Exposing the Truth

THE TRUTH ABOUT A DEADLY POISON CALLED ASPARTAME

What is Aspartame Really?

Ailments Resulting From Asparame

Where Do I Find Aspartame?

More Info on Aspartame - Books

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network

References

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WHAT IS ASPARTAM REALLY?

 Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names, NutraSweet,
 Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame was discovered by
 accident in 1965, when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle
 Company was testing an anti-ulcer drug. That is the official story
 which is very doubtful as ASPARTAM was registered first with the
 Pentagon as a product of the bio-chemical warfare.

 Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated
 beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July
 26, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W.
 Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as
 investigations of G.D. Searle's research practices caused the US Food
 and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold
 (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle and made
 Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate
 subsidiaries.

 Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that
 is added to foods. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the
 adverse reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug
 Administration (FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious
 including seizures and death as recently disclosed in a February 1994
 Department of Health and Human Services report.(1) A few of the 90
 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by
 aspartame include:

 Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle
 spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability,
 tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart
 palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech,
 loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

 According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects
 of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or
 worsened by ingesting of aspartame:(2)

 Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome,
 parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth
 defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

 Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: Aspartic acid, phenylalanine,
 and methanol. The book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James
 and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of "chemical
 poison." As you shall see, that is exactly what it is.

 ASPARTIC ACID (40% OF ASPARTAME)

 Dr Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical
 University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly
 detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive
 aspartic acid from aspartame. [Ninety nine percent of monosodium
 glutamate 9MSG) is glutamic acid. The damage it causes is also
 documented in Blaylock's book.] Blaylock makes use of almost 500
 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids
 such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid in our food supply are causing
 serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute
 symptoms.(3)

 SUMMARY OF HOW ASPARTATE (AND GLUTAMATE) CAUSE DAMAGE

 Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by
 facilitating the transmittion of information from neuron to neuron.
 Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by
 allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx
 triggers excessive amounts of free radicals which kill the cells. The
 neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and
 glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite"
 or stimulate the neural cells to death.

 Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to
 proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate
 and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma
 shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid
 (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters
 in certain areas of the brain.

 The blood brain barrier (BBB) which normally protects the brain from
 excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins 1) is not fully
 developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the
 brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4)
 allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even
 when intact.

 The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons.
 The large majority (75%+) of neural cells in a particular area of the
 brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are
 noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to
 be contributed to by long-term exposure excitatory amino acid damage
 include:

 Multiple sclerosis (MS), ALS, memory loss, hormonal problems, hearing
 loss, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
 hypoglycemia, AIDS dementia, brain lessions, and neuroendocrine
 disorders.

 The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and
 persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are
 great. Even the Federation of American Societies For Experimental
 Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimmicks the
 FDA party-line, recently stated in a review that "it is prudent to
 avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant
 women, infants, and children. The Existence of evidence of potential
 endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and
 differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a
   neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be
 avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective
 disorders."(4) Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious
 effects on the body as glutamic acid.

 The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and
 aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA, those
 reactions include:(5)

 Headaches/migraines, nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue (blocks
 sufficient glucose entry into brain), sleep problems, vision problems,
 anxiety attacks, depression, and asthma/chest tightness.

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame
is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of
aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused
by excititory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists
and physicians who are concerned about excititory amino acid damage
caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG. A few of the many experts
who have spoken out against the damage being caused by aspartate and
glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., an experimental
psychologist specializing in research design. Another is Olney, a
professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine,
Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the
world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in
1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brain of mice.) Also
included is Francis J. Waickman, M.D., a recipient of the Rinkel and
Forman Awards, and Board certified in Pediatrics, Allergy, and
Immunology.

 Other concerned scientists include: John R. Hain, M.D., Board
 Certified Forensic Pathologist, and H.J. Roberts, M.D., FACP, FCCP,
 Diabetic Specialist, and selected by a national medical publication as
 "The Best Doctor in the US"

 John Samuels is concerned, also. He compiled a list of scientific
 research sufficient to show the dangers of ingesting excess free
 glutamic and aspartic acid.

 And there are many more who can be added to this long list.

