The Truth About Artificial Sweeteners
Lyle Loughry, January 2008
During a recent World Environmental Conference on "Aspartame," being marketed as 'NutraSweet,' 'Equal,' and "Equal Spoonful," one of the speakers sounded the following warning; "If it says SUGAR FREE, on the label, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"
In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and that it was difficult to understand what toxin was causing this to occur. One of the scheduled speakers stood up and said that he was there to lecture on exactly that subject. Later, he went on to explain why Aspartame, the topic of the conference, is so dangerous:
According to him, when the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in Aspartame converts to Eformaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants (candalilla). The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis. His contention was that many people were being misdiagnosed as having multiple sclerosis when they were actually experiencing methanol toxicity. It's important to distinguish that, while multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, methanol toxicity is! Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially among Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. Supporting that position, a nurse reported that six of her friends who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
The victim usually does not know that the aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use, irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become life-threatening. In some instances, patients with systemic lupus become asymptomatic once taken off diet sodas, and in the cases of those misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. There have been many other cases where vision returned and hearing improved markedly. Marked improvement has also been witnessed in cases of tinnitus.
Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. Some physicians who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy discovered that, in fact the very same symptoms are prompted by aspartame. The aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many have died. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic without the other amino acids found in protein. Thus it passes the blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurons of the brain, causing in diabetics (as well as in patients not suffering from diabetes) various kinds of brain damage, seizures, depression, manic depression, panic attacks, rage, and violence. It is not uncommon to hear reports of people who had switched from saccharin to an aspartame product, and how these people's physicians could not get their blood sugar levels under control. The patients suffered acute memory loss and eventually coma and death.
Another well known conference speaker was H. J. Roberts, MD, F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P. Many regard Dr. Roberts as the foremost "aspartamologist" because of his extensive pioneering studies and publications in this field. He presents a clear overview of the problem with a minimum of medical and technical terms, coupled with scores of instructive experiences and humorous cartoons in SWEET'NER DEAREST, Dr. Roberts' book of bittersweet vignettes about Aspartame. More than 80 percent of complaints about foods and additives previously received by the FDA nearly two decades ago, involved aspartame-sweetened products ( FDA Consumer, October 1988), including hundreds of persons with convulsions.
Over the years, thousands of outraged consumers have volunteered information about their severe reactions (including convulsions) to this agency, which still chooses to label them as "only anecdotal." The author's database now exceeds 1,300 aspartame victims. In SWEET'NER DEAREST, this foremost "aspartamologist" describes aspartame disease with a minimum of medicalese coupled with scores of instructive case reports and many humorous cartoons. Beatrice Trum Hunter (The Sugar Trap & How To Avoid It) commented: "With wit, charm and obvious medical expertise, Dr. Roberts informs and cautions the general public through these 'bittersweet vignettes.'"
The more frequent complaints attributed to this "most tested additive in history" include severe headaches, confusion, memory loss, depression, dizziness, insomnia, impaired vision or blindness, behavioral changes, nausea, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, rashes, and even weight gain! Patients with hypoglycemia ("low blood sugar attacks") and diabetes are often adversely affected by using these "diet" products to avoid sugar. According to Dr. Roberts, "Once off these products, with no significant increase in exercise, etc., I have had patients who lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period."
Dr. Roberts also warned that it can cause birth defects i.e. mental retardation if taken at the time of conception and early pregnancy. Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NOT be given NutraSweet. Different case histories of children having mal seizures and other disturbances noted that they were also consuming NutraSweet. Unfortunately it is not always easy to convince a mother that aspartame is to blame for her child's illness. Only by trial and access will she be able to warn other mothers to take their children's health into their own hands.
According to Dr. Roberts, here is the problem. There were Congressional Hearings when aspartame was included in 100 different products. Since this initial hearing, there have been only two subsequent hearings, but to no avail. Nothing as been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Now there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical. At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind. The methanol in the aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic- DEADLY POISONS! Unfortunately, it just takes longer to quietly kill, but it is killing people and causing all kinds of neurological problems. Aspartame changes the brain's chemistry. It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine level in the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease. This drug also causes Birth Defects."
Dr. Roberts insists, "There is absolutely no reason to take this product. I assure you, MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is. It is significant that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association, and the Conference of the American College of Physicians. This has been exposed in the New York Times - to no avail. These Associations cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and have to endorse their products."
During the lecture another speaker said, "If you are using Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss-you probably have Aspartame Disease!" People were jumping up during the lecture saying, "I've got some of these symptoms: Is it reversible?" The answer came back, "Yes, by not drinking diet sodas and keeping an eye out for aspartame on food labels, yes!"
