The Dangers of Aspartame Research Paper
I just finished up my final paper for school in my Comp II class. We were to write an argumentive topic. I could have done better but had some laptop issues over the past weeks. The entire paper is below. I feel this is a very important topic if you are concerned about health issues.
Final Project: The Negative Effects of Aspartame
Todd Jumper
Kaplan University
CM220-07
Professor Sandra Maenz
October 5, 2008
These days a lot of people are becoming more health conscious. Consumers are becoming more careful with their diets, from eating organic foods, to watching sugars, hormones and other chemicals. They may drink a diet soda from time to time, believing it’s better for their health, and assisting in weight loss. But there are times when they may have turned around that can of pop and seen a warning about Phenylalanine, but not knowing what it is.
We often think if we don’t know what is in our food, maybe we should not eat it, and we are probably right. Aspartame, containing Phenylalanine, and products for human consumption that contain Aspartame should carry a warning label. The consumer should be able to make the decision for themselves to cause possible damage to their bodies from ingesting this nuero-toxin, rather than unknowingly partake of it.
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, which is found in most diet beverages and sugarless gums, breaks down into methanol or wood alcohol, which despite some medical doctor’s claiming its safety, in mass quantity, is actually toxic.
The most common side effect of ingesting Aspartame is frequent headaches. A consumer may also begin to notice mild depression kicking in after a few days of consuming large amounts of diet soda. According to Dr. Jacob Stechschulte, this sweetener has caused migraines in youth and young adults. He also states that upon consuming aspartame, it is broken down and converted into formaldehyde through our body tissues. (2006, Jacob SE, Stechschulte S.)
Over all, the average consumer is unaware that too much of this neurotoxin will cause cellular death in the brain from neurons being too excited. (1998, Dr. Janet Hull) Further research has shown neurotoxins in our food are partly the cause of hyperactivity, ADD/ADHD in children and adults. While these neurotoxins have not proven deadly in laboratory animals, such toxins have been proven fatal in pre-natal studies. It is a possibly that pregnant women who ingest large amounts of diet beverages could potentially harm their unborn child or miscarry. (National Toxicology Program. ; Oct, 2005)
More over one of the biggest problems our children face today is the overdose of sugar in soft-drinks, so parents have instead moved onto sugarless drinks, with artificial sweeteners and colorings hoping to keep their children from becoming hyper. Instead due to their lack of knowledge regarding aspartame, they may have instead intoxicated their children as a result given them ADD/ADHD.
“…studies of the relationship of sugar to ADHD have typically used far smaller quantities of sugar than a child ingests in a can of soda … have used aspartame, a known neurotoxin as a placebo control for sugar in beverages: and have failed to consider the possible effects of artificial colorings and flavorings in sugared beverages.” (2008 Dr. Carolyn F.A. Dean, M.D., N.D)
Aspartame, one of the sweetest food ingredients, but also one of the most toxic, was denied by the F.D.A. to be allowed for human consumption for over 11 years. Finally after giving into pressures by government and a huge monetary profits, the Reagan administration approved Aspartame after letting go the Surgeon General who opposed it.
Thus Aspartame has been the subject of debate and great controversy, with the primary argument going against the Food and Drug Administration who approve of aspartame being a safe dietary supplement despite all the evidence to the contrary. If aspartame was proven to be toxic and a cause of cancers, ADD, depression and so forth, major companies such as PepsiCo and Coca Cola would be the subject of class action lawsuits for poisoning it’s consumers for years.
