"Aspartame - How 'Tame'
Is It Really?"

Unless you live under a rock, you probably are familiar with Aspartame, the artificial sweetener.

Aspartame is the name of an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener found in more than 6000 food and drinks worldwide. It is marketed under the trademarked names of Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel.

But is it really safe to take?

Well, that depends on who you talk to.

For example, I just had a conversation with a Respiratory therapist about this very topic. She proceeded to tell me about a colleague of hers, a neurologist, and the problems he had with the sweetener.

She said after a very short time, the diet colas he was consuming were affecting his gait. He appeared to be drunk. She said he also exhibited symptoms of palsy, which is a paralysis of some part of the body.

According to her, he exhibited symptoms similar to a patient with Parkinson's disease.

According to the website News-Medical.Net, a report published in the September issue of Critical Reviews in Toxicology (Volume 37, Issue 8, pp. 629-727) systematically evaluates all of the available scientific information concerning Aspartame and concludes that it is safe to take.

Formic acid is found in the venom of stings from bees and ants, which, in turn leads to metabolic acidosis.

Sounds scary doesn't it?

There's more.

Ms. Markle claims that individuals with Multiple Sclerosis would become asymptomatic whenever they were taken off this artificial sweetener.

According to her, the FDA and the sweetener manufacturers were conspiring, releasing propaganda, in order to declare its safety as a food and drink additive.

Well, anyway, she makes additional claims about what effect it has on the human body. Here are a few:

"This drug also causes Birth Defects."

"The ingredients stimulates [sic] the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees."

"Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics."

"...aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer's Disease..."

"Aspartame Disease is partially the cause to what is behind some of the mystery of the Dessert [sic] Storm health problems."

There were many more claims made.

Interestingly, Ms. Markle failed to mention one real risk associated with this sweetener.

Individuals with the genetic disorder Phenylketonuria are unable to metabolize one of its ingredients.

If left untreated, this condition can lead to seizures or even mental retardation.

But the truth of the matter is Ms. Markle is not even the writer of this e-mail. Its real author is actually Betty Martini. She posted several similar messages to various Usenet newsgroups during 1995 and 1996.

Ms. Martini is not even a healthcare professional.

She claims she has worked in the medical field for years, fighting an alleged conspiracy involving the government and the artificial sweetener manufacturers who were together trying to promote this sweetener.

The fact of the matter is, most of her claims have been unproven.

Here's what we do know.

As the FDA was considering the approval of this food additive, it was conjectured there might be some relationship between this sweetener and brain tumors.

In 1980, a Public Board of Inquiry was formed to investigate the scientific data provided by G.D. Searle and Company, the manufacturer of this sweetener. These independent advisers found consumption of it did not contribute to brain damage.

However, the researchers stated there was insufficient evidence to prove it did not cause brain tumors in laboratory rats. So, additional research had to be done.

In 1981, after an extensive review of this new data from the FDA scientists, the FDA gave its full approval to this artificial sweetener.

Since then, researchers at MIT have stated that consumption of high levels of it pose no real health risk.

In one four-month study, subjects were given NutraSweet, sugar or placebo. The amount given to the artificial sweetener group was almost twenty times the amount a typical individual consumed daily.

Despite the abnormally high levels of this sweetener in their diets, these 48 individuals demonstrated no changes in mood, behavior and memory. Electroencephalograms found no abnormal physiology linking them to this artificial sweetener.

However, a study done in 2002 indicated there was strong evidence consumption of it could lead to breast Cancer.

So the verdict is still out.

Numerous groups proclaim its dangers, while others testify to its absolute safety.

Which is it? I'll think I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Meanwhile, I guess I'll sit down with a Diet Coke and ponder this one.

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