'Have your views on aspartame changed? DO you use it?"

LydiaGreen · Nov 27, 2003

Aspartame is, in my opinion, EVIL. I used it as a teen, drinking diet Pepsi, eating diet everything (trying to lose weight). Years later, I was diagnosed with pseudo tumor cerebri. Although the cause has not been proven - a history of regular use of aspartame is common in most cases (as well as head and neck injuries, overuse of corticosteroids, etc). While I cannot prove that the aspartame caused the PTC, I strongly believe that it played a part. I also had the headaches and "weird" feeling with aspartame but hey, no calories right?

No one in my home uses any aspartame. I cringe when I see relatives letting their kids drink diet pop (they shouldn't be drinking pop at all, maybe then they'd drink their milk!).

Now, if I even have a stick of sugarless gum, the headache is almost incapacitating.

As a nursing student, I have done a placement at an education centre for diabetes... they push the stuff... big time. It would be impossible to live your entire life without some sweets, but regular use should definitely be avoided IMHO.

bargainhound, RN · Nov 27, 2003

http://mercola.com/2003/nov/8/splenda_dangers.htm

Splenda's Dangers: One Man's Personal Story That You Should Know

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Nearly three years ago I posted an article describing the dangers of

Splenda,

which is the brand name for sucralose. It appears that more and more

people are

finally realizing the hazards that this "healthy" sweetener poses.

Splenda is far from healthy and I do not recommend using it in any

form. Why not

use Splenda? Well, research in animals has shown that sucralose can

cause many

problems such as:

Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)

Enlarged liver and kidneys

Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus

Increased cecal weight

Reduced growth rate

Decreased red blood cell count

Hyperplasia of the pelvis

Extension of the pregnancy period

Aborted pregnancy

Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights

Diarrhea

But perhaps the most revealing and powerful way to learn the

dangerous truth

about Splenda is to read someone's personal experience with it.

Nearly every

month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse

reaction to

Splenda, and after you read through the story below you can see many

others

posted on our site.

The following story provides a revealing testimony to the havoc

Splenda can

wreak on your physical and mental well-being.

---------------------------------

Contributed by Steve G. [last name withheld]

I just want to thank you guys, as without your Web site I'd be in

the mental

ward right now! I'm a big coffee drinker, but my family has a

history of

diabetes so I decided I should cut out the sugar I add to my coffee.

Well, I switched to using Splenda in my coffee about two months ago.

Now I'm no

wimp, and I'm not a health nut or anything like that! I'm a former

football

player, a vice president with a major banking institution and kind

of a tough

guy. Let me put it this way--the last time I cried was when the

Green Bay

Packers won the Superbowl!

So, anyway, I was using Splenda and I started getting withdrawn, had

trouble

focusing, and started to have problems with frustration. Gradually,

I became

more and more depressed. I thought it was stress or my job,

something like that.

Well, last Thursday I completely fell apart! My girlfriend came over

and found

me crying uncontrollably for no reason, and all I could say

was, "I'll be OK."

She couldn't get me to move, she couldn't talk me down and I could

not tell her

what was wrong!

She was shocked as I had never done anything even remotely like this

before and

so she made me go to the hospital. The doctors there we so concerned

about my

condition they wanted to check me into the mental-health ward.

Being the way I am I refused but agreed to come back the next day

and see a

psychiatrist, which I did and he put me on a huge dose of Effexor.

That night I

was on the Web and for some unknown reason I did a search for

Splenda and found

the http://www.mercola.com Web site.

When I read your information on Splenda I was shocked--I simply had

no clue! I

am now 99.9 percent convinced that my mental health issues were a

direct result

of using Splenda. I even had the stomach cramps and chest pains that

other

people have mentioned after using Splenda, but I dismissed them as

panic attacks

and stress.

So the next morning I got up and had some more Splenda and, low and

behold, I

started feeling the symptoms of a deepening depression again! It was

clearly due

to the Splenda, so I tossed it out.

I just want to say thank you. I would love to help get this product

off the

market! By the way, I missed work because of my ordeal, so I had to

tell my boss

about my problems and now I have to explain to him that I'm not nuts

or having a

break down--how embarrassing!