Such Web sites as WebMD.com claim it is completely safe, while not listing any studies of research showing otherwise or ignoring known facts about the chemical sweetener. But incongruently, as sites such as WebMD deny Aspartame causing harm to the body, within their own Web site they readily admit that Aspartame may cause or worsen the effects of illnesses such as Fibromyalgia. “…Aspartame (NutraSweet). All the experts WebMD talked to agree that for a large majority of people with fibromyalgia, foods sweetened with aspartame could exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms.” (2008. WebMd.com)
Despite most medical doctors who will go along with the Food and Drug Administration in claiming the use of Aspartame is not dangerous, many doctors are coming forward with opposing evidence to the contrary. Many people consume diet foods and soft drinks believing or told by medical doctors, that these products are beneficial for health, when in actuality the FDA denied approval of aspartame for 16 years. The FDA succumbed to pressure from political advocates of the product and economic pressure and huge payouts finally allowed aspartame to be added to our foods. . (Mercola, Dr. Joseph; Sweet Deception, 2006, p. 53).
Another major controversy regarding Aspartame or NutraSweet is that it may cause cancer. This has been a subject of debate for several years. Results with laboratory mice have been inconclusive for the most part, while most experiments have not shown cancer in mice, tumors have been shown to form, as well cancer has been found within pre-natal mice. According to Regist, in a 1981 study, where aspartame was fed to rats, most of the two year cancer studies proved inconclusive or were considered to be negative in rodents, but neoplasms did form in the brain. (Fed. Regist., 1981a, b)
The average consumer would benefit from understanding the chemical makeup of Aspartame. When ingested and exposed to heat of the body, (or 83 degree farenheight,) it breaks down into methanol. This is toxic to the human body and is not meant for consumption.
This leads to another controversy regarding this is the possible poisoning of our American troops during the Gulf War due to high consumptions of diet sodas in the desert heat, mixed along with other chemical components and body stress. This may have caused what is known as Gulf War Syndrome.
The symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome when comparable to aspartame poisoning are almost identical. Migraines, depression, fibromyalgia, to chronic fatigue and memory loss are just a few of the similarities. Carol Guilford, a medical doctor, claimed in 2007 that aspartame poisoning and GWS are one in the same. According to her research around 45,000 to 100,000 of our troops from the Gulf War are now suffering from aspartame poisoning. (2007, Carol Guilford, M.D.)
Despite the claims that Aspartame is not cancer causing, coincidentally breast cancer has been greatly on the rise since the year Aspartame was introduced into food. The American Cancer society claims breast cancer cases have doubled since 1981, the same year NutraSweet was introduced.
Since NutraSweet’s introduction, years later many people are suffering from different types of cancers, depressions and mental disorders that are on the rise. Take for example, the experience of the Jumper family, from results of years of ingesting aspartame laden products. Deciding to avoid sugary products and caffeine for better health, they turned to drinking diet, caffeine free products on a daily basis. Ten years later, the mother of the family now suffers from depression, extreme fatigue and muscle and joint pain due to fibromyalgia. The father also now suffers from severe depression, diabetes and OCD, all of which are claimed to be side effects of aspartame poisoning.
Some medical doctors claim the side effects of ingesting aspartame go well over 100 symptoms, mostly based on patient complaints and independent studies. Side effects range from; burning urination, brain fog, chest pain, cough, fatigue, mucus buildup, depression, fibromyalgia, headaches, hives, insomnia, joint pain, rashes, tachycardia, thyroid problem, and even weight gain. Due to the body’s digestive system not properly digesting the artificial sweeteners, instead of losing weight from the non-caloric beverages, the body is confused into gaining weight.
In 1999, Sandra Cabot, another medical doctor, claimed that aspartame actually causes weight gain by other mechanisms in confusing the body. Diabetics are still at risk as well as the artificial sweetener can cause unstable blood sugar levels. As a result there is fluid retention and cellulite increases. (Sandra Cabot, M.D, 1999)
In conclusion, to this day Aspartame is very controversial among scientists and medical doctors, with manufacturers backed up by big funding and misleading information. Some feel the product should be banned from foods, while others claim it’s completely a safe additive. As long as the government backs up those who believe it is safe, the F.D.A. will continue to allow this toxin in our foods and drinks. Advertisers of their diet products continually find new misleading ways to get consumers to buy their aspartame laden drinks, even to the point to promote adding vitamins to soda to make them appear healthy.