 PHENYLALANINE (50% OF ASPARTAME)

 Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons
 with the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize
 phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine
 in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting
 aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates can lead to excess
 levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have
 PKU. This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large
 amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU
 have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the
 blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the
 levels of seratonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional
 disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that
 phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in
 human subjects who chronically used aspartame.(6) Even a single use of
 aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his testimony
 before the US Congress, Dr Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood
 phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain, and is
 especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that
 phenylalanine is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by
 humans.(7)

 One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by
 aspartame was recently published the the "Wednesday Journal" in an
 article entitled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking 6
   to 8 diet drinks every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss
 and frequent headaches. He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened
 drinks. His condition deteriorated so much that he experienced wide
 mood swings and violent rages. Even though he did not suffer from PKU,
 a blood test revealed a phenylalanine level of 80 mg/dl. He also
 showed abnormal brain function and brain damage. After he kicked his
 aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.(8)

 As Blaylock points out in his book, early studies measuring
 phenylalanine buildup in the brain were flawed. Investigators who
 measured specific brain regions and not the average throughout the
 brain notice significant rises in phenylalanine levels. Specifically
 the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, and corpus striatum areas of the
 brain had the largest increases in phenylalanine. Blaylock goes on to
 point out that excessive buildup of phenylalanine in the brain can
 cause schizophrenia or make one more susceptible to seizures.

 Therefore, long-term, excessive use of aspartame may provided a boost
 to sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to
 control schizophrenia and seizures.

 METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON) (10% OF ASPARTAME)

 Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Some people may remember
 methanol as the poison that has caused some "skid row" alcoholics to
 end up blind or dead. Methanol is gradually released in the small
 intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounter the enzyme
 chymotrypsin.

 The absorption of methanol into the body is sped up considerably when
 free methanol is ingested. Free methanol is created from aspartame
 when it is heated to above 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would
 occur when aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or when
 it is heated (e.g., as part of a "food" product such as Jello).

 Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body.
 Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol
 states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low
 rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is
 oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites
 are toxic." The recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A
   one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains
 about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products
 consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA
 limit.(9)

 Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing,
 dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo,
 chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities,
 behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. The most well knowm problems
 from methanol poisoning are vision problems including misty vision,
 progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision,
 obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehye is a
   known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA
 replication, causes birth defects.(10) Due to the lack of a couple of
 key enzymes, humans are many times more sensitive to the toxic effects
 of methanol than animals. Therefore, tests of aspartame or methanol on
 animals do not accurately reflect the danger for humans. As pointed
 out by Dr Woodrow C. Monte, Director of the Food Science and Nutrition
 Laboratory at Arizona State University, "There are no human or
 mammalian studies to evaluate the possible mutagenic, teratogenic, or
 carcinogenic effects of chronic administration of methyl alcohol."(11)

 He was so concerned about the unresolved safety issues that he filed
 suit with the FDA requesting a hearing to address these issues. He
 asked the FDA to "slow down on this soft drink issue long enough to
 answer some of the important questions. It's not fair that you are
 leaving the full burden of proof on the few of us who are concerned
 and have such limited resources. You must remember that you are the
 American public's last defense. Once you allow usage (of aspartame)
 there is literally nothing I or my colleagues can do to reverse the
 course. Aspartame will then join saccharin, the sulfiting agents, and
 God knows how many other questionable compounds enjoined to insult the
 human constitution with governmental approval."(10) Shortly
 thereafter, the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr.,
 approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages, he then left
 for a position with G.D. Searle's Public Relations firm.(11)

 It has been pointed out that some fruit juices and alcoholic beverages
 contain small amounts of methanol. It is important to remember,
 however, that methanol never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is
 present, usually in much higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for
 methanol toxicity in humans.(9) The troops of Desert Storm were
 "treated" to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages which had
 been heated to over 86o F. in the Saudi Arabian sun. Many of them
 returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has been seen in
 persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free
 methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these
 illnesses. Other breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP
 (discussed below) may also have been a factor.

 In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable," the FDA
 approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would
 always be heated to above 86&degree;F (30&degree;C).