Thanks again!

---------------------------------

Related Articles:

The Potential Dangers of Sucralose

Sucralose (Splenda®) U.S. Product List

Splenda is Not a "Healthy" Sweetener

Nutrasweet Lowers Sperm Counts

Aspartame: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

Researcher Believes Aspartame Promotes Hypersensitivity Syndrome

LisaRN2B · Nov 27, 2003

Yeah, well, I dunno.

I haven't had a problem using Splenda at all. I DO have headaches BIG TIME with Nutra Sweet.

Within the same lines of non-sugar sweeteners...anyone tried the chocolate made with the sugar alcohols? WHOA...they're good, but talk about gas and the runs!!!! I am a choco-holic, but tend to eat the REAL stuff, like bittersweet chocolate when I get those cravings now.

Maybe there are other underlying problems with people who seem to have reactions to Splenda? The chemical structure of it sure seems safe enough. :confused:

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Nov 28, 2003

I think aspartame is the devil. I have heard and seen too many instances of ailments that went away after discontinuing it's use.

My husband for instance. He drinks probably at least 2 two liters of diet pop a day.

ALL of his health problems started after his brand of pop switched from saccharin to nutrasweet. Began having multiple skin rashes/allergic reactions that he had never had before. His mom did the same thing, she quit nutrasweet and no more probs. He refuses to give it up.

My DD uses Splenda and has had no bad effects. I just started using it, but am watching to see......

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Nov 28, 2003

Use to use it regularly till I learned more about it last year.

It's been implicated in a bunch of serious ailments, including what's already been mentioned here to heart palps, arrhythmias, and the list goes on.

On the rare occasion I consume a little soda, I'll have the regular kind. Thanks.

adrienurse, LPN · Nov 28, 2003

I think sugar substitutes do worse things for you than consuming the sugar ever could

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2003

I don't do any "diet" products.

allnurses Guide · Nov 28, 2003

I do not have a problem with people making choices about what they put in their bodies and I actually stopped drinking Diet Pepsi and using anything artificial while I was preggers. But I do have a problem with perpetuating "myths" and so I'm gonna post that Snopes.com rebuttal to the famous "Nancy Markle" letter blaming every disease on aspartame.

So, don't use aspartame. But don't rely on myths either.

Thank!:)

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartame.asp

Kiss My Aspartame

Claim: The artificial sweetener aspartame is responsible for an epidemic of cancer, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis.

Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 1998]

"I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on "ASPARTAME marketed as 'NutraSweet', 'Equal', and 'Spoonful"'. In the keynote address by the EPA, they announced that there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and they did not understand what toxin was causing this to be rampant across the United States. I explained that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.

When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol ASPARTAME coverts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants). The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus people are being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error. The multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, where methanol toxicity is.

In the case of systemic lupus, we are finding it has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. Also, with methanol toxicity, the victims usually drink three to four 12 oz. cans of them per day, some even more. In the cases of systemic lupus, which is triggered by ASPARTAME, the victim usually does not know that the aspartame is the culprit. The victim continues its use aggravating the lupus to such a degree, that sometimes it becomes life threatening.

When we get people off the aspartame, those with systemic lupus usually become asymptomatic. Unfortunately, we can not reverse this disease. On the other hand, in the case of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We have seen cases where their vision has returned and even their hearing has returned. This also applies to cases of tinnitus. During a lecture I said "If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss-you probably have ASPARTAME DISEASE!"

People were jumping up during the lecture saying, "I've got this, is it reversible?" It is rampant. Some of the speakers at my lecture even were suffering from these symptoms. In one lecture attended by the Ambassador of Uganda, he told us that their sugar industry is adding aspartame! He continued by saying that one of the industry leader's son could no longer walk - due in part by product usage!

We have a very serious problem. Even a stranger came up to Dr. Espisto (one of my speakers) and myself and said, 'Could you tell me why so many people seem to be coming down with MS? During a visit to a hospice, a nurse said that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence.

Here is the problem. There were Congressional Hearings when aspartame was included in 100 different products. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, but to no avail. Nothing as been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Now there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical, and the PATENT HAS EXPIRED!!!!!

