*Note: In some cases such as MS, the
severe symptoms mimic the illness or exacerbate the illness, but do not
cause the disease. Also, please note that this is an incomplete list.
Clearly, ingestion of a very slow poison (as discussed in other FAQs) is not
beneficial to anyone who has a chronic illness.
Finally, potential toxicity effects from
aspartame including brain cancer (as seen in pre-approval research) and
effects on foetal brain and nervous system development will be discussed in
other FAQs.
How often are such effects seen?
Until recently approximately 90% of aspartame sales were in the United
States (Monsanto 1994). Other countries are now being inundated with
aspartame, but it will be some time until they begin to feel the full
effects of aspartame toxicity on the general population. Since the
U.S. has some history of significant use, we will limit the discussion to
the frequency of effects in the U.S.
There have been well over 7,000 aspartame
toxicity reactions officially received by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration between 1982 (after aspartame was first approved) until 1995
(DHHS 1993, DHHS 1995). From this figure, we can estimate the number of
actual toxicity reactions observed.
FDA officials believe that as little as 1% of the serious adverse drug
reactions are reported to the FDA (Kessler 1993). Using a reported
rate of 1%, we would estimate that there have been 700,000 recognized
aspartame toxicity reactions in the U.S. since 1982. However, there
are a number of significant adjustments that must be made before we can
accept this estimate.Back to Top
-
Most physicians are aware of the Adverse
Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS) and are encouraged by the FDA to report
serious adverse drug reactions (Kessler 1993). Physicians are not
encouraged by the FDA to report aspartame toxicity reactions to the FDA
(Food 1995). The lay public is generally unaware of ARMS and much
less likely to report adverse reactions to the FDA. Therefore, this
would lower the estimated reporting rate below 1%. Let us make a small
adjustment and estimate a 0.88% reporting rate.
-
It was pointed out by James Turner, Esq. in
a letter to the then FDA Commissioner Frank Young that no program to
monitor aspartame toxicity reactions was created until February 1984, two
years after aspartame approval began (Turner 1984). This would
probably add at least 1,200 reported reactions (probably much more), so
that we should use 8,200 toxicity reaction reports. In addition, a
Freedom of Information act request determined that the regional FDA
offices had been told that only "serious" complaints should be forwarded
to the FDA headquarters (Turner 1984). "Serious" complaints were
complaints where the illness was severe enough to require the attention of
a physician. Since this happened between 1984 (when the monitoring
system began) and 1985, we can estimate an additional 300 toxicity
reactions would have been reported for a total of 8,500. Back to Top
-
In 1987, it was brought out at U.S.
Congressional Hearings that the FDA had been transferring aspartame
toxicity reaction calls to the AIDS Hotline (Turner 1987). In
addition, it was reported by James Turner, Esq. of Community Nutrition
Institute (CNI) that there were numerous cases of people calling the FDA
to report toxicity reaction and they were told that there was no
connection between aspartame and adverse reactions and no other
information was taken by the FDA. While this may not effect the
reporting rate after the start of 1988, it would significantly effect the
reporting rate before that time. Let us make another small
adjustment and estimate a 0.78% reporting rate.
-
Perhaps the biggest reduction in the
reporting rate comes from the fact that Commissioner Kessler's estimated
1% reporting rate for adverse drug reactions involves only "serious"
adverse reactions. The rate for reporting *all* drug reactions (if
such reporting were done) would almost certainly be no more than 0.5%.
Therefore, if we cut our current estimated reporting rate of 0.78% in
half, the estimated reporting rate for *all* toxicity reactions to
aspartame (including serious or mild) would be no more than 0.39%.Back
to Top
During the first couple of years that
aspartame was on the market, there was publicity that would likely have
increased the reporting rate. However, since the FDA did not have a
monitoring system in place until February 1984, the estimated increased
number of reports will not be that much. I will reduce the number of
reports by 1,000 to 7,500 to take this into account.
We now have approximately 7,500 reports at an
estimated reporting rate of 0.39%. This totals approximately 1.9
million *recognized* aspartame toxicity reactions in the U.S. between 1982
and 1995.These reactions run anywhere from mild to very serious illnesses.
It is very important to understand, however, that 1.9 million represents
only those toxicity reactions that have been discovered by users and/or
healthcare practitioners. Quite often, I encounter case histories were
people suffered for long time and did not make the connection.
Back to Top
For example:
"I have suffered from Migraines for years.
As soon as I gave up NutraSweet my migraines disappeared. All those Cat
Scans, MRI's......for nothing."
"Since I last wrote my brother has
been off NutraSweet since then. My brothers lupus type of symptoms
completely went away. My brother has been a physician for over 10 years...
his doctor (a specialist) who has been treating him has seen the
significant difference and wants to write a research paper on this .. my
brothers physician has now started prescribing getting off NutraSweet for
his other patients."