Ironically, Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, etc. ARE NOT DIET PRODUCTS! The Congressional Record states that they cause you to crave carbohydrates and will make you FAT. The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. In the opinion of Dr. Roberts, "Aspartame Disease has become a major medical and public health problem" According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians "we are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this deadly poison." (The Aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome.)
A new study, released in June 2007 by the European Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, in Italy, expressed Concerns over the safety of aspartame after a new study with rats linked regular intake of the sweetener with increased risk of leukemia, lymphomas and breast cancer. The study also reports that when exposure to the sweetener starts during fetal life, the potential carcinogenic effects are increased. This has led some consumer groups, particularly in the US, to call for a review of the safety data on aspartame and for consumers to avoid products that contain the ingredient. Not unexpectedly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that it is currently reviewing the news, but notes that the research is at odds with its own studies. Indeed, FDA spokesman Michael Herndon told Reuters: "At this time, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food."
The safety of aspartame was first called into question in 2005 when Ramazzini researchers claimed that aspartame consumption by rats leads to increase in lymphomas and leukemia's in females at dose levels "very near those to which humans can be exposed." The new study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is said to support, confirm and expand on this initial study. In terms of world consumption, the artificial sweetener represents 62 per cent of the value of the intense sweetener market, and is believed to be found in around 6,000 products worldwide, including carbonated and powdered soft drinks, hot chocolate, chewing gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners, and some pharmaceutical products, such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops.
Why Splenda (sucralose) is not a suitable solution
As of 2006, only six human trials have been published on Splenda (sucralose). Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of thirty-six (36) total human subjects. Thirty-six people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse, only twenty-three (23) total were actually given sucralose for testing and here is the real killer: The longest trial at this time had lasted only four (4) days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance.
Splenda advertising is laced with deception. Best known for its marketing logo, "made from sugar so it tastes like sugar,' it has taken the sweetener industry by storm. There is no question that sucralose starts off as a sugar molecule, it is what goes on in the factory that should concern you. Sucralose is a synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. In the five step patented process of making sucralose, three chlorine (cancer-causing) molecules are added to a sucrose or sugar molecule. The chemical process to make sucralose alters the chemical composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a fructo-galactose molecule, a molecule that doesn't even occur in nature and therefore your body cannot properly metabolize it. McNeil Nutritionals turns this fact into an advertising claim; that "Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, making it have zero calories." That's how advertising works, right?
Splenda has become the nations number one selling artificial sweetener in a very short period of time. Recently, in a one year period, Splenda sales topped $177 million compared with $62 million spent on aspartame-based Equal and $52 million on saccharin-based Sweet 'N Low. McNeil Nutritionals, in their attempt to convince consumers that it is in fact safe, claim that over 100 studies have been conducted on Splenda. What they don't tell you is that most of the studies are on animals. There have been no long-term human toxicity studies published until after the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. Following FDA approval, a human toxicity trial was conducted, but lasted only three months, hardly the length of time most Splenda users plan to consume sucralose. No studies have ever been done on children or pregnant women. Much of the controversy surrounding Splenda does not focus just on its safety, but rather on its false advertising claims. The sugar industry is currently suing McNeil Nutritionals for implying that Splenda is a natural form of sugar with no calories.
If you look at the research (which is primarily extrapolated from animal studies) you will see that in fact 15% of sucralose is absorbed into your digestive system and ultimately is stored in your body. In one human study, one of the eight participants excreted no sucralose, even after 3 days. Obviously, his body was absorbing and metabolizing this chemical. That is what our bodies are supposed to do. If you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may actually be at higher risk for breaking down this synthetic product in your stomach and intestines. The manufacturers of Splenda cannot make guarantees based on limited animal data!
Let's look at the facts again:
* There have only been six human trials to date
* The longest trial lasted three months
* Only two of the six were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. A grand total of 36 human subjects were tested, and only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing.
* The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days, and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance.
* At LEAST 15% of Splenda is not excreted from your body in a timely manner
Considering that Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar, are you willing to bet your health on this data? Remember that fat soluble substances, such as DDT, can remain in your fat for decades and devastate your health.
If the above facts don't concern you because you believe the FDA would never allow a toxic substance into the market, then read on.