At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind. The methanol in the aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs as cyanide and orificenic DEADLY POISONS!!! Unfortunately, it just takes longer to quietly kill, but it is killing people and causing all kinds of neurological problems. Aspartame changes the brain's chemistry. It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine level in the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease. This drug also causes Birth Defects.

There is absolutely no reason to take this product. It is NOT A DIET PRODUCT!!! The Congressional record said, "It makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you FAT". Dr. Roberts stated that when he got patients off aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds per person. The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs.

Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics. All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians believe that they have patients with retinopathy, when in fact, it is caused by the aspartame. The aspartame keeps the blood sugar level out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many have died. People were telling us at the Conference of the American College of Physicians, that they had relatives that switched from saccharin to an aspartame product and how that relative had eventually gone into a coma. Their physicians could not get the blood sugar levels under control. Thus, the patients suffered acute memory loss and eventually coma and death.

Memory loss is due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic without the other amino acids found in protein. Thus it goes past the blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurons of the brain. Dr. Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon, said, "The ingredients stimulates the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. Dr. Blaylock has written a book entitled EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS" (Health Press 1-800-643-2665). Dr. H.J. Roberts, diabetic specialist and world expert on aspartame poisoning, has also written a book entitled DEFENSE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE" (1-800-814-9800). Dr. Roberts tells how aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer's Disease, and indeed it is. As the hospice nurse told me, women are being admitted at 30 years of age with Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Blaylock and Dr. Roberts will be writing a position paper with some case histories and will post it on the Internet.

According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians, 'We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this deadly poison".

Dr. Roberts realized what was happening when aspartame was first marketed. He said "his diabetic patients presented memory loss, confusion, and severe vision loss". At the Conference of the American College of Physicians, doctors admitted that they did not know. They had wondered why seizures were rampant (the phenylalanine in aspartame breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin, which causes manic depression, panic attacks, rage and violence).

Just before the Conference, I received a FAX from Norway, asking for a possible antidote for this poison because they are experiencing so many problems in their country. This poison is now available in 90 PLUS countries worldwide. Fortunately, we had speakers and ambassadors at the Conference from different nations who have pledged their help. We ask that you help too. Print this article out and warn everyone you know. Take anything that contains aspartame back to the store. Take the "NO ASPARTAME TEST" and send us your case history. "

Ok . . now the rebuttals:

Origins:

Is Aspartame Safe? (FDA):

To date, FDA has not determined any consistent pattern of symptoms that can be attributed to the use of aspartame, nor is the agency aware of any recent studies that clearly show safety problems.

Aspartame and the Internet (The Lancet):

Our research revealed over 6000 web sites that mention aspartame, with many hundreds alleging aspartame to be the cause of multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosis, Gulf War Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, brain tumours, and diabetes mellitus, among many others. Virtually all of the information offered is anecdotal, from anonymous sources and is scientifically implausible. (!!)

ACSH Debunks Internet Health Hoax (American Council on Science and Health):

Health scare artists have found a whole new medium for terrorizing the public-the Internet. Individuals in search of accurate health information may literally become caught in the Web, where health hoaxes and urban medical myths run rampant. The health scare messages are always the same-whatever it is, it will make you sick.

Beware The E-Mail Hoax: The Evils Of Nutrasweet (Aspartame) (Dr. Dean Edell):

A highly inaccurate "chain letter" is being circulated via e-mail warning the reader of the health dangers of aspartame (Nutrasweet) diet drinks.

There is so much scientific untruth in it, it's scary. Be careful, because others know how to manipulate you by this. Just because something is beyond your comprehension doesn't mean it is scientific.

FDA Statement on Aspartame (FDA):

Analysis of the National Cancer Institute's public data base on cancer incidence in the United States-the SEER Program-does not support an association between the use of aspartame and increased incidence of brain tumors.

Study Reaffirms Safety of Aspartame (MIT News):

Even daily large doses of the high-intensity sweetener aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, had no adverse effect on study subjects' health and well-being, a visiting scientist at MIT reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last week.

