Aspartame, which is sold as Equal, Nutrasweet, and under several other names, is the most controversial of the artificial sweeteners.
You have two extreme groups out there when it comes to this sweetener.
1) Current FDA, ADA, and big business - anyone who is against aspartame is a “conspiracy nut” or “needlessly panicking”. The only people who need to worry about aspartame are people who are allergic to Phenylketonurics and a warning is on the label. Aspartame is safe and wonderful.
2) The “conspiracy nuts” - aspartame is a deadly poison that causes dozens of diseases and deaths every year. It is not safe for anyone and should be banned from the marketplace.
With two groups who are such polar opposites; it takes a lot of digging to come up with the actual facts. But, here are the FACTS:
1) Originally the FDA was going to ban aspartame; BUT, when Reagan became President he appointed a NEW head of the FDA and it was approved in less than two weeks even though the FDA studies indicated there were problems with it.
2) Aspartame is made from three chemicals: aspartate, phenyalanine (this is what the warning is for on labels), and methanol (also known as “wood alcohol”). Aspartate is almost identical to MSG in both chemical compositions and bodily reactions. Phenyalanine, in addition to people who are sensitive to it, this ingrediant has been linked to brain disorders and birth defects. Methanol, this substance caused blindness and death among people who “accidentally” drank this highly toxic form of alcohol back in the 60’s and 70’s.
3) Every study of aspartame that was sponsored/funded by Searle and/or Monsanto showed it was safe. EVERY study that was sponsored/funded by independant groups showed it had serious safety issues. ANY study that started to say it was unsafe and later changed it’s report to safe; either received funds or “prestigious employment positions” for it’s researchers.
4) The American Diabetic Association (ADA) actively promotes aspartame for diabetics. The ADA also receives funding from the company that produces aspartame AND the brochure the ADA distributes was CREATED by the company that produces aspartame.
5) Aspartame was originally approved ONLY for cold beverages and foods. The reason is that methanol starts to break down at 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade) and forms formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is toxic and is used to preserve corpses! The formaldehyde continues to be converted to formic acid which is used as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Normal body temp is 98.6 Fahrenheit. Hmmmm!
6) In 1993, the FDA approved aspartame for foods that would be heated and in 1996 they removed ALL restrictions on its use. It is now used even in children’s vitamins!
7) The US Air Force was warning it’s pilots NOT to drink diet sodas before flying that contained aspartame way back in the 70’s; because, they had already found that it caused some of pilots to have seizures!
Aspartate, Phenyalanine, Methanol, and their byproducts can accumulate in the body. Aspartate and Phenyalanine are known to be able to cross the “blood-brain” barrier and directly affect the brain.
SO - after all of this, my verdict is that aspartame is NOT 100% safe; BUT, it is not THE cause of all of the diseases and disorders that some people claim. I do believe that prolonged use of products containing aspartame can make certain health problems worse and even cause some problems on its own. I believe that the FDA does NOT DARE reverse itself on this subject and go back to the original ruling they had planned; but, after all the “mistakes” the FDA has been caught in lately, that should not be a surprise.
I, personally, removed ALL products containing aspartame from my home last year and no longer purchase ANYTHING containing aspartame. The reason is that my husband became a diabetic 5 years ago. His blood glucose levels would NOT come down, even with multiple medications - 3 different medications twice a day! I found out that aspartame can cause SOME diabetics to have a difficult time controlling thier blood glucose levels; so, we eliminated ALL aspartame from his diet. Within 2 weeks, his blood glucose levels were normal with just 1/2 of ONE pill per day and they have stayed under control for over a year now.
Did aspartame “cause” his diabetes? Possibly; but, probably not (he was 50 years old when he was diagnosed). Did aspartame make his diabetes worse? Definately! When removing aspartame was the ONLY change, it is obvious aspartame was causing problems.
If you think that aspartame MAY be causing problems for you or a loved one - try a 30 day challenge. NO food, beverage, etc. with aspartame. If you notice a difference, you may be on to something. If there is no difference, you only went without aspartame for 30 days - not forever.
For eveyone else, use it sparingly and in COLD foods and beverages that do not get heated!
If you would like more information about aspartame check this link:
http://www.wnho.net/aspartamenews.htm
Even though they do believe aspartame is bad for you; they do provide links to EVERY story about aspartame that occurs; both for and against.