Take Diet Coke Plus for example, a soft drink advertised as soda with beneficial vitamins to encourage people to drink it. Little do most people know that these are not only manufactured vitamins, but that the carbonation and liquid quickly destroys the vitamins on the shelf before they are ever consumed.
More consumers need to be aware, with at least warning labels on these products so that the consumer can make their own choice to partake in something that may have long term negative side effects and illnesses. Changes need to be made and doctors need to stand together and challenge the claims of the F.D.A., as more consumers become health conscious, with many turning toward organic foods, it may not be long until the dangers of aspartame are finally exposed.
References
Mercola, Dr. J., Pearsall, K., Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, Nutrasweet, and the FDA
May be Hazardous to Your Health. Published by Thomas Nelson Inc,. (2006), Nashville, TN.
Russel A Blaylock, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (1996) Health Press, New Mexico
Stechschulte, Jacob SE
May-Jun, 2008 ; Formaldehyde, aspartame, and migraines: a possible connection.
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. National Do Not Call Registry (n.d.). National Do Not Call Registry. Retrieved
Hull, Dr. Janet, Sweet Poison, How the World's Most Popular Artificial
Sweetener Is Killing Us New Horizon Press (September 1, 1998)
National Toxicology Program. ; National Toxicology Program. ; Oct, 2005 ; NTP report
on the toxicology studies of aspartame (CAS No. 22839-47-0)
Carolyn Dean, MD, ND; A Complementary Approach to ADHD
http://www.drcarolyndean.com/articles_adhd.html [ Web site ]
Aspartame (NutraSweet™): Is It Safe? (Book). ; Mott, Evelyn L. ; Library Journal ; 02-1-1990 ; 03630277 ; Reviews the book "Aspartame (NutraSweet™): Is It Safe?" by H. J. Roberts. ; P ; 115
Bowen, James D. M.D.; Billions of People are Now Aspartame Victims
http://www.rense.com/general21/billionsofpeople.htm [ Web site ]
Todd Jumper
Kaplan University
CM220-07
Professor Sandra Maenz
October 5, 2008
The Negative Effects of Aspartame
These days a lot of people are becoming more health conscious. Consumers are becoming more careful with their diets, from eating organic foods, to watching sugars, hormones and other chemicals. They may drink a diet soda from time to time, believing it’s better for their health, and assisting in weight loss. But there are times when they may have turned around that can of pop and seen a warning about Phenylalanine, but not knowing what it is.
We often think if we don’t know what is in our food, maybe we should not eat it, and we are probably right. Aspartame, containing Phenylalanine, and products for human consumption that contain Aspartame should carry a warning label. The consumer should be able to make the decision for themselves to cause possible damage to their bodies from ingesting this nuero-toxin, rather than unknowingly partake of it.
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, which is found in most diet beverages and sugarless gums, breaks down into methanol or wood alcohol, which despite some medical doctor’s claiming its safety, in mass quantity, is actually toxic.
The most common side effect of ingesting Aspartame is frequent headaches. A consumer may also begin to notice mild depression kicking in after a few days of consuming large amounts of diet soda. According to Dr. Jacob Stechschulte, this sweetener has caused migraines in youth and young adults. He also states that upon consuming aspartame, it is broken down and converted into formaldehyde through our body tissues. (2006, Jacob SE, Stechschulte S.)
Over all, the average consumer is unaware that too much of this neurotoxin will cause cellular death in the brain from neurons being too excited. (1998, Dr. Janet Hull) Further research has shown neurotoxins in our food are partly the cause of hyperactivity, ADD/ADHD in children and adults. While these neurotoxins have not proven deadly in laboratory animals, such toxins have been proven fatal in pre-natal studies. It is a possibly that pregnant women who ingest large amounts of diet beverages could potentially harm their unborn child or miscarry. (National Toxicology Program. ; Oct, 2005)
More over one of the biggest problems our children face today is the overdose of sugar in soft-drinks, so parents have instead moved onto sugarless drinks, with artificial sweeteners and colorings hoping to keep their children from becoming hyper. Instead due to their lack of knowledge regarding aspartame, they may have instead intoxicated their children as a result given them ADD/ADHD.