"We conclude that aspartame is safe for the general population," said Paul A. Spiers, visiting scientist in the Clinical Research Center (CRC).

A Web of Deceit (TIME magazine):

A widely disseminated e-mail by a "Nancy Markle" links aspartame to Alzheimer's, birth defects, brain cancer, diabetes, Gulf War syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis and seizures. Right away, the long list warrants skepticism. Just as no single chemical cures everything, none causes everything.

Last updated: 15 September 2003

allnurses Guide · Nov 28, 2003

Here is the UrbanLegends account of the myth of aspartame causing every known disease to mankind.

http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/nutrasweet.html

Urban Legend Zeitgeist: She blinded me with SCIENCE!

Synopsis The artificial sweetener aspartame, contained in products like Nutrasweet©, Equal© and many diet colas, causes a wide variety of ailments.

See the email here.

Is it true? No.

Why? The Nutrasweet scaremail is so larded with claims that it is difficult sort fact from fiction from innuendo from the outrageous quackery. To refute every claim in the email would be tedious, we'll address just the central claims.

Let's start with the 'facts' contained in the screed.

When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis.

This is about a close as the email gets to scientific fact, which is to say, in the neighborhood but not at the right address.

Aspartame is composed of two substances, aspartic acid and a methyl ester of phenylalanine. High heat can cause aspartame to break down into byproducts, including methanol, but so do the normal digestive and metabolic processes in the body.

The process of digesting aspartame goes something like this. Phenylalanine is broken down into methanol. Methanol is broken down into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is turned to formic acid. Ultimately the formic acid is turned into water and carbon dioxide.

But aren't methanol (also known as wood alcohol) and formaldehyde (commonly used as an organic preservative, embalming fluid, for example) highly toxic substances? Yes, they are. But it's important to remember that the human body is a happy little chemical factory built to handle the conversion of methanol and formaldehyde into water and carbon dioxide.

The Urban Legend Zeitgeist is not claiming that it's OK to knock back a quart of wood alcohol at your next party, just that your body can handle the amounts of methanol from aspartame contained in one or even dozens of diet colas.

Let's put this in perspective: the average diet cola contains about 200 milligrams of aspartame. About 1/10 of that aspartame gets metabolized into methanol.

For comparison, a serving of tomato juice the same sizes as a can of diet cola will produce about five times the methanol in your body as the aspertame in the diet cola. Fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, wine and beer will also produced methanol when digested. The chemical plant in your body can handle it in moderation, even in excess.

So maybe there is something special about how aspertame is broken down that interfers with how the body handles methanol and formaldehyde. Nope, not according to current scientific research.

Studies have tested how aspartame is converted into methanol. One study showed that consumption of 2000 milligrams of aspartame - that's 10 cans of diet soda - had no effect on the amount of methanol present in the bloodstream. Another study showed that ingestion of 600 mg of aspartame per hour for eight hours - that's 24 cans of diet soda - did not increase the amount of methanol in the bloodstream to abnormal or harmful levels. Yet another study showed that subjects were able to consume 10,000 milligrams of aspartame - that's the equivalent of 50 cans of diet soda - without ill effects and the level of methanol in the bloodstream returned to normal levels within eight hours.

Let's turn to the less veracious claims made about aspartame.

The methanol toxicity mimics among other conditions multiple sclerosis. People were being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error.

Among the symptoms of methanol poisoning are:

blurred vision, blindness, dilation of the pupils

bluish coloured lips and fingernails

drop in blood pressure, cardiac failure

coma, fatigue, headache, dizziness, convulsions, seizures

renal failure

pulmonary edema, breathing difficulties, rapid, shallow breathing, stopped breathing

Compare them to the symptoms of multiple sclerosis:

bladder dysfunction

bowel dysfunction

slowed ability to think, reason, concentrate, or remember

dizziness and vertigo

depression

fatigue

itching, numbness and pain

sexual dysfunction

spasticity

speech and swallowing disorders

tremors

blurring or graying of vision, or blindness in one eye

Unlike multiple sclerosis, the symptoms of methanol present themselves in a few hours rather than than the days, weeks and months that multiple sclerosis develops. Unlike multiple sclerosis, the effects of methanol poisoning are immediate and dramatic: blindness, coma and in many cases, death. It's hard to see how methanol poisoning could be mistaken for multiple sclerosis.

