From: [c--wo--n] at [sequent.com] (Kim "Meow" Muralt)
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
Date: 27 Jul 93 19:11:21 GMT

The below is an article that our learning center was handing out on
Nutrasweet...it is very interesting...

Nutrasweet
----------

When my daughter was pregnant with her first child, her obstetrician sent
her to a nutritionist for counseling about her diet.  At the same time,
she was drinking one or two cans of diet pop per day.  The nutritionist
was very concerned and told her that Aspartame or Nutrasweet, the sweetener
found in all diet drinks was one of the worst things she could be putting
into her body.  In addition, she gave my daughter an informative report of
over 80 pages detailing the research and concerns about this very popular
product.

Aspartame is the basis for Nutrasweet, a food additive that is found in
well over two thousand food products, from soft drinks and dry cereals to
salad dressings and cake mixes.  Equal is a sugar substitute that is dropped
into millions of cups of coffee everyday.

We are told that Aspartame is made of naturally occurring amino acids, leading
even the most health conscious individuals to believe that they are doing
their bodies a favor to use Nutrasweet or Equal instead of sugar.  The truth
is that Aspartame is not a naturally occurring product, if it were, the only
patent owned would be the process of extraction, not he actual product (which
in fact does hold a patent).

When digested, Aspartame breaks down into sixteen different products, including
formaldehyde, wood alcohol, diketopiperazine (DKP), and methanol.

DKP has been shown to cause brain tumors in test animals since Aspartame has
been on the market, the number of brain tumors diagnosed has increased
dramatically.  Storage or heat (hot chocolate, for instance) causes an
increase in the release of DKP.

The FDA and Searle, the manufacturer of Aspartame, are quick to point out
that methanol is found naturally in fruit, fruit juices, and vegetables.
They neglect to tell us that when consumed in natural foods, methanol is in 
bound form and the human body does not have the digestive enzymes that can 
break down the pectin and release the methanol into the bloodstream.  In
addition, natural methanol is always accompanied in higher concentration
by ethanol.  This protects the body from any damage.  In Aspartame the 
methanol is found in it's free form and is immediately absorbed into the
blood stream.

Symptoms of Aspartame reactions that you should be aware of include:  
blindness, visual blurring, bright flashes, tunnel vision, pain in one or
both eyes, decreased tears, trouble with contact lenses, hearing impairment,
severe intolerance to noise, tinnitus, epileptic seizures (especially in
children), headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, drowsiness, 
numbness of the limbs, slurring of speech, irritability, aggression, 
anxiety, severe depression, personality changes, insomnia, phobias,
tachycardia, shortness of breath, sudden high blood pressure, nausea,
diarrhea (sometimes with blood), abdominal pain, trouble swallowing,
itching without a rash, hives, respiratory allergies, loss of control
of diabetes, menstrual changes, thinning or loss of hair, weight
loss or weight gain, low blood sugar, frequency of urination with
burning, excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, bloating,
increased susceptibility to infection, brain damage, birth defects 
including severe retardation (IQ as low as 20), peptic ulcers, increased
cravings for sweets, Aspartame addiction, hyperactivity (especially
children).

Eighty-five percent of all complaints registered with the FDA (including
73 different symptoms and five deaths) concern Aspartame's (Nutrasweet,
Equal) reactions.  It is interesting that since 1986 the FDA has listed
Aspartame deaths as a symptom under "other".

Why, you ask, hasn't something been done to ban this dangerous and
potentially deadly product?  The answer is only too obvious.  There are
thousands of companies using Aspartame in diet sodas, powdered drinks,
gelatin, tea, cocoa, juices, frozen desserts, even vitamins and medications.
This translates to trillions of dollars worldwide.  Far more than is needed
to provide agency officials with gratuities, politicians with campaign
funds, non-profit foundations with endowments, scientists with research
grants, and the media with advertising dollars.

As consumers, we may have to conclude that what seems too good to be true
usually is.  For more information, contact:

                The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
                PO Box 780634, Dallas TX  75378