 DIKETOPIPERAZINE (DKP)

 DKP is a by-product of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated
 in the occurance of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when
 nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound which was similar to
 N-nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors
 have said that DKP is produced after aspartame ingestion. I am not
 sure if that is correct. It is definately true that DKP is formed in
 liquid aspartame-containing products during prolonged storage.

 G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA
 found numerous experimental errors occured, including "clerical
 errors, mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed
 to get, pathological specimens lost because of improper handling," and
 many other errors.(12) These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain
 why both the test and control animals had sixteen times more brain
 tumors than would be expected in experiments of this length.

 In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were
 discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommened by G.D. Searle to
 devlop the Industry-wide FDA standards for Good Laboratory
 Practies.(11)

 DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes
 in blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr Jacqueline Verrett in her
 testimony before the US Senate.(13)

AILMENTS RESULTING FROM ASPARTAME

 The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments.
 Some of these problems occur gradually, others are immediate, acute
 reactions.

 There is an enormous population of people who are suffering from
 symtpoms contributed to by aspartame, yet they have no idea why herbs
 or drugs are not helping relieve their problems. There are other users
 of aspartame who appear not to be suffering immediate reactions to
 aspartame. But even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term
 damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and
 DKP. A few of the many disorders that are of particular concern to me
 include the following.

 Birth Defects

 Dr Diana Dow Edwards, a researcher was funded by Monsanto to study
 possible birth defects caused by the ingestion of aspartame. After
 preliminary data showed damaging information about aspartame, funding
 for the study was cut off. A Gentetic Pediatrician at Emory University
 has testified that aspartame is causing birth defects.7360-367.

 In the book, While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook by George R.
 Verrilli, M.D. and Anne Marie Mueser, it is stated that aspartame is
 suspected of causing brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus
 may be at risk for these effects. Some researchers have suggested that
 high doses of aspartame may be associated with problems ranging from
 dizziness and subtle brain changes to mental retardation.

 Cancer (Brain Cancer)

 In 1981, Satya Dubey, an FDA statistician, stated that the brain tumor
 data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend
 approval of NutraSweet.(14) In a two-year study conducted by the
 manufacturer of aspartame, twelve of the 320 rats fed a normal diet
 and aspartame developed brain tumors while none of the control rats
 had tumors. Five of the twelve tumors were in rats given a low dose of
 aspartame.(15) The approval of aspartame was a violation of the
 Delaney Amendment which was supposed to prevent cancer-causing
 substances such as methanol (formaldehye) and DKP from entering our
 food supply. The late Dr Adrian Gross, an FDA toxicologist, testified
 before the US Congress that aspartame was capable of producing brain
 tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable daily
 intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies
 were "to a large extent unreliable" and that "at least one of those
 studies has established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is
 capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals...." He
 concluded his testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the
 apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the
 so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? ....
 And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to
 protect the health of the public?"(16)

 In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame
 falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to
 cut tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another
 technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had
 actually died as surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors
 was likely worse than discussed above. In addition, a former employee
 of the manufacturer of aspartame, Raymond Schroeder told the FDA on
 July 13, 1977 that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats
 could dicriminate between the DKP and their normal diet.(12)

 It is interesting to note that the incidence of brain tumors in
 persons over 65 years of age has increase 67% between the years 1973
 and 1990. Brain tumors in all age groups has jumped 10%. The greatest
 increase has come during the years 1985-1987.(17)

 In his book, Aspartame (NutraSweet). Is it Safe?, Roberts gives
 evidence that aspartame can cause a particularly dangerous form of
 cancer - primary lymphoma of the brain.

 Diabetes

 The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this
 chemical poison to persons with diabetes. According to research
 conducted by H.J. Roberts, a diabetes specialist, a member of the ADA,
 and an authority on artificial sweetners, aspartame:
 1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes.
 2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diebetics on insulin or oral
 drugs.
 3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as
 retinopathy, cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis.
 4) Causes convulsions.