But methanol is produced by digesting aspartame, so methanol poisoning is possible if one consumes enough aspartame, isn't it? Yes, theoretically, but no, in practice.

Consider the following back-of-the-envelop calculation.

Methanol poisoning occurs around when consuming about 1 gram of methanol per kilogram of body weight. For the 75 kilogram [165 lbs] male, a dose of 75 grams of methanol would be required. About 10% of aspartame is broken down into methanol, so to get 75 grams of methanol, you'd have to ingest 750 grams of aspartame. To get 750 grams of aspartame, you'd have to drink about 375 cans of diet cola (remember, a can of diet cola contains about 200 milligrams of aspartame). But you'd have to drink those 375 cans within a few hours since methanol has a half life in the body between one and two hours. Bottoms up!

In the case of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision returned and hearing improved markedly.

This is quackery. Even if we accept the premise that methanol poisoning could be misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, the effects of methanol poisoning are most often permanent. In patients suffering from neurological damage, vision loss and movement disorders from methanol poisoning, Dr. David Likosky notes, 'Little long-term improvement can be expected in patients with the complications listed.'

If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss-you probably have ASPARTAME DISEASE!

They might as well as thrown in bad breath and ingrown toenails into list as well. Beyond the fact that there is no recognized condition 'aspartame disease,' this laundry list of aches and pains is so generic that any number of conditions and ailments could fit the bill.

What about aspartame and lupus?

Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis,especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use, aggravating the lupus to such a degree that it may become life-threatening. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptomatic once taken off diet sodas.

Unlike the supposed link between aspartame and misdiagnosed multiple sclerosis, the email offers no explanation of why aspartame causes or aggravates lupus. Medline, the medical and scientific publication database, found no scientific research showing relating or linking aspartame to lupus. The FAQ of the Lupus Foundation of America states:

We are aware there is an email message circulating on the Internet warning individuals with lupus about dangers associated with using the artificial sweetener aspartame. The Lupus Foundation of America consulted with the chair of the LFA Medical Council, Evelyn Hess, MD, MACP, MACR. Dr. Hess is one of the nation's leading researchers in the field of lupus specializing in environmental influences. According to Dr. Hess, there is, as of now, no specific proof of an association with aspartame as a cause or worsening of SLE.

When? 1995

Comments Widely forwarded email is not a good source of medical advice. Widely forwarded email that claims a conspiracy and cover-up of the dangers of a common product is an even worse source of medical advice. And ANY email that INDULGES in frequent USE of CAPITAL LETTERS and multiple EXCLAMATION POINTS is almost always the work of a KOOK!

So is aspartame safe and healthy for anyone?

No, those who suffer from phenylketonuria, should avoid aspartame since it contains phenylalanine.

There is some scientific research that shows that aspartame can trigger or worsen migrain headaches.

See also Pro:

Aspartame from the Lupus Site

ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET): NO DANGER from the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation

Internet Article on Aspartame Rife with Misinformation from the National Soft Drink Association

Scientific Forum: Aspartame from Aspartame.org

Aspartame Rumors Unfounded from Getbig.com

The Aspartame/NutraSweet Scare: An Internet Hoax from the Lupus Foundation of Greater Washington

Low Calorie Sweeteners: Aspartame from the Calorie Control Council

Aspartame and the Internet from the Aspartame Information Desk

Debunking Internet Health Alarms from All About Multiple Sclerosis

Aspartame (NutraSweet) from the National Parkinson Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions about Lupus from the Lupus Foundation of America

Correcting Internet Myths About Aspartame from the Joslin Diabetes Center

Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Aspartame: What the body does with it from the Mayo Clinic

Aspartame from the U.K. Food Standards Agency

Aspartame Warning from About.com

Con:

from Mission Possible Nations Capitol

Aspartame is NOT safe from David Oliver Rietz

allnurses Guide · Nov 28, 2003

I just have to repeat this little nugget:

"For comparison, a serving of tomato juice the same sizes as a can of diet cola will produce about five times the methanol in your body as the aspertame in the diet cola. Fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, wine and beer will also produced methanol when digested. The chemical plant in your body can handle it in moderation, even in excess"

Wow, gonna have to swear off that V-8 Juice. :rolleyes:

steph

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Nov 28, 2003

Here's an interesting little article on this subject:

"CDC Reports Sudden Cardiac

Death Nation's #1 Killer

From Betty Martini

The Idaho Observer

October 2003

Biochemical evidence indicates aspartame behind this curious epidemic

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's killing spree did not begin with the unjustified use of military force against Arabs whom he suspects of being terrorists. His murderous rampage began in 1981 when he used his political muscle to overcome science in the approval of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Since the approval of aspartame, millions of Americans have fallen victim to numerous chronic and degenerative diseases -- and death. The most shocking legacy of this dangerous excitotoxin is its relationship to incidents of sudden death among children and adults. Nearly half a million Americans are simply "dropping dead" each year. Though numerous medical journal reports, magazine and newspaper articles have acknowledged this fatal phenomenon, they stop short of explaining what is causing it. The evidence points to aspartame. There is only one way to tell for sure if aspartame is the culprit: Stop using this potentially fatal substance.

from Mission Possible

The CDC reports that Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), the nation's #1 killer, prematurely ended the lives of 460,000 Americans in 1999. When the heart stops abruptly without warning, the diagnosis is SCD. It kills its victims within minutes. It is estimated that 95 percent of victims die before reaching the hospital. Often SCD happens to outwardly healthy people with no known heart problems such as high school, college and professional athletes and thousands of children.

New York State has mandated automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) be provided for all schools and athletic events on campus or off. Illinois passed a similar law. In California they talk of making defibrillators as common as fire extinguishers.

The Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association donated 73 AEDS so all of their school gyms and playing fields will be equipped to fight this devastation.

The Philadelphia School District estimates 7,000-10,000 American children and youths die annually from SCD. Chief of Cardiology Victoria Vetter, MD, at Children's Hospital said, "I diagnose, treat and follow hundreds of children from the Philadelphia region with cardiac issues."

On 9/12 came the tragic report of 13 year old Emil Gadjev's collapse and death while playing soccer here in Atlanta.

Sudden Cardiac Death is not a "heart attack" or myocardial infarction caused by clogged arteries. It's an electrical problem in which the cardiac conduction system that generates the impulses regulating the heart suddenly puts out rapid or chaotic electrical impulses, or both. The heart ceases its rhythmic contractions, the brain is starved of oxygen and the victim loses consciousness in seconds.

Aspartame's biochemical route to SCD

Dr. James Bowen believes the evidence is pointing the finger at aspartame as the toxin responsible for sudden death in many of these instances. "The combination of aspartame consumption with the stresses of strenuous athletic competition lead to activation of the shock mechanism including the elaboration of arginine vasopressin in the hypothalamus. This results in cerebral edema, cardiac congestion and pulmonary edema in combination with severe potassium wastage which is a sure ticket to sudden death, especially in the face of the many damages inflicted by aspartame.

"Aspartame is already well known for causing neuroendocrine abnormalities such as serotonin elevations and suppression in various areas of the brain. Due to its phenylalanine isolate poisoning, which depletes dopamine, and hypothalamic damage from its extreme excitotoxic effect and resultant formaldehyde/formic acid poisoning especially focused in the hypothalamus, any biochemist could verify the direct effect of aspartame poisoning in producing the fatal aberrant shock mechanism in those exposed to it. The mere occurrence of severe athletic stress does not cause this to happen all by itself," Dr. Bowen reasoned.

Indeed, only in recent history is it mentioned that people have a habit of simply "dropping dead" from routine exertion.

Aspartame triggers an irregular heart rhythm and interacts with cardiac medication. It damages the cardiac conduction system and is a direct cause of sudden death. What Dr. Bowen is saying, of course, is that it's not just hitting their hearts but their hypothalamus and neuroendocrine systems as well.

