Aspartame Doctor Quotes©

Dr. Mark Stengler, December 24, 2013

The dangers of aspartame

Aspartame is safe? Don’t believe it!

The European Food Safety Authority claims it conducted the most thorough safety review ever on this artificial sweetener, but I have to wonder just how that’s even possible.

After all, when they started the project back in 2009, the EFSA claimed it would look at so much research that it would take until 2020 to finish the project.

Now, here they are — suddenly done, 7 years early.

What happened? I’m guessing pressure from the soda industry. After all, like the FDA here in the United States, the European Food Safety Authority is more of a political body than a scientific one.

In fact, the orders to wrap up the aspartame study early didn’t come from scientists. They came from the politicians and career bureaucrats of the European Commission.

Well, I’m not afraid of the soda companies. I’m not afraid of politicians. And I’m certainly not afraid of career bureaucrats.

So let me tell you what the European Food Safety Authority and the FDA won’t, and that’s the truth about aspartame: It’s the most dangerous additive ever approved for human consumption.

It’s been linked to genetic damage, kidney dysfunction, and cancer — including tumors in the brain. It can trigger allergic reactions and cause or worsen migraines.

It’s been linked to close to 100 side effects — and for all those risks, aspartame doesn’t even deliver on the promise of a “diet” alternative to sugar.

Studies have shown that people who switch from sugary drinks to diet drinks sweetened with aspartame don’t lose weight and don’t reduce the risk of diabetes. In fact, people who drink diet sodas actually have a higher risk of obesity and diabetes.

It beats me how they’re even allowed to call this stuff “diet” soda.

The best alternative to sugary drinks is plain old filtered water. If you want some flavor, infuse some fruit or mint. And if you want fizz, try seltzer.

Another great option is tea. Hot or iced, tea can help protect the brain and heart and even fight cancer. Just be sure to take it unsweetened, or use a safe natural sweetener such as lo han.

More than 90 countries have approved the artificial sweetener aspartame for use in thousands of food and beverage products, but multiple studies show it causes concerning effects on the brain

A newly published study with rats investigated the chronic effect of aspartame on oxidative stress in the brain; researchers found that there was a significant increase in lipid peroxidation levels, superoxide dismutase activity, GPx levels and CAT activity, showing that chronic exposure of aspartame resulted in detectable methanol in the blood, which may be responsible for the generation of oxidative stress in the brain

Earlier this year, another study investigated the effect of long-term intake of aspartame on the antioxidant defense status in the rat brain, and also found it leads to oxidative stress, which tends to cause accelerated tissue and organ damage. Dr. Mercola

Dr. John Olney of Washington University expresses fears about brain tumors ­ a problem he and other scientists say would not show up in humans for 20 years and would be difficult to trace to NutraSweet. Olney said Searle rat studies have shown conflicting brain tumor data. As early as 1971, Olney reported that aspartic acid in aspartame killed cells in the brain’s hypothalamus region, which regulates glandular and hormonal functions. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Sidney Wolfe, executive director of the Washington-based Health Research Group, said, “The thing that’s really worrisome is that it clearly affects brain metabolism in animals, and anyone who disputes that is irresponsible.” Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Woodrow Monte, an Arizona State University food scientist, and Dr. Morgan Raiford, an ophthalmology professor at Emory, worry that a NutraSweet breakdown product, methyl alcohol, could produce severe eye damage. Last year, Raiford examined more than a half dozen persons who said they suffered eye problems after consuming NutraSweet heavily. He said he diagnosed some cases of optic nerve damage and suspects NutraSweet’s methyl alcohol is the culprit. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. William Pardridge of the UCLA Medical School, who also has done phenylalanine research, said he most fears the sweetener’s effect on children, who, he says, “are more likely to approach the FDA’s acceptable daily intake level of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. If you’re a child, seven to twelve years of age, the chances are good you’ll have five servings a day” ­ close to the acceptable level, he said. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Timothy Maher of Massachusetts General Hospital, supported his mentor by reporting that mice, given a seizure inducing drug and NutraSweet, suffered more seizures than those receiving the drug alone. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Richard Wurtman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist, says heavy NutraSweet consumption may so flood the bloodstream with phenyalanine that other essential amino acids are blocked from reaching the brain, causing chemical changes that can affect behavior and lower the threshold at which many suffer epileptic seizures. Wurtman and Dr. Donald Schomer of Harvard University are testing seizure victims who used NutraSweet, particularly some whose bodies may have trouble processing phenylalanine. The NutraSweet Co. concedes aspartame raises phenylalanine levels, but says no harm results, and that consuming the amino acids in NutraSweet “is just like eating other foods containing the same protein components.” Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Donald Johns, a neurology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, reported last year that a “double-blind” study of a woman suffering migraine headaches showed her problems were aggravated by consumption of NutraSweet. NutraSweet, known generically as aspartame, consists of phenylalanine and another amino acid, aspartic acid, linked to a small quantity of methyl alcohol. Scientific critics seem to worry most about phenyalanine. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

