Evils Lurking In Aspartame Consumption?

By Christine Lydon, MD

I have used aspartame for years. I’ve also wholeheartedly recommended
products containing NutraSweet to my clients, as well as promoting its
use in recipes. So, when I was recently contacted by a sports nutrition
company to do some consulting work on the health risks associated with
aspartame ingestion, was understandably reluctant to accept the
assignment. I questioned their marketing director, What if I don’t think
there are any significant health risks associated with aspartame?” His
response was to send me a couple of scientific publications. “Just read
the articles. If, in your medical opinion, aspartame poses no health
risks, then we won’t pursue it further.”

The next day I sat down with a pile of literature two inches thick.
After making it through the first 10 pages, I stormed into my kitchen
and fed every item of food containing aspartame to the garbage. Since
that time, I have not had so much as a stick of aspartame sweetened gum.

Sweet Beginnings

Scientifically known as 1-aspartyl 1-phenylalanine methyl ester,
consumers recognize aspartame in the forms of Equal, NutraSweet and
Spoonful. Aspartame has three components: phenylalanine (50 percent),
aspartic acid (40 percent) and methanol, also termed wood alcohol (10
percent). Those in support of this popular artificial sweetener, state
that the two primary amino acids, which comprise 90 percent of aspartame
by weight, are a harmless and natural part of our diet. They insist that
aspartic acid is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter, which is
present in the human central nervous system. This is only a partial
truth.

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are normally
supplied by the foods we eat; however, they can only be considered
natural and harmless when consumed in combination with other amino
acids. On their own, they enter the central nervous system in abnormally
high concentrations, causing aberrant neuronal firing and potential cell
death. The neurotoxic effects of these amino acids, when consumed as
isolates, can be linked to headaches, mental confusion, balance problems
and possibly seizures.

The damage caused by excitotoxin food additives is not usually dramatic.
In most instances, the effects are subtle, cumulative and develop over a
prolonged period of time.

Excitotoxins have also been shown to stimulate the generation of free
radicals (charged oxygen molecules with an unpaired electron). These can
have a negative impact on tissues and organs outside the central nervous
system. Evidence indicates that free radical production accelerates many
degenerative illnesses such as atherosclerosis, cancer, coronary artery
disease and arthritis. It comes as no surprise that joint pain is a
major complaint among aspartame reactors (individuals who have reported
adverse reactions).

Potentially more worrisome is the 10 percent of aspartame that is
absorbed into the bloodstream as methanol (wood alcohol). The
Environmental Protection Agency defines safe consumption as no more than
7.8 milligrams per day of this dangerous substance. A one-liter
beverage, sweetened with aspartame, contains about 56 milligrams of wood
alcohol, or eight times the EPA limit!

Aspartame’s breakdown products, or metabolites, are even scarier than
its components. Phenylalanine decomposes into diketopiperazine (DKP) a
known carcinogen, when exposed to warm temperatures or prolonged
storage. Even if products are consistently kept at cooler temperatures
we are not safe. At cold temperatures, methanol will spontaneously give
rise to a colorless toxin known as formaldehyde. Independent studies
have shown formaldehyde formation, resulting from aspartame ingestion,
to be extremely common. It accumulates within the cells, and reacts with
cellular proteins such as enzymes and DNA. This cumulative reaction
could spell grave consequences for those who consume aspartame-laden
diet drinks and foods on a daily basis.

Are We All at Risk?

The blood-brain barrier is a system of specialized capillary structures
that are designed to prevent toxic substances from entering the brain.
There are a number of medical conditions from diabetes, hypertension and
smoking, to simple aging which can render the blood-brain barrier
incompetent. Therefore, aspartame reactions have a tendency to be
magnified among individuals who fit these profiles.

Prior to birth and during the first 12 months of life, the blood-brain
barrier is incomplete; thereby allowing dangerous excitotoxins, such as
aspartic acid and phenylalanine, free access to the nervous system.
Additionally, the concentrating effects of the placenta are able to
magnify the levels of phenylalanine in the blood by as much as four-to
six-fold in a fetus. Fetal phenylalanine has the potential to reach
levels that kill cells in tissue culture. It’s not much of a stretch to
presume these concentrations harbor the threat of birth defects in the
developing infant. Experimentally, it has been determined that infants
are four times more sensitive to excitotoxins than adults. During the
first year of life, irreversible brain damage can occur through agents
contained in breast milk. Despite this, the American Dietetic
Association still recommends aspartame for pregnant and nursing women.