 In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartain by
 persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, Roberts says: "Unfortunately,
 many patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation,
 developed serious metabolic, neurologic and other complications that
 could be specifically attributed to using aspartame products. This was
 evidenced by:
 "The loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia,
 the occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions)
 that proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation,
 aggravation or simulation of diabetic complications (especially
 impaired vision and neuropathy) while using these products.

 "Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and
 the prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient
 resumed aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently."

 Roberts goes on to say:
 "I regret the failure of other physicians and the American Diabetes
 Association (ADA) to sound appropriate warnings to patients and
 consumers based on these repeated findings which have been described
 in my corporate-neutral studies and publications."

 Blaylock stated that excitotoxins such as that found in aspartame can
 precipitate diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the
 disease.(5)

 Emotional Disorders

 A double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood
 disorders was recently conducted by Dr Ralph G. Walton. Since the
 study wasn't funded/controlled by the makers of aspartame, The
 NutraSweet Company refused to sell him the aspartame. Walton was
 forced to obtain and certify it from an outside source.

 The study showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons
 taking aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the
 Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the
 participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame.
 Walton concludes that "individuals with mood disorders are
 particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener; its use in this
 population should be discouraged."(18) Aware that the experiment could
 not be repeated because of the danger to the test subjects, Walton was
 recently quoted as saying, "I know it causes seizures. I'm convinced
 also that it definitely causes behavioral changes. I'm very angry that
 this substance is on the market. I personally question the reliability
 and validity of any studies funded by the NutraSweet Company."(19)

 There are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels,
 depression and other emotional disorders that have been linked to
 aspartame and often are relieved by stopping the intake of aspartame.
 Researchers have pointed out that increasing in phenylalanine levels
 in the brain, which can and does occur in persons without PKU, leads
 to a decreased level of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which leads
 to a variety of emotional disorders. Dr William M. Pardridge of UCLA
 testified before the US Senate that a youth drinking four 16-ounce
 bottles of diet soda per day leads to an enormous increase in the
 phenylalanine level.

 Epilepsy/Seizures

 With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it
 is sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety"
 of aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 80 people who
 had suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed.
 Community Nutrition Institute concluded the following about the
 survey:

 "These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to
 the public health, which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a
   product from the market."

 Both the Air Force's magazine Flying Safety and the Navy's magazine,
 Navy Physiology published articles warning about the many dangers of
 aspartame including the cumlative deliterious effects of methanol and
 the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the
 ingestion of aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures
 and vertigo. Twenty articles sounding warnings about ingesting
 aspartame while flying have also appeared in the National Business
 Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), Aviation Medical
 Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General
 Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General Aviation News
 (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane &AMP Pilot (1990) and
 a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual
 Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).

 Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute
 reactions to aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported
 symptoms including some who have reported suffering grand mal seizures
 in the cockpit due to aspartame.(21)

 One of the original studies on aspartame was performed in 1969 by an
 independent scientist, Dr Harry Waisman. He studied the effects of
 aspartame on infant primates. Out of the seven infant monkeys, one
 died after 300 days and five others had grand mal seizures. Of course,
 these negative findings were not submitted to the FDA during the
 approval process.(22)

 Why don't we hear about these things?

 The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to
 aspartame is twofold:
 1) Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused
 diseases are not reported in the newspapers like plane crashes. This
 is because these incidents occur one at a time in thousands of
 different locations across the US.
 2) Most people do not associate their symptoms with the long-term use
 of aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage
 of the brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no
 way that they would normally associate such an illness with aspartame
 consumption. How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical
 and pharmaceutical companies can manipulate government agencies such
 as the FDA, "bribe" organizations such as the American Dietetic
 Association, and flood the scientific community with flawed and
 fraudulent industry-sponsored studies funded by the makers of
 aspartame.

 Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of
 Sussex University has compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of
 which have been obtained using the freedom of information act 23,
 showing:

 1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed.

 2. Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were
 "restored to life" in laboratory records.

 3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA.

 4. The two US Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges
 against the aspartame manufacturer took positions with the
 manufacturer's law firm, letting the statute of limitations run out.

 5. The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's
 own scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that decision, he took
 a position with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of public
 relations for G.D. Searle.

