother, Barbara Hayes of Oxford; brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Lisa J. Hayes of Westport; and sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Robert Saracino of Oxford; Her father, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., MD, died in February of this year. A memorial service was held in The Netherlands on June 16. A Mass is planned at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oxford on Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 11 a.m.
Published in Connecticut Post on July 11, 2010

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Aspartame Approved by FDA Dir. Who Died 19 Years Later From Cancer Aspartame Causes

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2010/03/02/arthur_hayes_jr_76_fda_boss_calmed_fears_during_tylenol_case/
Arthur Hayes Jr., 76; FDA boss died of Leukemia 2/11/10 almost 19 years after approving Aspartame, which caused Leukemia in scientific tests published in  ARTHUR HAYES JR.By Dennis HevesiNew York Times / March 2, 2010NEW YORK - Arthur Hayes Jr., who while leading the Food and Drug Administration during the Reagan administration helped calm consumer fears after a Tylenol poisoning case and, amid some controversy, approved the use of the artificial sweetener found in Equal and NutraSweet, died Feb. 11 in Danbury, Conn. He was 76 and lived in Oxford, Conn.

The cause was leukemia, said his son, Arthur III.

Dr. Hayes, a pharmacological researcher, was appointed commissioner of the FDA by President Reagan in April 1981. He served until August 1983.

The biggest crisis faced by the agency under Dr. Hayes was a nationwide alarm in 1982 caused by the deaths of seven people in the Chicago area who had taken Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. The case remains unsolved. Under Dr. Hayes's leadership, the government and the drug industry responded by developing the first federal regulations requiring tamper-resistant packaging for all over-the-counter drugs.

In 1981, Dr. Hayes granted approval for the use of the sugar substitute aspartame in dry foods and as a tabletop sweetener. Research had found that aspartame was associated with high rates of cancers in rats that had been given large doses, starting at what would be the equivalent of four to five 20-ounce bottles of diet soda a day for a 150-pound person.

Dr. Hayes insisted that there was no need for people to avoid the sweetener.

Research done after Dr. Hayes's time as commissioner indicated that aspartame can sometimes cause incapacitating headaches and even seizures.

Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. was born in Highland Park, Mich., one of four children of Arthur and Florence Gruber Hayes. His father was president of CBS Radio.

Dr. Hayes received his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1955 from Santa Clara University and then went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, earning a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics in 1957. He returned to the United States to study medicine and graduated from Cornell University Medical School in 1964. He served in the US Army Medical Corps from 1965 to 1967.

From 1967 to 1981, Dr. Hayes was an assistant professor of medicine and pharmacology at Cornell. He later became director of clinical pharmacology at the Pennsylvania State University medical school. After leaving the FDA, he was dean of New York Medical College and, in 1986, was named president of E.M. Pharmaceuticals.

© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.



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Figure 1.

Effects of APM exposure on feed consumption, body weight, and survival. Mean daily feed consumption in males (A) and females (B). (C) Mean body weights in males (M) and females (F). Survival in males (D) and females (E). Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.

Figure 2.

Cumulative prevalence of death by age in female rats bearing hemolymphoreticular neoplasias. (A) Postnatal APM exposure. (B) Prenatal APM exposure. Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.

Table 1.

Incidence of malignant tumors in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to APM from fetal day 12 throughout the life span.

Table 2.

Incidence of malignant tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to APM from fetal day 12 throughout the life span.

Table 3.

Comparison of the incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in female Sprague-Dawley rats beginning APM exposure from postnatal or prenatal life.

ResourcesFile for SSI DisabilityNewspaper Archive to 1690  Find Death Certificates Elizabeth Anne (Lisa) Waller-HayesObituaryGuest Book3 entries"To Lisa's husband, children and the Hayes family- I was..."- Kathleen OremThe Guest Book is expired.Restore the Guest Book
WALLER-HAYES Elizabeth Anne (Lisa) Waller-Hayes, ('89), born on June 13, 1964, died June 9, at her home in Overveen, The Netherlands, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. An accomplished journalist, she worked for Health Action International, Medecines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and other international organizations devoted to health care and human rights, as a writer, editor, translator and communications strategy advisor. She was 45 years old. Her passion for social justice will live on in her work, and her love of the English language will be reflected in the Elizabeth Hayes and Family scholarships established in her name at the College of the Holy Cross and The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The Lisa Waller-Hayes Foundation, was recently established in The Netherlands to promote research and provide services to patients and families struggling with pancreatic cancer. (www.lisawallerhayesfoundation.com) In addition to her husband of 16 years, Arnoud (Nout) Waller, Lisa is survived by her two children, Bastiaan, 12, and Isabel, 10 of the Netherlands; her mother, Barbara Hayes of Oxford; brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Lisa J. Hayes of Westport; and sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Robert Saracino of Oxford; Her father, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., MD, died in February of this year. A memorial service was held in The Netherlands on June 16. A Mass is planned at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oxford on Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 11 a.m.

Published in Connecticut Post on July 11, 2010Print  |  View Guest Book