Therefore, I believe that in addition to the
estimated 1.9 million people in the U.S. who have recognized aspartame
toxicity reactions in themselves (from serious to mild), there are many
times that number who are suffering from some of the symptoms mentioned
above and that they do not recognize that chronic aspartame use is the cause
or at least a contributory factor. I would estimate that *at least*
7.6 million others are suffering from some symptoms related to aspartame use
(many mild symptoms, but many serious ones as well) and do not recognize the
connection. Back to Top
Unrecognized Reactions
In addition to the estimated 1.9 million
recognized reactions and 7.6 million unrecognized reactions in the U.S., it
is very important to note that aspartame has been used in significant
amounts in the U.S.for a relatively short time. A U.S. Department of
Agriculture report noted that it wasn't until approximately 1987 that
aspartame was used in significant amounts in the U.S. (USDA 1988).
Therefore, aspartame had been used for only nine (9) years in significant
amounts through 1995. When one considers that the damage from
aspartame is often silent and cumulative (much like chain-smoking
cigarettes), one can see that a couple of generations of aspartame use might
be
disastrous!
The FDA and NutraSweet have claimed that the number of reported adverse
reactions have declined substantially since the mid-1980s (Pauli 1995,
Butchko 1994). In addition, the FDA recently claimed that the number
of reported toxicity reactions for 1995 was only 11 (WSJ 1996)! It is
important to realize that during the mid-1970s the FDA was investigating
wrong-doings of the aspartame manufacturer and stated the facts exactly as
they found them: Back to Top
"[The manufacturer] lied and
they didn't submit the real nature of their observations because had they
done that it is more than likely that a great number of these studies would
have been rejected simply for adequacy. What Searle did, they took great
pains to camouflage these shortcomings of the study. As I say filter and
just present to the FDA what they wished the FDA to know and they did other
terrible things for instance animals would develop tumours while they were
under study. Well they would remove these tumours from the animals." [FDA
Toxicologist and Task Force member, Dr. Andrian Gross (Wilson 1985)]
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of key government and FDA
officials left their jobs to work with companies related to the aspartame
industry (GAO 1986). This included key FDA officials such as the head
of the FDA Bureau of Foods becoming a Vice President of the National Drink
Association and the FDA Commissioner becoming a high-paid consultant for the
manufacturer's PR firm, Burston Marsteller (Gordon 1987). After
this period of time, there was no scientific evidence and no amount of
serious toxicity reports that could get the FDA to seriously consider
funding independent, properly-conducted (e.g., chronic exposure) research.
That appearance of the FDA being under the total control of the
manufacturer, Monsanto, continues to this day.Back to Top
I include these comments about the FDA to
demonstrate why no independent scientist familiar with the aspartame issue
takes statements from the FDA such as "11 reported reactions in 1995"
seriously. There are many people, including myself who have received
that many toxicity reaction reports in a single day during 1995.The reality
is that independent organizations have noted that
aspartame toxicity reaction reports given to them have *increased* every
year since the late 1980s (Stoddard 1995). It is also important to
note that in mid-1995, the FDA admitted that it had
stopped recording aspartame toxicity reactions (Food 1995). That may
have something to do with why the numbers that the FDA reported to the Wall
Street Journal (WSJ 1996) were so small!
Back to Top
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References Cited
Aviation Consumer 1988. "SafeGuard," June 15, 1988.
Aviation Medical Bulletin 1988. "Pilots and
Aspartame," October 1988.
Aviation Safety Digest 1989. "Aspartame -- not for the dieting pilot?"
Aviation Safety Digest, ASD 142, Spring 1989 (Australia - 062/5841111).
Blumenthal, H.J., D.A. Vance, 1997, "Chewing Gum Headaches," Headache,
Volume 37, Number 10, pages 665-666.
Butchko, Harriett H., Frank N. Kotsonis 1994. "Postmarketing Surveillance in
the Food Industry: The Aspartame Case Study," in Nutritional Toxicology,
edited by Frank N Kotsonis, Maureen Macky and Jerry Hjelle, Raven Press,
Ltd., New York, c1994.
CAA General Aviation (1989). Safety Information Leaflet, April 1989, Great
Britain.
Canadian General Aviation News 1990. "Fit to fly" Canadian General Aviation
News, March 1990, page 28.
DHHS 1993. "Adverse Reactions Associated With
Aspartame Consumption," Department of Health & Human Services Memorandum,
April 1, 1993, Reprinted in preface of "Bittersweet Aspartame: A Diet
Delusion" by Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, NutriVoice, P.O. Box 946, Oak
Park, Illinois 60303, (708) 848-0116.Back to Top
DHHS 1995. Department of Health and Human
Services. "Report on All Adverse Reactions in the Adverse Reaction
Monitoring System." (April 20, 1995).
Drake, M.E., 1986. "Panic Attacks and
Excessive Aspartame Ingestion" (Letter), Lancet, September 13, 1986, page
631.
Food 1986. Food Chemical News, July 28, 1986,
page 44.
Food 1995. "Aspartame Adverse Reaction
Reports Down in 1994 From 1985 Peak: FDA," Food Chemical News, June 12,
1995, page 27.
GAO 1986. "Six Former HHS Employees' Involvement in Aspartame's Approval,"
United States General Accounting Office, GAO/HRD-86-109BR, July 1986.