“…studies of the relationship of sugar to ADHD have typically used far smaller quantities of sugar than a child ingests in a can of soda … have used aspartame, a known neurotoxin as a placebo control for sugar in beverages: and have failed to consider the possible effects of artificial colorings and flavorings in sugared beverages.” (2008 Dr. Carolyn F.A. Dean, M.D., N.D)
Aspartame, one of the sweetest food ingredients, but also one of the most toxic, was denied by the F.D.A. to be allowed for human consumption for over 11 years. Finally after giving into pressures by government and a huge monetary profits, the Reagan administration approved Aspartame after letting go the Surgeon General who opposed it.
Thus Aspartame has been the subject of debate and great controversy, with the primary argument going against the Food and Drug Administration who approve of aspartame being a safe dietary supplement despite all the evidence to the contrary. If aspartame was proven to be toxic and a cause of cancers, ADD, depression and so forth, major companies such as PepsiCo and Coca Cola would be the subject of class action lawsuits for poisoning it’s consumers for years.
Such Web sites as WebMD.com claim it is completely safe, while not listing any studies of research showing otherwise or ignoring known facts about the chemical sweetener. But incongruently, as sites such as WebMD deny Aspartame causing harm to the body, within their own Web site they readily admit that Aspartame may cause or worsen the effects of illnesses such as Fibromyalgia. “…Aspartame (NutraSweet). All the experts WebMD talked to agree that for a large majority of people with fibromyalgia, foods sweetened with aspartame could exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms.” (2008. WebMd.com)
Despite most medical doctors who will go along with the Food and Drug Administration in claiming the use of Aspartame is not dangerous, many doctors are coming forward with opposing evidence to the contrary. Many people consume diet foods and soft drinks believing or told by medical doctors, that these products are beneficial for health, when in actuality the FDA denied approval of aspartame for 16 years. The FDA succumbed to pressure from political advocates of the product and economic pressure and huge payouts finally allowed aspartame to be added to our foods. . (Mercola, Dr. Joseph; Sweet Deception, 2006, p. 53).
Another major controversy regarding Aspartame or NutraSweet is that it may cause cancer. This has been a subject of debate for several years. Results with laboratory mice have been inconclusive for the most part, while most experiments have not shown cancer in mice, tumors have been shown to form, as well cancer has been found within pre-natal mice. According to Regist, in a 1981 study, where aspartame was fed to rats, most of the two year cancer studies proved inconclusive or were considered to be negative in rodents, but neoplasms did form in the brain. (Fed. Regist., 1981a, b)
The average consumer would benefit from understanding the chemical makeup of Aspartame. When ingested and exposed to heat of the body, (or 83 degree farenheight,) it breaks down into methanol. This is toxic to the human body and is not meant for consumption.
This leads to another controversy regarding this is the possible poisoning of our American troops during the Gulf War due to high consumptions of diet sodas in the desert heat, mixed along with other chemical components and body stress. This may have caused what is known as Gulf War Syndrome.
The symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome when comparable to aspartame poisoning are almost identical. Migraines, depression, fibromyalgia, to chronic fatigue and memory loss are just a few of the similarities. Carol Guilford, a medical doctor, claimed in 2007 that aspartame poisoning and GWS are one in the same. According to her research around 45,000 to 100,000 of our troops from the Gulf War are now suffering from aspartame poisoning. (2007, Carol Guilford, M.D.)
Despite the claims that Aspartame is not cancer causing, coincidentally breast cancer has been greatly on the rise since the year Aspartame was introduced into food. The American Cancer society claims breast cancer cases have doubled since 1981, the same year NutraSweet was introduced.
