Artificial Sweeteners - learn the truth about this dangerous man-made additive

By:Craig Burton




If you knowingly consume Artificial sweeteners, then I highly recommend you read this, however unfortunately many unknowingly consume it, as it’s a very well hidden product, in over 5000 thousand foods, including chewing gum, soft drinks, jelly and children’s medicines.

Aspartame is considered by many health experts as the most dangerous food additive on the market. It’s a highly controversial and complex issue because the organisations declaring its safety are numerous and very powerful.

So with two sides, both with their ‘independent’ experts, it comes down to whom do you trust?

The following points will be examined:

History of aspartame Where can aspartame be found? The two opposing teams Symptoms of aspartame poisoning The science behind aspartame Alternatives to an alternative

History

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 by James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company. Schlatter was testing an anti-ulcer drug, when he discovered this sweet product. (3)

Searle saw it’s promise as a sweetener but was repeatedly refused by the FDA (U.S Food and Drug Administration) because of safety concerns.

In 1977 Donald Rumsfeld, now George Bush's defence secretary but then chief executive of the pharmaceutical company GD Searle, publicly stated that he would "call in his markers" to win a licence for aspartame. On the day of his inauguration as president in 1981, with Mr Rumsfeld on his transition team, Ronald Reagan personally wrote an executive order suspending the head of the US Food and Drug Administration's powers on aspartame. One month later Mr Reagan appointed a new head of the regulatory authority, Arthur Hayes, who granted a licence for the sweetener. (1)

Is this the tale of more shady U.S government dealings? or is it just another conspiracy theory?

In 1996 a review of aspartame research found that every single industry-funded study found aspartame safe. But 92% of independent studies identified one or more problems with its safety. (1)

In the Food and Drug Administration’s Final Decision on aspartame’s approval (Fed. Reg. 46:38289, 1981), the Commissioner stated:

"Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety." (2)

What kind of products contains aspartame?

Aspartame is used in almost 5000 products around the world, of which more than 2000 are consumed in Europe. Aspartame can be found in a wide variety of food products including:

Beverages:
Carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, squashes, iced teas and coffees and hot chocolate drinks.

Dairy products:
Yoghurts, dairy desserts and fromage frais.

Confectionery:
Chewing gum, sweets, chocolate, breath mints.

Table-top sweeteners:
Tablets and spoon-for-spoon powders.

Frozen desserts:
Ice cream and frozen snacks.

Powdered products:
Powdered soft drinks, milkshake mixes, and multivitamin drinks.

Cereals:
Cereal mixes, mueslis.

Preserves:
Fruit preserves, canned fruits.

Pharmaceuticals:
Effervescent tablets, chewable tablets and sachets.

Organisations that "apparently" give aspartame thumbs up:
Alzheimer’s Association, American Academy of Family Physicians ,American Cancer Society, American Council on Science and Health American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Diabetes U.K. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Canadian Diabetes Association, Mayo Clinic, National Cancer Institute U.K. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), US. Consumer Information Centre, World Health Organization, U.K. Food Standards Agency, U.S. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (According to the aspartame information centre) (2)

That’s a very powerful and influential list.

Organisations and individual’s calling for its removal:
I have lost count of the number of organisations against aspartame, however they are much smaller in size and lesser known; many have been formed by victims. The film ‘Sweet Misery’ is an excellent resource and shows the aspartame story in shocking detail; it’s packed with leading experts and victims personal accounts. You can check it out at: www.aspartamekills.com

The latest lawsuit filed is a $350 million class action filed on September 15, 2004 in United States District Court in San Francisco, California, case no: C 04 3872. This class action racketeering (RICO) lawsuit was filed against the NutraSweet Corporation, American Diabetes Association, Dr. Robert H. Moser and John Does 1-50. Plaintiffs maintain that this lawsuit will prove how deadly the chemical sweetener aspartame is when consumed by humans. The National Justice League filed three other lawsuit’s on April 26, 2004, in three separate California courts. (4)