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Why Aspartame is America’s Deadliest Artificial Sweetener
Aspartame is commonly sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal. It was one of the first artificial sweeteners to hit the market. About 180 times sweeter than sugar, aspartame is now an ingredient in more than 6,000 products consumed in over 180 countries by around 250 million people worldwide.
But did you know that aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent?
Aspartame’s discovery was accidental. A chemist was testing a new chemical as a possible anti-ulcer drug when he spilled some of the liquid on his hand. He licked his thumb clean and was surprised at its sweetness.
The rest is artificial sweetener history, or infamy. The FDA originally banned the use of aspartame after three independent scientists found that it might induce brain tumors. But strong pressure from a very influential figure finally put the controversial sweetener on the market.
The Dangers of Aspartame
If you think that low-calorie foods and drinks using aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a dieter’s best friend, you are gravely mistaken, says Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Sweet Deception. Studies show that aspartame may actually increase your appetite. You’re more prone to gain weight if you regularly consume aspartame-sweetened diet sodas.
But false weight loss promises are the least of your concerns when compared to other aspartame effects. It’s a little known fact that aspartame accounts for about 85 percent of all adverse reactions to food additives, including five reported deaths.
Aspartame is composed of three chemicals: aspartic acid (40 percent), methanol (10 percent), and phenylalanine (50 percent). Aspartic acid is a known excitotoxin, a substance which overexcites cells to the point of damage or death. Methanol, or wood alcohol, breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde–a deadly neurotoxin, Dr. Mercola explains.
Phenylalanine is an amino acid present in your brain. Those suffering from the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine, which leads to dangerously high and sometimes lethal levels of this amino acid in the brain. Consuming aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to high levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU.
The combined effects of these three chemicals can lead to a wide variety of health problems, some occur immediately, while others appear gradually. Some of the conditions that are caused or worsened by aspartame include:
- Birth defects
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Emotional disorders
- Epilepsy/seizures
- Fatigue
- Headaches/migraines
- Insomnia
- Memory loss
Avoid aspartame and other potentially toxic artificial sweeteners if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you have experienced an adverse reaction to any product containing aspartame, call the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area.
Using high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener is out of the question. For Dr. Mercola, the healthiest sugar alternative is stevia. Stevia is a safe, natural alternative that’s ideal if you’re watching your weight or trying to avoid sugar.
Dr. Mercola recommends using stevia in moderation, though it is far less likely to cause metabolic problems than sugar or any artificial sweetener. If you have problems with your insulin, it’s best for you to avoid ALL forms of sweeteners, including stevia, as all sweets can decrease your insulin sensitivity.
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Tags: artificial sweeteners, dangers of aspartame, Dr. Joseph Mercola
There is a relationship between Autism and Aspartame. The Senate is determining what correlates with Autism. For the Senate Hearing on Autism going on this month, it may be beneficial to know that along with Mercury and other contaminations in the environment, Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) has also been linked to Autism.
If you email me back and ask for the information I have, I can show you a chart that significantly matches Autism rates with Aspartame use rate. Europe has banned the use of Aspartame for pregnant and nursing women as well as children. The countries where Aspartame has been banned or never accepted, their Autism rate is only a small fraction of the U.S. rate. Since Aspartame has been approved in 1981, and placed in soft drinks in 1986, the Autism rate has skyrocketed. The Aspartame notes page explains just a few studies on how Aspartame has been linked with brain disorders.
Some Main Points:
Dr. Olney warned of the damage that this product would do to the unborn and to children. He said that the FDA acknowledged “aspartame had been shown to induce brain damage in neonatal animals” but FDA dismissed the neurotoxicity as irrelevant on grounds that the approved uses of aspartame don’t include feeding it to newborn humans. Yet aspartame can be found in prescription and over-the-counter pediatric drugs and in pediatric vitamins. Nursing babies receive this poison from mothers who breastfeed. The recent plague of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and birth defects manifest the neurologic devastations of aspartame. Supporting this view, Dr. Louis Elsas, Emory Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, testified in a congressional hearing that aspartame is a teratogen (causes birth defects) and a neurotoxin.
Aspartame is a teratogen that triggers birth defects. It is a deadly neurotoxin (Dr. Louis Elsas testimony before congress, pediatric professor,genetics, Emory, ). Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. says in his book that aspartame triggers ADD and autism.
I discovered Aspartame’s adverse problems for me when I had tried every other thing I ate to find out what was causing my severe abdominal cramps and daily diarhea. One day I was pondering the results of many days of rejecting this and that. I thought to myself, “What is it that I haven’t stopped consuming?” As I thought about it, I realized it was Diet Pepsi which I consumed on a regular basis. I cut out the Diet Pepsi and have had no further problems. I wonder that the FDA still allows this stuff on the market.
Eva, implantologia…
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