Aspartame Poisoning

[Guitarman]

Hello all you Ladies,

I've been actively campaigning against the use of this chemical in the food chain for over ten years. Most of you will know how nasty it is, some of you will think it is "the only thing I can have because I'm on a diet".

I urge everyone to avod it at all costs! It is linked with Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cysts, Brain Tumours, Behaviourtal Problems, Birth Defects, Asthma, Eczema, Depression and a whole host of other problems. The list is supplied by the manufacturer not me!

I recently reminded my local MP about an 'Early Day Motion', he has now put his name to it. Please have a read of it. and also please take a look at Dr. Janet Hulls web site \link {http://www.sweetpoison.com} and read how she saved herself from having a Hysterectomy by stopping drinking Diet Croak.


Aspartame (E951) is the ONLY food additive with a health warning.

[LynetteScavo]

Hahahaha ! Oddest zombie ever!

And I didn't even get the MN ZOMBIE ALERT!

I'm well aware of the health hazards of aspartame...but is sugar any better?

I take at least 6 packets a day in my coffee for the past approximately 30 years. I have no known cancerous lesions and enjoy my coffee with the sweetener.

Again,....Hahahahha! I know loads of people who smoked 6 packets a day for thirty years with no signs of cancer.....then guess what!

[LibrariesGaveUsP0wer]

What an odd ZOMBIE!

[alphaandomega]

Hopefully everyone has read papers listed on cancer.org (American Cancer Society) and FDA both say aspartamine is safe if following the directions on the box or product as long as no genetic abnormality like PKU exists for the individual (approximately 1 in 10,000 to 15,000).

Bad information and too many opinions from bad information are rampant on the internet. Please read
www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/aspartame

I take at least 6 packets a day in my coffee for the past approximately 30 years. I have no known cancerous lesions and enjoy my coffee with the sweetener.

I know eventually I will die and then some will be able to claim any one of a multitude of reasons for my death with no way to prove or disprove their beliefs. Have fun, stay sane, and try to stop, correct, or disprove misinformation.

[zippitippitoes]

I'm quite curious about these evangleisitic posts on random forums..are you sent out by hq to spread the word?

[scarysuejonez]

well said flack - I sound like an apologist for Aspartame and am not, just hate the hysteria surrounding some things.

Even if it does cause cancer - at what level? burnt food can cause cancer if you eat enough of it. Every day life is a constant battle (in my case!) between whats healthy and what we want and I would like to tread that line using sensible well reseached information.

[flack]

The rats got cancer (of the bladder) by a bio-mechanism that appears to not exist in humans....And at very high doses.

Don't think anyone here is "for" apsartame, Guitarman, I mostly avoid it myself. Just don't like this sort of hysteria about it, either.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

Actually, I was surprised to see such a strong statement about this. I am sure a few years ago it wasn't so strongly worded. They say the maximum amount is the equivalent of 14 cans of diet Coke a day. I don't know what the maximum amount is set to avoid but given the link with cancer in rats is new and the fact they are awaiting confirmation/replication of that study, I suspect it was set for something else.

I'd suggest looking for info from one of the reputable patient organisations rather than hytserical websites that no-one is ultimately responsible for.

[scarysuejonez]

CristinaTheAstonishing - that statement falls a little short of saying that the British Diabetic Association supports the view that aspartame is a dangerous chemical that is poison and causes cancer! Or is saying "don't eat more than the recommended amount" (paraphrasing there) a subtle coded message that I didn't crack?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Twiglett is the one who deserves the praise, I was lurking and grumbling and mentally composing rude messages about tinfoil hats, but she's the one who waded in ...

[NotQuiteCockney]

I have read that if you're trying to avoid sugar, using artificial sweeteners (of any sort) keeps your taste buds expecting sweet stuff, so doesn't really get you out of the habit.

I can see some sense to that argument.

Personally, I sometimes chew gum, which is always sugar-free, but don't ingest aspartame in any other form. I doubt there's much of it in a stick of gum, and I seem to have stopped chewing gum anyway.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

"The anti-asparatame sites seem to be largely run by conspiracy nutters or alternative medicine nutters."

Here's a position statement from the British diabetes association:

"Diabetes UK suggests that if you do use intense sweeteners or products sweetened with them, then you should make sure that you use a variety of brands so as to reduce the risk of exceeding the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for each one. "

[scarysuejonez]

how about big fluffy dressing gown on backward - will be a poor second I fear. Let us know if you get any alarming symptoms perhaps we could use you as the Mumsnet clinical trial into Aspartame.