In St. Louis, Washington University allergist, Dr. Anthony Kulczycki found that two women given NutraSweet capsules and a placebo suffered allergic reactions to NutraSweet. The women reported hives and other skin reactions after using the sweetener. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Paul Spiers, a clinical neuropsychologist at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital, found in a recent pilot study that, after consuming NutraSweet, some subjects with no previous problems failed to show the usual improvement in performance on cognitive tests. He plans further research. Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Dr. Rueben Matalon of the University of Illinois has reported that heavy consumption of NutraSweet’s main component ­ the amino acid phenylalanine ­ may cause neurological problems such as loss of memory and concentration. Matalon and Dr. Louis Elsas of Emory University say they fear aspartame consumption by some pregnant women can cause irreversible brain damage in fetuses. They worry most about women among an estimated 4 million to 20 million Americans who are carriers of the genetic disease, phenylketonuria ­ characterized by the liver’s inability to process phenylalanine. While there are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 PKU victims nationwide who are warned not to take NutraSweet, carriers or heterozygotes, do not have the disease and generally are unaware of their sensitivity, they said. The company has said that the Food and Drug Administration concluded, “NutraSweet did not present any additional health risk to pregnant women.” Reported by Gregory Gordon, UPI Investigative Reporter

Aspartame is added to children’s prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. It has caused an epidemic of autism, ADD and ADHD. Dr. Betty Martini, Mission Possible International

Independent scientific peer reviewed medical studies continually show aspartame is unsafe. This has been going on for three decades. FDA ignores them due to their strong ties to the aspartame industry and Big Pharma from which they get most of their revenue. To say it simply: FDA works for the drug industry, not the people! FDA ignored a hundred studies proving aspartame toxicity, such as these:

• Three multi-year Ramazzini Studies with thousands of rats which concluded that aspartame “is a multipotential carcinogen”. A recent Denmark study confirming that aspartame jumps preterm babies up to 78%.
• A study by Sharon Fowler at the University of Texas proving it causes obesity.
• A recent study proving aspartame causes heart attacks and strokes. There have been three.
• A study proving aspartame raises fasting blood sugar.

Dr. Betty Martini, Mission Possible International

Dr. Martini visited Dr. Alemany in Barcelona who conducted the Trocho study, and he told her: “Betty, aspartame will kill 200 million people.” It not only embalms but also causes sudden cardiac death, the reason why so many young athletes drop dead. http://www.mpwhi.com/aspartame_and_sudden_death.htm Dr. Betty Martini, Mission Possible International

According to the Trocho Study the formaldehyde from the free methyl alcohol released by aspartame embalms living tissue and damages DNA. Damage DNA and you can destroy humanity. http://www.mpwhi.com/formaldehyde_from_aspartame.pdf. Dr. Betty Martini, Mission Possible International