Since NutraSweet’s introduction, years later many people are suffering from different types of cancers, depressions and mental disorders that are on the rise. Take for example, the experience of the Jumper family, from results of years of ingesting aspartame laden products. Deciding to avoid sugary products and caffeine for better health, they turned to drinking diet, caffeine free products on a daily basis. Ten years later, the mother of the family now suffers from depression, extreme fatigue and muscle and joint pain due to fibromyalgia. The father also now suffers from severe depression, diabetes and OCD, all of which are claimed to be side effects of aspartame poisoning.
Some medical doctors claim the side effects of ingesting aspartame go well over 100 symptoms, mostly based on patient complaints and independent studies. Side effects range from; burning urination, brain fog, chest pain, cough, fatigue, mucus buildup, depression, fibromyalgia, headaches, hives, insomnia, joint pain, rashes, tachycardia, thyroid problem, and even weight gain. Due to the body’s digestive system not properly digesting the artificial sweeteners, instead of losing weight from the non-caloric beverages, the body is confused into gaining weight.
In 1999, Sandra Cabot, another medical doctor, claimed that aspartame actually causes weight gain by other mechanisms in confusing the body. Diabetics are still at risk as well as the artificial sweetener can cause unstable blood sugar levels. As a result there is fluid retention and cellulite increases. (Sandra Cabot, M.D, 1999)
In conclusion, to this day Aspartame is very controversial among scientists and medical doctors, with manufacturers backed up by big funding and misleading information. Some feel the product should be banned from foods, while others claim it’s completely a safe additive. As long as the government backs up those who believe it is safe, the F.D.A. will continue to allow this toxin in our foods and drinks. Advertisers of their diet products continually find new misleading ways to get consumers to buy their aspartame laden drinks, even to the point to promote adding vitamins to soda to make them appear healthy.
Take Diet Coke Plus for example, a soft drink advertised as soda with beneficial vitamins to encourage people to drink it. Little do most people know that these are not only manufactured vitamins, but that the carbonation and liquid quickly destroys the vitamins on the shelf before they are ever consumed.
More consumers need to be aware, with at least warning labels on these products so that the consumer can make their own choice to partake in something that may have long term negative side effects and illnesses. Changes need to be made and doctors need to stand together and challenge the claims of the F.D.A., as more consumers become health conscious, with many turning toward organic foods, it may not be long until the dangers of aspartame are finally exposed.
References
Mercola, Dr. J., Pearsall, K., Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, Nutrasweet, and the FDA
May be Hazardous to Your Health. Published by Thomas Nelson Inc,. (2006), Nashville, TN.
Russel A Blaylock, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (1996) Health Press, New Mexico
Stechschulte, Jacob SE
May-Jun, 2008 ; Formaldehyde, aspartame, and migraines: a possible connection.
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. National Do Not Call Registry (n.d.). National Do Not Call Registry. Retrieved
Hull, Dr. Janet, Sweet Poison, How the World's Most Popular Artificial
Sweetener Is Killing Us New Horizon Press (September 1, 1998)
National Toxicology Program. ; National Toxicology Program. ; Oct, 2005 ; NTP report
on the toxicology studies of aspartame (CAS No. 22839-47-0)
Carolyn Dean, MD, ND; A Complementary Approach to ADHD
http://www.drcarolyndean.com/articles_adhd.html [ Web site ]
Aspartame (NutraSweet™): Is It Safe? (Book). ; Mott, Evelyn L. ; Library Journal ; 02-1-1990 ; 03630277 ; Reviews the book "Aspartame (NutraSweet™): Is It Safe?" by H. J. Roberts. ; P ; 115
Bowen, James D. M.D.; Billions of People are Now Aspartame Victims
http://www.rense.com/general21/billionsofpeople.htm [ Web site ]
Labels: artificial sweeteners, aspartame, gulf war syndrome, health, nutrasweet, phenylalanine
posted by Todd Jumper @ Monday, October 06, 2008
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