General Aviation News 1989. "NutraSweet...too good to be true?" by Megan
Hicks, General Aviation News, July 31, 1989.
Gordon, Gregory, 1987. "NutraSweet: Questions Swirl," UPI Investigative
Report, 10/12/87. Reprinted in US Senate U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and
Human Resources, November 3, 1987 regarding "NutraSweet Health and Safety
Concerns." Document # Y 4.L 11/4:S.HR6.100, page 499.Back to Top
ICAS 1995. "Aspartame Side Effects: Fact or Fiction?" International Council
of Air Shows, February 1995.
Johns, Donald R., 1986. "Migraine Provoked By Aspartame," (Letter), New
England Journal of Medicine, Volume 314, August 14, 1986, page 456.
Kessler, David A. 1993, "Introducing MEDWatch: A New Approach to Reporting
Medication and Device Adverse Effects and Product Problems" Journal of the
American Medical Association 269:2765-68.
Lipton, Richard B., et al., 1989. "Aspartame
as a Dietary Trigger of Headache," Headache, Volume 29, pages 90-92.
McCauliffe, D.P., K. Poitras, 1991.
"Aspartame-Induced Lobular Panniculitis," Journal of the American Academy of
Dermitology, Volume 24, page 298-300.
Mission Possible 1994. Compiled by researchers, physicians,and artificial
sweetener experts for Mission Possible, a group dedicated to warning
consumers about aspartame. Available from Mission Possible, 9270 River Club
Pkwy, Duluth, Georgia 30155, 770-242-2599, betty@pd.org.
Mission Possible 1996. Conversations between Betty Martini of Mission
Possible and Mark D. Gold.Back to Top
Monsanto 1994. "Monsanto Annual Report,"
1994.
Moskal, Phil, 1990. Letter from Dr. Phil
Moskal to George Leighton, June 19, 1990, Reprinted in "The Deadly
Deception" Compiled by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network for volumes of
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(800) 969-6050.
NBAA Digest 1993. "Operationally Speaking" by G. Dennis Wright, Vice
President of Operations. NBAA Digest, Volume 6, Number 6, June 1993.
Available from National Business Aircraft Association, Inc., 1200 Eighteenth
St., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-2506, (202) 783-9000.
Novick, Nelson Lee, 1995. "Aspartame-Induced
Granulomatous Panniculitis," Annals of Internal Medicine, Volume 102, Number
2, pages 206-207.
Pacific Flyer 1988. "This Could Save Your Life" Pacific Flyer Aviation News,
November 1988, 3355 Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92054.Back to Top
Pacific Flyer 1995. "ICAS Issues Warning To Its Members About Diet Drinks,"
March 1995.
Pauli, George, 1995. FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
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Brandywine Building, The American University, Washington, DC 20016-8082,
(202) 885-1200, August 29, 1995.
Plane & Pilot 1990. "Getting High" Plane & Pilot, January 1990, page 36-37.
Roberts, H.J., 1988. "Reactions Attributed to Aspartame-Containing Products:
551 Cases," Journal of Applied Nutrition, Volume 40, page 85-94.
Stoddard, Mary Nash, 1995. Conversations between Mary Nash Stoddard of the
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Mark D. Gold.
Turner, James, Leonard, Rodney, 1984. Letter from Rodney E. Leonard and
James S. Turner of Community Nutrition Institute to Dr. Fank E. Young, FDA
Commissioner, September 13, 1984. Reprinted in "Aspartame Safety Act,"
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Back to Top
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Birkhauser, Boston, MA USA, page 159-162.Back to Top
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the Editor), Headache, March, 1991, Page 181-182.
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Susceptibility" (Letter), The Lancet, Volume 2, page 1060.
Back to Top
Our Comments:
With all the adverse publicity
aspartame has had it astounds me that anyone would even consider using it.
My own personal experience when I tried aspartame for a short period some
years ago to see if I could control blood sugar variations resulted in many
of the milder symptoms reported above after just one month of substituting
sugar in my coffee with aspartame. I mainly did this to try and wean myself
off sugar because of unpleasant fluctuating blood sugar levels. The side
effects of aspartame were far worse than the unpleasant symptoms of blood
sugar fluctuations. At the time I didn't make the connection and my doctor
thought I had MS or early onset of Parkinson's disease which a battery of
tests proved negative for.
Some of the marked symptoms I had,
included a crawling feeling on the skin and muscle twitching which took over
12 months to disappear, dizziness when suddenly standing up and irregular
heartbeat and slight shaking in the left hand. I am pleased I stopped
ingesting the chemical when I did!
I would suggest anyone ingesting
aspartame on a regular basis that suffers any of the above symptoms
mentioned in this report would do well to stop and detoxify their body. You
may be very surprised how much better you feel after several months of not
assaulting your body with yet another chemical!
You can read what vested interests
and government health departments say about aspartame here www.aspartame.info
Weigh up carefully the track record of government departments and collusion with
powerful vested interests in the past before you decide aspartame is safe in
YOUR diet!
Geoff Goldie
Back to Top
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