On 60 Minutes an official said, “One thing we don’t understand is why those with Desert Storm Illness have a burning tongue” European Coke victims also complained of this. Dr. James Bowen who has ALS from aspartame explained:

“The intact NutraSweet/aspartame molecule, to which the tongue and its very sensitive neural structures are uniquely exposed, is by far the most potent toxin in the whole picture. The protective mechanism in the tongue elicits burning from the sweet taste buds on the front of the tongue in response to continue or over-whelming exposure by noxious toxins. The phenomenon of the bleed over or shorting out through the damaged myelin sheath with neuropathies in general and methanol alcohol poisoning in specific, is well known to medical science to cause normal sensations to be turned into pain sensations. The very structure of the tongue puts tremendous pressure and shearing forces on the nerves that are involved in it, thereby producing neuropathic pain from sick nerves. “The burning sensation in response to autoimmune inflammation and allergy is a common experience and is well known to anyone with allergic sore throat. The nerves subserving the tongue are cranial nerves not spinal nerves. Therefore, they are not protected the same way spinal nerves are. They exit the skull through small holes called foramina. Bells Palsy and trigeminal neuralgia are examples well known to medical science wherein cranial nerves when swollen cause these types of problems when for any reason they are impinged in the foramina.” Dr. James Bowen

Military Admits Gulf War Illness is from Aspartame –

“The only responsible action would be to immediately take aspartame off the market, fully disclose it toxicities, offer full compensation to the injured, public and criminally prosecute anyone who participated in the fraudulent placement of aspartame on the marketplace. That includes those who work so diligently to keep it on the market as well. …. In my opinion this has resulted in the mass poisoning of the American public as well as seventy-plus countries in the rest of the world” Dr. James Bowen to the FDA, 25 years ago

“ While an E.R. doctor and primary care physician in Augusta, GA in 1987 and 1988, I was told a number of interesting facts about the adjacent Aspartame factory. Bacteria with genes inserted generate a sludge which is centrifuged to remove the aspartame and many hundreds of contaminant organic and amino acids are present. We were told not to report illness or worker’s compensation issues for fear of being fired by the hospital, now the Augusta Regional Medical Center. Many of their employees presented with psychiatric, neuropathy conditions, chronic fatigue and organic cases of loss of cognitive function. This powder from the dried sludge was then transported for packaging in factories elsewhere in the US, before sale as Equal and now the myriad of names of this neurotoxin.” Dr. Deagle

“There is an enormous polulation suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms.  Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all.  Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol and DKP.”  Dr. Lendon Smith, M.D.

“Aspartame can precipitate diabetes, simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve and even interacts with insulin.” Dr. H.J.Roberts

In 1985, Dr. Richard Wurtman reported several cases of seizures brought on by drinking too many diet drinks. The first case involved a woman with no previous seizure activity who developed seizures after drinking seven liters of NutraSweet-containing beverages per day.

In the second case, a woman 27 years old had a grand mal seizure after drinking 4 to 5 glasses of Crystal Light™ containing NutraSweet. This patient experienced twitching, trembling, jerking, and hyperventilation.

The last case was a 36-year-old male professor who drank one liter of ice tea sweetened with NutraSweet every day and developed grand mal seizures after several days. He had no previous history of seizures nor of aspartame consumption.” Dr. Richard Wurtmann

In the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Donald R. Johns reported what appeared to be a connection between a case of migraine and the consumption of large amounts of a beverage containing NutraSweet™. A thirty-one-year-old woman with a known history of well-controlled migraine headaches began drinking six to eight 12-ounce cans of diet cola sweetened with NutraSweet, 15 tablets of aspartame, and other foods containing aspartame (approximately 100 to 1500 mg) daily. About two hours after ingesting the drinks, she noticed stomach upset and a throbbing headache. When taken off aspartame, she noticed steady improvement and eventually the headaches disappeared altogether. Dr. Donald R. Johns

