“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