Aspartame - killing us sweetly?

I always tell my kid NOT to consume anything that is SUGAR-FREE. No. Not because I wanted them to be obese but because I have been following the controversial topic on aspartame as a NEURO-TOXIIN for some time now.

When I said SUGAR-FREE, it mostly meant ASPARTAME (a brain chemical agent) that had been approved as a food additive to improve taste (mimicking sweet taste) and importantly to maintain a certain form of cravings for sustained consumerism addictiveness to sweet taste.

Basically, upon ingestion, aspartame breaks down into several residual chemicals, including aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol, and further breakdown products including formaldehyde, formic acid, and a diketopiperazine. There is some controversy surrounding the rate of breakdown into these various products and the effects that they have on those that consume aspartame-sweetened foods.

Although my kid also can rattle off Phenylalanine as one resultant compound when Aspartame is ingested (metabolised) but still not sure what it does. Okay, Phenylketonuria are people who are deficient in an enzyme in their body to metabolise Phenylalanine and when left untreated, this condition can cause problems with brain development, leading to progressive mental retardation and seizures. I am not sure if my neighbour’s hyperactive kid should be tested for Phenylketonuria after futile attempts to seek medical help.

Likewise, my neigbour’s kid could have been eating too many SUGAR-FREE sweet, prominently display in all supermarkets check-out counters to facilitate access. He is so hyper and easily runs into a frenzy and may have to enrol into a special school. Poor kid, ya, maybe he had been taking too much aspartame without his knowledge (no normal school kid would read the ingredient content anyway).  I am quite sure today (2 May 200 when I recheck on articles on Phenylketonuria and this news (dated 29 Apr 200 stated that:

“Phenylalanine also plays a role in the body’s production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin and hair color. Children with phenylketonuria often have lighter complexions than brothers or sisters without the disease…”

So maybe kids or newborn should be tested Phenylketonuria so as to abstain from aspartame products to prevent kids from developing athetosis and hyperactivity.

Perhaps this phrases sums up pretty much about the possible dumbing of our masses:

Isolated phenylalanine, neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D. tells us, crosses the blood brain barrier to interfere and kill the neurotransmitters of the brain by “exciting them to death.” (“Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills”)

ASPARTAME, PREGNANCY AND AUTISM

In 1987, Dr. Louis J. Elsas, then Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Medical Genetics at Emory University testified at the hearing before the United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, concerning “NUTRASWEET”—HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS.”

Dr. Elsas told the Senators, “In the developing fetus such a rise in maternal blood phenylalanine could be magnified four to six fold by the concentrative efforts of the placental and fetal blood brain barrier and this concentration kills such cells in tissue culture. The effect of such an increased fetal brain concentrations in vivo would probably be much more subtle and expressed as mental retardation, microcephaly, or potential certain birth defects.”

Does autism ring a bell? When Dr. Elsas told the senate this significant fact about phenylalanine, in 1987, infant autism rates were 1 in 1500, today they are 1 in 150 and rising.

Comments: The presumably better educated tend to be more health conscious and often resort to suger-free product thinking that it conforms to our “slim & fit” society. I guess the only solace they get is perhaps slimmer brains and lots of fits.

Mentos and Diet Coke/Pepsi (with Aspartame). Beware

For those who had just watch the mass mentos and diet coke display on TV, think carefully before trying this if you intent to consume both simultaneously. Aspartame also interact with MSG to lethal potent effect.

“… A diet high in excitotoxins, such as aspartame, can convert this benign, subclinical condition into full-blown clinical Multiple Sclerosis The amount of excitotoxins consumed in the average American diet is considerable, as shown by several studies. In addition, the toxin methanol is also in the aspartame molecule. Methanol is a axon poison. Combined toxicity of the aspartate and the methanol adds up to considerable brain toxicity and can convert benign, subclinical MS into full-blown MS. Once the MS becomes full-blown, further consumption of excitotoxins magnifies the toxicity, increasing disability and death….” (link)

Finally a hideous aspartame experiments (http://www.myaspartameexperiment.com/index.php?page=1)

I hope that I have not be too bias on this issue. It is because we are part of the Free Trade Agreements, of which our lifeline trade are dependent on that we really have no choice. Nevertheless, consumers do really have much choice, for one, being literate enough to look through various “authoritative” sources in the internet or libraries to come to your own conclusion whether certain foodstuff or utensils for food storage, handling, processing are indeed healthy or are they linked to giant pharmaceutical companies that would “suddenly” found a “cure” for the foodstuff that they were intrinsically linked to in the first place. This is not about any conspiracy theory but actually about being a wise consumerism.

Here are some additional findings or reports or critiques regarding Aspartame:

a. Former FDA Investigator Exposes Aspartame (link)

b. Aspartame harms diabetics and possible pancreatic cancer (29 Mar 200 (link)

c. Aspartame and lupus (link)

“…. 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….”

“….  Yes, you are right about serotonin.  The phenylalanine in aspartame lowers the seizure threshold of the brain and depletes serotonin. Researchers say lowered serotonin triggers manic depression, paranoia, panic attacks, anxiety, rage and suicidal tendencies. We have seen all these behavioral problems in NutraSweet victims.  One lady from California was a Diet coke addict and was going to the E.R. every ten days in dire circumstances due to lupus.  When we warned her off NutraSweet she no longer had these serious episodes that took her to the hospital and indeed she became asymptomatic.  Aspartame not only triggers lupus but if they don’t know that aspartame is the culprit and continue to use it the disease many times becomes life threatening.  In telling this story to a friend in Florida she admitted her daughter was seriously ill with lupus and also a Diet Coke addict.  I mentioned that aspartame also causes infertiity because it changes the menses and Kathy said her daughter had been trying to have a baby for 10 years.  A year later Kathy told me her daughter had immediately got off Diet Coke, was no longer symptomatic with lupus and had given birth
to a baby boy.  Incidently, aspartame also triggers birth defects.

Steve Skindell wrote about his brother a physician who had lupus and when he got off aspartame all his symmptoms disappeared too. He said that his brother’s specialist was going to write a research paper on the connection of aspartame and lupus because he was so impressed.  However, I have not seen that report…”   (link)

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(to be updated as and when …….. )