Aspartame Disease

Aspartame disease refers to a constellation of symptoms attributed to
the use of products containing aspartame. Common occurrences include:
headaches, dizziness, and everything from confusion to ringing in the
ears and slurred speech. Since its introduction as a food additive in
1981, aspartame has accounted for more than 75 percent of all complaints
reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System. In February
1994, the US Department of Health and Human Services released this
extensive list of aspartame-induced reactions which encompassed
everything from chronic fatigue syndrome and seizures to infertility and
death. By the FDAs own admission, less than one percent of those who
experience a reaction to a product ever report it. This expands the
10,000 documented accounts to roughly a million people who have
experienced reactions to aspartame. Moreover, most victims don’t have
any idea that aspartame may be at the root of their problems.

Brain Damage and Seizures

Cerebral disfunction, resulting from aspartame, is believed to occur
through flooding the brain with large amounts of phenylalanine,
disturbances of your endogenous neurotransmitters, methanol-induced
cerebral edema and other additional resulting irregularities Aspartic
acid is a neuroexcitatory toxin present in damaging amounts even at the
accepted daily intake for aspartame.

Formaldehyde, which is derived from methanol, accumulates in certain
areas of the brain which correspond to the neurodegenerative symptoms of
Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS (Lou Gerig’s Disease). These conditions
are all associated with free radical injury, a known effect of the
excitotoxins phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Although aspartame is
probably not a primary cause of neurodegenerative diseases, it may
precipitate these disorders and certainly exacerbates their symptoms.
Recent studies have established that aspartame has seizure-promoting
activity in animal models. It is believed that the sweetener can
increase seizure frequency among epileptics and even initiate seizures
in susceptible individuals with no prior history.

Brain Tumors

According to the National Cancer Institute, there has been a 10 percent
increase in the incidence of common primary malignant brain cancer since
1985, and perhaps as early as 1984. This phenomenon occurred one to two
years following the licensing of aspartame for beverages in July 1983.
It includes a disproportionately high rise in alioblastoma, astrocvtoma
and primary lymphoma among young woman known to consume considerable
amounts of aspartame. There has also been an increased occurrence of
glioma among children whose mothers consumed aspartame throughout their
pregnancy. The significance of this escalation is underscored by the
high incidence of brain tumors in rats after the experimental
administration of aspartame.

Vision Impairment

The individual components of aspartame, as well as their multiple
breakdown products are potentially toxic to the retina and optic nerves.
Methanol poisoning is notorious for causing vision impairment leading to
blindness. Formaldehyde, its primary metabolite, is also known to cause
retinal damage. Aspartame has been linked to visual disturbances which
include blindness in one or both eyes, blurred visibility, eye pain and
more.

Dr. H.J. Roberts of West Palm Beach, FL has treated hundreds of
aspartame reactors. One fourth of his patients experienced decreased
vision or blindness; which, in Dr. Roberts opinion, is “the most
serious complication.” According to Dr. Roberts, optic nerve swelling,
retinal degeneration and visual impairment, that is associated with
heavy aspartame use, is identical to the pathology observed in recorded
cases of methanol toxicity from drinking wood alcohol throughout the
days of prohibition.

If you haven’t been frightened off aspartame yet, take a lesson from the
armed services. In the May 1992 edition of their journal, flying Safety,
the United States Air Force warned all pilots to stay off aspartame,
stating:

some people have suffered aspartame related disorders with doses as
small as that carried in a single stick of chewing gum. This could mean
a pilot who drinks diet sodas is more susceptible to flicker vertigo, or
flicker-induced epileptic activity. It also means that all pilots are
potential victims of sudden memory loss, dizziness during instrument
flight and gradual loss of vision.”

Multiple Sclerosis

Consumption of significant amounts of aspartame has been known to cause
vocal slurring, loss of equilibrium and other neurological sequelae.
Methanol toxicity secondary to aspartame has been so frequently
misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, that some experts recommend
deferring diagnosis of MS for several months following an abstinence
from NutraSweet and related products. In the cases of methanol toxicity,
the neurological symptoms resolve once aspartame has been eliminated
from the system.

Diabetes Mellitus

Many diabetics experience difficulties specifically attributed to
ingestion of aspartame products. Effects include the loss of diabetic
control, intensification of hypoglycemia, the occurrence of presumed
insulin reactions (including convulsions) and the precipitation,
aggravation or simulation of impaired vision and neuropathy. In most
cases, symptoms improve once aspartame products are discontinued.
Despite overwhelming evidence that aspartame use can worsen diabetic
complications, the American Diabetic Association continues to promote
aspartame use for diabetics.

Headaches

Headaches are the most frequently reported adverse reaction to aspartame
products. It is a major complaint in half of all aspartame reactors.
Aspartame products must be considered as a causative agent and/or
aggravating factor in people with unexplained headaches. Similarly,
patients who are subject to migraine and other types of recurrent
headaches should avoid exposure to all products containing aspartame.