Of interest is the report from The Telegraph in the UK regarding an investigation of why children, having mild seizures that normally don't cause death, die before they can get to a hospital. Dr. Bowen responded: "Sudden death during seizures is almost always from cardiac standstill due to arrhythmias. There are several ways that aspartame can cause this damage. Aspartame and methyl alcohol poisoning are noted for damaging myocardium as well as the cardiac conduction system itself.

"This kind of damage leads to susceptibility to irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias. The aspartame and methyl alcohol poisoning cause immense damage to the mitochondria and to MtDNA which perpetuates the mitochondria damage. The myocardium and cardiac conduction system never get to rest. They are constantly at work pumping blood, therefore they are very highly concentrated in mitochondria to accommodate the metabolic needs of this tremendous work load.

"Therefore, mitochondrial damage is more highly reflected in the heart. Damaged mitochondria produce increased amounts of free radicals and other abnormal metabolite-producing arrhythmias.

"The person using NutraSweet may have a markedly decreased intake of mineral and vitamin co-enzyme factors which also sensitizes the heart to arrhythmias. Seizures always put unusual demands on the cardiorespiratory system and seizures due to NutraSweet occur more frequently and in spite of otherwise adequate anti-seizure medication. Aspartame creates unusual medical toxicity from the anti-seizure medication.

"It should be no surprise then that people are dropping dead from this aspect of aspartame toxicity."

CDC review

In Nov. 1984 the CDC compiled a report reviewing 213 of 592 cases of aspartame complaints. Some of these included cardiac arrest, seizures, disorientation, hyperactivity, extreme numbness, excitability, memory loss, loss of depth perception, liver impairment, severe mood swings and even DEATH. Frederick L. Trowbridge added an executive summary that conflicted with the information in the report by stating that the complaints were "generally of a mild nature."

Obviously experts and laypeople alike would disagree that such things as seizures, cardiac arrest and DEATH are "mild" problems.

Then the CDC put the summary on their web site [http://www.cdc.govwww.cdc.gov], and left off the investigation so the public would not get the real facts. But it is on http://www.dorway.com for anyone who wants to read the 146-page investigation.

When Mission Possible's Betty Martini asked the CDC why they allowed this phony summary, their only excuse was "Dr. Trowbridge is now retired."

The recent sudden death of John Ritter

The sudden death of John Ritter on Sept 12 stunned the nation. It was discussed on the news by Roy Flood, M.D., that he died from an undiagnosed dissection of the aorta. While we don't even know if Ritter used aspartame, Dr. Flood mentioned that this condition is usually triggered by having hypertension for several years and aspartame causes this "big time."

More biochemistry of an ignored epidemic

H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P. is a world renowned Board Certified and Recertified Internist who declared Aspartame Disease to be a global plague and published the medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, available at http://www.sunsentpress.com.

In Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, Dr. Roberts discusses aspartame and hypertension: "Increased brain phenylalanine can elevate norepinephrine levels becoming clinically manifest as hypertension. A comparable phenomenon has been demonstrated in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Another plausible mechanism involves increased phenylalanine metabolites, especially dopamine, in the presence of excess insulin. Tourian (l985) demonstrated that insulin potentiates the synthesis of phenylalanine hydroxylase in tissue cultures."

He also says, "The documentation of essential hypertension in an insulin-resistant state associated with hyperinsulinemia (Ferrannini l987), but independent of obesity, is germane because many aspartame reactors have reactive hypoglycemia. Furthermore, phenylalanine increases insulin release. In the face of continued hyperinsulinemia, the down regulation of insulin receptors (and ensuing decreased insulin action), the increased reabsorption of sodium and sympathetic stimulation can exaggerate hypertension.

"Other clinical observations suggest a relationship between phenylalanine and tyramine. Severe hypertension may occur when increased tyramine (present in certain cheeses and alcoholic beverages) is consumed by persons taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors and cough/cold preparations or appetite suppressants that continue ephedrine, phenylephrine or phenylpropanolamine."

