Aspartame - friend or foe?

World-wide debate continues over the potential danger of the chemical sweetener, aspartame (commonly known, as seen on packaging as NutraSweet). Dr Janet Hull has written and researched this subject extensively, and her book "Sweet Poison" makes for interesting and worthwhile reading. The following is extracted from her website, "Janet Starr Hull"

"The dangers of aspartame poisoning have been a well guarded secret since the 1980s. The research and history of aspartame is conclusive as a cause of illness and toxic reactions in the human body. Aspartame is a dangerous chemical food additive, and its use during pregnancy and by children is one of the greatest modern tragedies of all. Why haven't you heard about aspartame poisoning before?"

"Partly because the diet industry is worth trillions of American dollars to corporations, and they want to protect their profits by keeping the truth behind aspartame's dangers hidden from the public. When NutraSweet® was introduced for the 'second' time in 1981, a diet craze revolutionized America's eating protocols and a well-oiled money machine was set into motion changing modern lifestyles.

After more than twenty years of aspartame use, the number of its victims is rapidly piling up, and people are figuring out for themselves that aspartame is at the root of their health problems. Patients are teaching their doctors about this nutritional peril, and they are healing themselves with little to no support from traditional medicine."

Dr Hull explains exactly why aspartame poses a threat to human health...

"The structure of aspartame seems simple, but what a complicated structure aspartame really is. Two isolated amino acids in aspartame are fused together by its third component, deadly methanol. In this structure, methanol bonds the two amino acids together, but when released at a mere 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the methanol becomes a poisonous free radical.

Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde, embalming fluid. Methanol is a dangerous neurotoxin, a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage in the eye, interferes with DNA replication, and causes birth defects.

Aspartic acid makes up forty percent of the structure of aspartame. Under excess conditions, the structure of aspartic acid can cause endocrine (hormone) disorders and vision problems. Aspartic acid is a neuroexicter, which means its structure affects the central nervous system. Hyperactivity is stimulated by aspartic acid, so this structure is not good for ADD/ADHD conditions and should be avoided during pregnancy.

Adverse reactions to aspartic acid are: headaches/migraines, nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, vision problems, anxiety attacks, depression, and asthma/chest tightness. The second isolated amino acid in aspartame's chemical structure is phenylalanine, fifty percent of aspartame's 3-D structure. Too much phenylalanine causes seizures, elevated blood plasma, is dangerous for pregnancy causing retardation, PMS caused by phenylalanine's blockage of serotonin, insomnia, and severe mood swings."

Visit her site to learn more about aspartame, and other chemical sweeteners such as Acesulfame K, Saccharin, and Sucralose (Splenda).

My advise?

Considering our knowledge of aspartame, as well as the completely unnecessary need for chemical sweetners, and I would simply avoid them! Start reading food labels, which, I hasten to add, you should already be doing! If you are routinely buying or eating lots of food products containing chemical sweeteners, find healthier alternatives. Also, question whether or not you actually "need" them. If you want to use a "sweetening agent", use honey, or if you don't want to use any form of "sugar", use Xylitol, which you can buy as "granules". I have written about xylitol before... it has a lower GI than regular sugar, and is slightly lower in calories too. 

Comments

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When aspartame was discontinued, liver enzymes returned to normal. Other conditions that have been attributed to aspartame are chronic headaches, depression, dizziness, anxiety, loss of memory for attention problems, slurred speech and vision problems,even.