Hypertension

Dozens of aspartame reactors, with no previous history of hypertension,
experience elevated blood pressure after ingesting products containing
the sweetener Others with known hypertension are not adequately
controlled on their maintenance medication when using even small amounts
of aspartame. The elevation in blood pressure presumably reflects the
effects of phenylalanine and its metabolic products, which include
norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Unintentionally, the United States government, in conjunction with soda
companies, has succeeded in performing a large scale aspartame
experiment on humans. During the Persian Gulf War, truckloads of diet
soda were sent to the troops. The cans sat for up to eight weeks on
pallets in the 120- degree Arabian sun. Thirsty soldiers drank it up,
bottle after bottle. Is it any surprise that Desert Storm Syndrome
symptoms are identical to aspartame disease? Thousands of troops
returned home complaining of memory loss, vision problems, chronic
fatigue syndrome, confusion, dizziness, joint pain, headaches,
equilibrium problems and manic depression. The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
and Immunologic Disease Society (CFIDS) claim 6000 troops, to date, have
perished as a result of the Desert Storm Syndrome.

Dieting Without Aspartame?

In a cruel and ironic twist, aspartame may actually cause weight gain.
Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, found in aspartame, stimulate the
release of insulin. Rapid, strong spikes in insulin remove all glucose
from the blood-stream and store it as fat. This can result in
hypoglycemia and sugar cravings. Additionally, it has been demonstrated
to inhibit carbohydrate induced synthesis of the neurotransmitter
serotonin, which signals that the body is satiated. Inhibition of
serotonin leads to food cravings, increased carbohydrate consumption
and, ultimately, weight gain. In a recent study, a control group
switching to an aspartame-free diet resulted in an average weight loss
of 19 pounds.

True Lies

The consumption of aspartame has vastly exceeded expectations at the
time of the original toxicology testing in the early 1970s, by the
Illinois-based and patent owning, Searle & Company. Sold in 1985 to the
St Louis-based Monsanto Corporation; today it sells close to one billion
dollars annually, through its subsidiary NutraSweet. Many would argue
that the current ingestion of aspartame products by over half the adult
population in the United States constitutes an imminent public health
hazard. Even so, the industrial-medical complex fails to warn even
high-risk groups about potential dangers. You may wonder how this stuff
was ever approved by the FDA in the first place.

For over eight years, the FDA refused to approve aspartame because it
was known to produce seizures and brain tumors in lab animals. One
pivotal study by Searle�s researchers, known as the “Waisman Study,”
initially indicated that ingestion of aspartame caused convulsions and
death in primates. However, official conclusions could not be reached
because the study was never completed. Searle blamed -limitations in
adequately skilled laboratory personnel- for their decision to terminate
the study. By Searle�s own acknowledgement, his team lacked competent
research staff. Two FDA investigative task forces presented scathing
reports on the quality of the company�s research and in 1976, the FDA�s
general counsel requested a federal grand jury investigation of the
company. For reasons unknown, the investigation was never undertaken.

Initially, even the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) rallied
against the use of aspartame. An excerpt of a protest submitted for
congressional review in 1983 reads:

“Searle has not characterized the decomposition products of aspartame in
soft drinks under temperature conditions to which the beverages are
likely to be exposed in the United States. Collectively, the extensive
deficiencies in the stability studies conducted by Searle to demonstrate
that aspartame and its degradation products are safe in soft drinks
intended to be sold in the United States, render those studies
inadequate and unreliable.”

Soon after President Reagan took office, he appointed Dr. Arthur Hull
Hayes as the new FDA commissioner. In 1980, a Public Board of Inquiry
asked to review scientific data on aspartame voted three to zero to keep
it off the market pending further studies on the brain cancer issue. The
board of inquiry was overruled, and in 1981, aspartame was licensed by
the FDA for use as a tabletop sweetener. In July 1983 it was approved
for use in beverages.

Of approximately 100 independent studies conducted on aspartame, over 90
percent have demonstrated significant health risks. This would lead to
the question “why hasn’t aspartame been banned?” In 1996, ignoring the
fact that aspartame breaks down faster when heated above 86 degrees
Fahrenheit, the FDA decided to remove any remaining limitations on its
use. Presently, there are thousands of companies using aspartame in diet
sodas, powdered drinks, gelatin, tea, coffee, cocoa, juices, frozen
desserts and even vitamins and medications. This translates to billions
of dollars worldwide. Unfortunately, this is more than enough to provide
agency officials with lucrative future employment, politicians with
campaign funds, non-profit foundations with endowments, scientists with
research grants and the media with advertising dollars.

Presently, FDA officials continue to resist proposals from concerned
scientists, physicians and other groups for comprehensive studies
regarding the safety of aspartame.