Ritter revisited

Two-thirds of the population is using aspartame and it's hard to avoid. So while we don't know at this point if John Ritter was consuming it, Dr. Bowen said: "The death of John Ritter highlights another possible ill resulting from the ingestion of aspartame. Aspartame is well recognized among its victims as causing connective tissue diseases in their body. Since much of the aorta consists of fibroelastic connective tissue it is logical to conclude that aspartame causes degeneration of the heart muscle."

He also said, "Aspartame really doesn't spare any structure or system in the body so its not logical to try and mentally isolate it to a few structures or a few systems of the body. In fact, the FDA identified 92 documented symptoms triggered by aspartame including death, the ultimate symptom."

Epidemic heart conditions in American children

The Atlanta Journal Constitution on 9/11 wrote: "Sudden death in high school athletes is a topic that has received a lot of attention recently." It mentioned some children have serious heart conditions that have not been diagnosed. Dr. Bowen remarked, "In many cases aspartame victims may have had pre-existent or congenital undiagnosed cardiac problems. The fatal abnormalities induced by NutraSweet would have a quicker and greater effect on these unfortunate individuals."

Sonny Bono

The article in the AJC discusses accidents that may have been caused by sudden cardiac arrest. It brings to mind the death of Sonny Bono who had an accident while skiing and hit a tree. The newspaper reported that Bono was not drinking alcohol, only a "Diet Coke."

Crashing into trees

Aspartame also causes confusion and disorientation, memory loss, etc. One pilot who asked that Mission Possible start an aviation division, said: "Dumb I am not but I couldn't make a decision on aspartame and crashed my plane into a tree."

And, yes, there are now defibrillators on planes.

Pilot Neill

American Airlines Pilot Neill was drinking a diet drink and died in flight. The captain landed the plane for the body to be removed and to get a new co-pilot. An unauthorized autopsy was requested by American Airlines but they refused to allow his widow to see the results.

Medical journals recognize "Rumsfeld's" disease*; refuse to identify its cause

The New England Journal of Medicine published the article "Magnitude of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Risk of Sudden Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy." Dr. Bowen said: "Yes, that is what aspartame does."

One article, "Cardiomyopathy and Its Relation to Exercise: Sudden Death in Athletes" www-unix.oit.umass.edu/`excs597k/carpender/sdathletes.htm says: "According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta 100,000 young athletes die each year from all cardio-vascular disorders, including cardiomyopathy, as a result of participation in sports."

This is twice as many as die in auto accidents. Of the 100,000 who die annually, 45,000 of them play basketball, not boxing or football.

The report in Science last year (that was discussed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution article), said 450,000 people each year are victims of sudden death.

An article back in 2001 by the Journal of Athletic Training reported: "In the U.S. each year, sudden cardiac arrest kills 350,000, which is approximately 1,000 people per day." ..... "The exact incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes is unknown because no universal, standard surveillance method is used."

So the figures could even be greater.

Have a (diet) coke and a smile

President Bush had a fainting spell and claimed this was due to a pretzel.

Blackouts are common in aspartame victims and President Bush is constantly drinking Diet Coke.

An interesting article on Medscape is titled Syncope (fainting) as a predictor of sudden cardiac arrest. Kathy Fulford (now Mission Possible Camilla, Georgia) was certain she was dying and was having blackouts. One day she almost hit a car head on.

Her friend Darlene wanted to find out what was killing Kathy. Ten doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of her problems, mainly because the FDA, aspartame manufactures and professional organizations funded by the manufacturer push aspartame propaganda. She put her symptoms into a search engine and came to http://www.dorway.com.

She got off aspartame and her health problems disappeared.

Drop dead

Fulford said her neighbor, a 46 year old beautician, drank Diet Coke from the time she got up until she went to bed and her mind was going. She, too, had blackouts and was recently found dead on the floor -- another SCD victim.

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* When people who consume aspartame become ill, the wide spectrum of symptoms are commonly referred to "aspartame disease" by those who understand the connection. Since Donald Rumsfeld can claim credit for aspartame's 1981 FDA approval, we believe its appropriate that the disease be renamed, "Rumsfled's disease."

GLDLPN · Nov 28, 2003

So, how do you know what information to believe and where is a reliable source of accurate information? Please help ~ it is so confusing.

Gayle