Though Twiglett would probably point out that it's not exactly a double blind trial

[JoolsToo]

I haven't got a winter coat!

[scarysuejonez]

JoolsToo - "bottom line can I still keep using my Splenda?"

I think you should go carefully, only handling it whilst wearing protective clothing, if you don't have a chemical weapon attack full body suit, please improvise with winter coat on back to front and a pair of oven gloves.

[taMummy]

Twiglett and NQC I love you I have read quite a few primary peer-reviewed research papers that were not funded by aspartame manfacturers and there is little to no evidence for all this scare mongering. By all means avoid it, I tend to because I don't like the taste, but please don't believe all these websites with a hidden agenda.

[Piffle]

I think lab tests on rats has shown that aspartame converts to formaldehyde.
Also aspartame contains methanol...
Quote

While the manufacturer is quick to say its but a small amount of methanol, 10% by weight, experts know in molecular chemistry its one molecule of aspartic acid (an excitotoxin) to one molecule of methanol (a neurotoxin) to one molecule of phenylalanine (a neurotoxin). That's 33% free methyl alcohol. No wonder the FDA refuses to answer any questions about it.

I think debate is good, I err on the side fo caution, giving it a wide berth, making sure I tlel my kids why I avoid it and advising them to do teh same.

[JoolsToo]

bottom line can I still keep using my Splenda?

thank you

[scarysuejonez]

Twiggy, can I join your posse? My mum and brother and father all have diabetes definitely NOT caused by aspartame.

Personally don't like the stuff much for the same reason someone else said, I just try to have as healthy a diet as possible and avoid artificial additives.

however I find diet coke a lifesaver on my diet, though limit myself to max one can a day. I have none of the symptoms mentioned on any of the weblinks mentioned earlier. I would be very interested in seeing a clinical trial from a source I respect, as I'm not so close minded as to think that everything I eat or drink is healthy in the long run.

Someone said aspartame hasn't been around long enough to assess long term risks but hasn't it been around about 25 years in America? Given the amount of diet coke that most Americans seem to consume (have you seen the size of the largest available serving of coke from McD's in the US!), wouldn't there be an obvious and very visible explosion of cancers etc by now. Or has there been and I'm just not aware of it?

[TwigTwoolett]

not even one clinical trial??

just an itty bitty one??

ah g'wan

if it concerns you this much you much have access to the research papers and not just a series of debatable websites

anecdotal evidence is all very well where it can't be checked out .. but honestly aspartame is easily tested in scientifically robust clinical trials (I found one that had to be disbanded due to severe effects on those with unipolar mood disorders so am willing to believe there is a case to answer in some situations)

but really would appreciate links to others

[Guitarman]

So a lot of people are against it, a lot are for it. Good, that way thee is a balanced debate.

Just one thought though, The FDA were paid to approve it back in '81 yet the same FDA had to supply a list of the 92 side effects associated with it.

92 side effects list is available from any search engine. All I did here was search FDA 92 Symptoms.

uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p=FDA+92+Symptoms&ei=utf-8&fr=cb-max

I know a lot of people think it is safe and a lot do not and a lot don't even know what it is. I have seen first hand what it can do so experience is always the better judge.

Take care, read labels and think of your kids health.

[flack]

I'm so glad you spoke up, Twiglett. If people want to avoid aspartame that's fine, but don't go pretending that it's been irrefutably proven dangerous. The research evidence of danger is slight at best. Anyway, even water is dangerous if you consume too much of it.

If you ask me, the only incontrovertable reason to avoid aspartame is because it's owned by Monsanto.

But for obese people, artificial sweeteners really can help lose weight, and they don't cause tooth decay (which means reductions in chances of heart disease, too). Everything in moderation, eh?

Suggest people read on Wikipedia about

Trans fats (can occur naturally, but apparently worst in PARTIALLY hydrogenated fats)

and

aspartame, controversy .

[FillyjonkthePumpkinEater]

oh its the phenylalalalaalalinmine thats means aspartmame needs a heath warning, btw.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, and here is a more "official" anti-hair-analysis article. Relevant quote, from the recommendations:

Do not use hair analysis for individual nutritional assessment. The state of the science does not support this application.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, and thank you, Twiglett, for joining the fray here ... I kept wanting to post "I don't actually generally ingest aspartame, but this rubbish makes me want to go buy splenda and eat it plain ...".

[NotQuiteCockney]

Twiglett, the Cancer Research bods refer to the current state of research here , in what seems like a pretty balanced page.

When I searched for "clinical trials" and "aspartame", the first link that came up was bloody mercola, King Quack of the Quacks.