 A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were
 three scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to
 the approval of aspartame. They voted unanimously against aspartame's
 approval. The FDA Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. then created
 a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the PBOI findings. After it
 became clear that the Commission would uphold the PBOI's decision by a
 vote of 3 to 2, another person was added to the Commission, creating a
 deadlocked vote. This allowed the FDA Commissioner to break the
 deadlock and approve aspartame for dry goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline
 Verrett, the Senior Scientist in an FDA Bureau of Foods review team
 created in August 1977 to review the Bressler Report (a report that
 detailed G.D. Searle's abuses during the pre-approval testing) said:
 "It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau
 officials were working up to a whitewash." In 1987, Verrett testified
 before the US Senate stating that the experiments conducted by Searle
 were a "disaster." She stated that her team was instructed not to
 comment on or be concerned with the overall validity of the studies.
 She stated that questions about birth defects have not been answered.
 She continued her testimony by discussing the fact that DKP has been
 shown to increase uterine polyps and change blood cholesterol and that
 increasing the temperature of the product leads to an increase in
 production of DKP.(13)

 Revolving doors

 The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a rovolving door
 of employment for many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and
 two US Attorneys leaving to take positions with companies connected
 with G.D. Searle, four other FDA officials connected with the approval
 of aspartame took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry
 between 1979 and 1982 including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the
 Special Assistant to the FDA Commissioner, the Associate Director of
 the Bureau of Foods and Toxicology and the Attorney involved with the
 Public Board of Inquiry.(24)

 It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity
 has been going on for decades. The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92)
 reported on a study revealing that 37 of 49 top FDA officials who left
 the FDA took positions with companies they had regulated. They also
 reported that over 150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies
 they were assigned to manage. Many organizations and universities
 receive large sums of money from companies connected to the NutraSweet
 Association, a group of companies promoting the use of aspartame. In
 January 1993, the American Dietetic Association received a US$75,000
 grant from the NutraSweet Company. The American Dietetic Association
 has stated that the NutraSweet Company writes their "Facts"
 sheets.(25)

 Many other "independent" organizations and researchers receive large
 sums of money from the manufacturers of aspartame. The American
 Diabetes Association has received a large amount of money from
 Nutrasweet, including money to run a cooking school in Chicago
 (presumably to teach diabetes how to use Nutrasweet in their cooking).

 A researcher in New England who has pointed out the dangers of
 aspartame in the past is now a Monsanto consultant. Another researcher
 in the Southeastern US had testified about the dangers of aspartame on
 fetuses. An investigative reporter has discovered that he was told to
 keep his mouth shut to avoid causing the loss of a large grant from a
 diet cola manufacturer in the NutraSweet Association.

 What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of
 aspartame?

 Less than nothing.

 In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages,
 breakfast cereals, and refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the
 FDA approved aspartame for use in hard and soft candies, non-alcoholic
 favored beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked
 goods and baking mixes, and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked
 goods.

 In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of stevia. The powder of the
 leaf has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative sweetner.
 It is used widely in Japan with no adverse effects. Scientists
 involved in reviewing stevia have declared it to be safe for human
 consumption - something which has been well known in many parts of the
 world where it is not banned. Everyone that I have spoken with in
 regards to this issue believes that stevia was banned to keep the
 product from taking hold in the US and cutting into sales of
 aspartame.(26)

 What is the US Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers
 of aspartame?

 Nothing.

 What is the US Administration (President) doing to protect the
 consumer from the dangers of aspartame?

 Nothing.

 Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the US. It is being
 sold in over 70 countries throughout the world.

ASPARTAME CAN BE FOUND IN:
 

 - instant breakfasts
 - breath mints
 - cereals
 - sugar-free chewing gum
 - cocoa mixes
 - coffee beverages
 - frozen desserts
 - gelatin desserts
 - juice beverages
 - laxatives
 - multivitamins
 - milk drinks
 - pharmaceuticals and supplements
 - shake mixes
 - soft drinks
 - tabletop sweeteners
 - tea beverages
 - instant teas and coffees
 - topping mixes
 - wine coolers
 - yogurt

 I have been told that aspartame has been found in products where it is
 not listed on the label. One must be particular careful of
 pharmaceuticals and supplements. I have been informed that even some
 supplements made by well-known supplement manufacturers such as
 Twinlabs contain aspartame.

