From: [lamon t g] at [u.washington.edu]
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
Subject: Re: Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
Date: 27 Jul 93 23:16:46 GMT

[c--wo--n] at [sequent.com] (Kim "Meow" Muralt) writes:
>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).

the claim is that aspartame breaks down into naturally occuring amino
acids, and that physiologically they are the only important factors.  and
that the status of aspartame itself as being natural or not is irrelevant.
(and, in fact, the implication that natural == good and synthetic == bad
is also irrelevant).

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

i was under the impression that these were urban legends or similar bullshit.

meanwhile, aspartame does increase levels of phenylalanine significantly.
phenylalanine is a catecholamine precursor and one metabolic pathway for
phenylalanine leads to dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine.  normally,
elevated levels of phenylalanine do not lead to elevated levels of
any of the catecholamine neurotransmitters.  this is because the enzyme
tyrosine hydroxylase is saturated and acts as a rate-limiting step in 
the synthesis of l-dopa from l-tyrosine.  however, rather than suppose
that brain damage is responsible for the reactions to aspartame, i would
claim that its far more plausible that elevated levels of catecholamines
are responsible for these symptoms.  and that it indicates that there may
be individuals whose intake of catecholamine precursors increases levels
of brain catecholamines, in much the same way that intake of tryptophan
increases 5-HT brain levels. 

>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).

for example, tinnitus and epileptic seizures have been linked with
bupropion which is a drug which is thought to be primarily dopaminergic.
blindness, visual blurring, bright flashes, miagranes, and anxiety have
been linked with the norepinephrine neurons in the locus cereleus (sp!).
also noted side effect of beta-blockers (norepinephrine agents) include
depression.  and norepinephrine is involved in high blood pressure.

>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".

so, some people have allergic or hypersensitive reactions.  that aspartame
is consumed in the quantities that it is, and that *only* 5 people have
died from it suggests to me that it is an incredibly safe chemical.