The only organizations between you and potentially toxic side effects are the FDA and the manufacturers of sucralose (Tate & Lyle) and of Splenda (McNeil Nutritionals). The FDA has a long standing history of ineffective screening and rampant conflict of interests, as demonstrated in their inability to identify Vioxx as too dangerous to be on the market. This tragic blunder cost an estimated 155,000 patients their lives, to date! Recently, the FDA has issued its second warning about the improper use of transdermal patches that emit the painkiller, Fentanyl, saying that people are dying as a result of using it.
First synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s, fentanyl, with an analgesic potency of about 80 times that of morphine, was introduced into medical practice in the 1960s as an intravenous anesthetic. Today, fentanyls are extensively used for anesthesia and analgesia to be absorbed transderrmally and transmucosally. Illicit use of pharmaceutical fentanyls first appeared in the mid-1970s in the medical community and continues to be a problem in the United States. Illegal fentanyls are most commonly used by intravenous administration, but like heroin, they may also be smoked or snorted.
Fentanyl has been diverted by pharmacy theft, fraudulent prescriptions and illicit distribution by patients, physicians, pharmacists. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. There is evidence of large illegal distribution rings selling fentanyl products along with other opioid pharmaceuticals. To date the FDA has taken no action to remove this dangerous drug from the market.
Most recently, in November 2007, the FDA pressured the Bayer Pharmaceutical Company to halt the sale of the anti-bleeding drug Traysol after a Canadian clinical study determined that it could be linked to a higher risk of death than other drugs, but not without plenty of foot-dragging.
Only ONE MONTH before the FDA's announcement that it "cannot identify a specific patient population where we believe the benefits of using Traysol outweighs the risk," FDA advisors recommended that Traysol REMAIN on the market – in spite of its known links to an increased risk of death and other serious side effects. Once again, our "protectors" at the FDA gave a drug promoted by Big Pharma the benefit of the doubt – in spite of the fact that studies had suggested the drug was dangerous.
It makes a thinking person wonder whether the fact that worldwide sales of Traysol were roughly $135 million for just the nine months between January and September of 2007--with US sales accounted for nearly 68% of that total -- might just have something to do with the FDA being so slow-footed when the initial results from the Canadian study suggested the potential dangers of Traysol.
Worse still, the FDA had begun reevaluations on Traysol's safety almost two years earlier, after a different study suggested serious side effects like kidney problems, heart attack, and strokes. During this time, Traysol remained on the market. Other studies BEFORE the Canadian study also suggested the potential deadly effects of Traysol, and one of those studies was WITHHELD from the FDA by Bayer, written off as "regrettable human error." In spite of this error – THE DRUG REMAINED ON THE MARKET, with little or no coverage in the media, or Internet.
Are you outraged? Well, you ought to be. How long will it be before the money-minded decision making of our so-called FDA guardians allow a 21st century Thalidomide tragedy to occur here in the US? If this Traysol story proves anything, it shows how far the FDA has fallen from its one-time status as White Knight to seedy, anything-for-a-buck business partner with those they're supposed to be watching. It's a sobering reminder that we're still very much on our own. And our well-being is often in the hands of the highest bidder. Historically, we find that approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the drugs that have been approved by the FDA have eventually been removed from the market because they kill people.
Here is a point that you need to understand: Splenda is not a drug, but only a food additive. As such, the number of studies required to receive FDA approval is substantially less than any drug. Drugs, including the 25% of approved drugs that killed people, were subjected to many more comprehensive clinical trials than Splenda ever was. Remember, despite this rigorous approval process, Vioxx alone has killed over 150,000 people. Now, for some good news.
Stevia, a sweet herb (NOT a manufactured additive) which helps in the metabolism of sugar (which would be ideal for diabetics) has now been approved as a dietary supplement by the FDA, and is an excellent substitute for sugar and artificial sweeteners, and is readily available. For years the FDA has outlawed this sweet food because of their loyalty to MONSANTO.
Another excellent substitute for sugars and dangerous artificial sweeteners is Xylitol, a sweetener that occurs naturally in berries, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. Chemically speaking, xylitol is not actually a sugar, but a sugar alcohol. Xylitol is much sweeter than sorbitol, a bulk sweetener with good taste and reduced calories, but several unwanted side-effects. It's sweetening power is the same as that of sucrose. It is also similar to sucrose in its technical and nutritive properties. Xylitol is an important supplement in the prevention of dental caries, and everyone interested in healthy teeth should be familiar with its properties and effects. Xylitol was discovered way back in the late 19th century. In the Soviet Union it has been used for decades as a sweetener for diabetics, and in Germany in solutions for intravenous feeding. In China, Xylitol has been used for various medical purposes.
Either Stevia or Xylitol would be preferable to any other artificial sweetener available, commercially.
link to additional websites.
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/