 The information I have related above is just the tip of the iceberg as
 far as damaging information about aspartame. In order for the reader
 to find out more, I have included some resources below.

BOOKS

 * Blaylock, Russell L., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (Health
 Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1994). One of the best books
 available on excitotoxins. Well worth reading!
 * H. J. Roberts, M.D., Aspartame (NutraSweet), Is it Safe? Available
 from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
 * Sweet'ner Dearest, Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety
 Network
 * Mary Nash Stoddard, The Deadly Deception, Available from the
 Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
 * Barbara Mullarkey, Editor, Bittersweet Aspartame - A Diet
 Delusion,
 * Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
 * The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, The Aspartame Consumer
 Safety Network Synopsis.
 * Dennis Remington, M.D. and Barbara Higa, R.D., The Bitter Truth
 About Artificial Sweetners, Available from the Aspartame Consumer
 Safety Network

ASPARTAME CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK
 PO Box 780634
 Dallas, Texas 75378, USA.
 Phone: (214) 352-4268

 _________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

(1) Department of Health and Human Services, Report on All Adverse
 Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, (February 25 and
 28, 1994).
 (2) Compiled by researchers, physicians, and artificial sweetner
 experts for Mission Possible, a group dedicated to warning consumers
 about aspartame.
 (3) Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
 (4) Safety of Amino Acids, Life Sciences Research Office, FASEB, FDA
 Contract No. 223-88-2124, Task Order No. 8.
 (5) FDA Adverse Reaction Monitoring System.
 (6) Wurtman and Walker, "Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function,"
 Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Dietary
 Phenylalanine and Brain Function., Washington, D.C., May 8, 1987.
 (7) Hearing Before the Committee On Labor and Human Resources United
 States Senate, First Session on Examing the Health and Safety Concerns
 of Nutrasweet (Aspartame).
 (8) Account of John Cook as published in Informed Consent Magazine.
 "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner" by Barbara Mullarkey,
 September/October 1994.
 (9) Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D., R.D., "Aspartame: Methanol and the Public
 Health," Journal of Applied Nutrition, 36 (1): 42-53.
 (10) US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No.
 84-1153 Community Nutrition Institute and Dr Woodrow Monte v. Dr Mark
 Novitch, Acting Commissioner, US FDA (9/24/85).
 (11) Aspartame Time Line by Barbara Mullarkey as published in Informed
 Consent Magazine, May/June 1994.
 (12) FDA Searle Investigation Task Force. "Final Report of
 Investigation of G.D. Searle Company." (March 24, 1976)
 (13) Testimony of Dr Jacqueline Verrett, FDA Toxicologist before the
 US Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, (November 3, 1987).
 (14) Internal FDA memorandum.
 (15) Analysis prepared by Dr John Olney as a statement before the
 Aspartame Board of Inquire of the FDA. Also Excitotoxins by Russell
 Blaylock, M.D.
 (16) Congressional Record SID835: 131 (August 1, 1985)
 (17) National Cancer Institute SEER Program Data.
 (18) Walton, Ralph G., Robert Hudak, Ruth Green-Waite "Adverse
 Reactions to Aspartame: Double-Blind Challenge in Patients from a
   Vulnerable Population," Biological Psychiatry, 1993:34:13-17.
 (19) Barbara Mullarkey, "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner,"
 September/October 1994 issue of Informed Consent Magazine.
 (20) US Air Force. "Aspartame Alert." Flying Safety, 48 (5): 20-21
 (May 1992).
 (21) Reported by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
 (22) Barbara Mullarkey, Bittersweet Aspartame, A Diet Delusion.
 (23) Millstone, Eric "Sweet and Sour." The Ecologist, 25 (March/April
 1994).
 (24) Mary Nash Stoddard, Editor, "The Deadly Deception," Aspartame
 Consumer Safety Network.
 (25) ADA Courier, January 1993, Volume 32, Number 1. (26) "FDA Rejects
 AHPA Stevia Petition" by Mark Blumenthal, Whole Foods, April 1994.