“Diet drinks with aspartame release small amounts of methanol when the aspartame is broken down through digestion in the small intestine. It is well documented that methanol interrupts the retina and optic nerve transmissions and causes visual problems. Even though the FDA has thousands of cases of visual disturbances on record from individuals drinking too many diet drinks with aspartame, there have been no formal, unbiased, scientific studies done. Vision studies need to be done.” Dr. Schwartz

In the case of systemic lupus, we are finding it has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially in 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 cannot reverse this disease. Dr. Betty Martini, Mission Possible International

Children and pregnant women drink the most diet colas, so children are at the greatest risk of developing one of these horrible diseases. The study found that even low doses of aspartame cause these malignancies, yet the higher the dose, the more cancers that were seen. Dr. Russell Blaylock, Neurosurgeon, Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

“The new study released in the European Journal of Oncology by Morando Soffritti and co-workers should terrify mothers and all those consuming aspartame sweetened products. This was a carefully done study which clearly demonstrated a statistically significant increase in several types of lymphomas and leukemia in rats. Both of these malignancies have increased significantly in this country since the widespread use of aspartame.”

“This study confirmed the previous study by Dr. Trocho and co-workers, which also found the formaldehyde breakdown product of aspartame to be damaging to cellular DNA and that this damage was accumulative. This type of damage was a duplicate of that associated with cancers.

Along with the most recent study, this means that drinking a single diet cola sweetened with aspartame every day could increase one’s risk of developing a lymphoma or leukemia.” Dr. Russell Blaylock, Neurosurgeon, Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

“Aspartame has been shown by several studies to damage DNA, which can lead to cancer and degenerative brain disorders later in life. The risk of increased brain tumors in such a child would be enormous. Similar mechanisms of damage would be expected in these with liver disease. Studies on aspartame safety have shown that the product increases tumors throughout numerous organs, especially the brain. It was shown that brain tumor incidence increased over 47 times in animals exposed to aspartame.”

“With the public concern over childhood obesity and diabetes few are being told of the overwhelming evidence that early exposure of excitotoxins as found in aspartame consistently produce gross obesity and insulin resistant diabetes, just as we are seeing in our youth.” Dr. Russell Blaylock, Neurosurgeon, Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

“Inferences by funeral directors about the “pre-embalming” of persons who had been heavy aspartame consumers initially evoked considerable skepticism. But this theme kept surfacing. One experienced undertaker literally warned his family against using diet sodas after repeatedly detecting the deposition of formaldehyde crystals deposited in the organs of such individuals. Some funeral directors even insisted on closing the caskets of persons who had consumed large amounts of aspartame because formaldehyde seeped through the skin.” H. J. Roberts, M.D. in his 1038 page medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic

“Aspartame, an L aspartyl L-phenylalanine methyl ester, is composed of two amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine, linked by methanol. Inside the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the stomach, it’s broken down into its constituent components. In some instance the dipeptide is lysed within the cells of the gut. As a consequence the methanol is rapidly absorbed and distributed throughout the tissues of the body. Within the tissues, substantial amounts of methanol’s two metabolic breakdown products (formaldehyde and formic acid) have been shown to accumulate in many tissues.”

“A study by Trocho, Pardo and co-workers demonstrated following aspartame ingestion, significant amounts of formaldehyde accumulate in the tissues. Formaldehyde is known to bind strongly to proteins and nucleic acids, forming adducts that are extremely difficult to eliminate through normal metabolic pathways. In this study, they demonstrated labeled methanol (as formaldehyde) accumulated in high concentrations in the liver (50%) and in lower, but substantial, concentrations in the kidney, adipose tissue, brain and retina. Within the cell, they found large amounts located within the DNA. It was interesting to note these doses were lower than that used in toxicity studies. Previous studies have shown that very high doses of aspartame may not cause acute symptomology. This study indicates the damage may necessitate longer periods of time to manifest itself, and that the eventual effects can be quite deleterious.” Dr. Russell Blaylock, Neurosurgeon, Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills