All About Aspartame

Well, really not ALL about it, just the parts I don't like.  I avoid eating/drinking/buying foods or
drinks with aspartame in them when I can, and one of my friends just asked me why, so I told her
I'd blog about it.  To tell the truth, I'm not really sure if she really wants to know, or if she just
thinks I'm a crazy person and is trying to call me out, but I'll be emailing her a link to this post
either way. 

Where to start?  Well, 78% of all consumer complaints to the FDA are about aspartame.

Aspartame (found in NutraSweet and Equal)  is comprised of phenylalanine (50% - an amino

acid), aspartic acid (40% - an amino acid, nonessential), and methanol (10% wood alcohol, as in
"moonshine").  These break down into formaldehyde, formic acid (like the venom in insect
stings) and DKP (may cause brain tumors), and this breakdown is accelerated when products
containing it are stored at 85 degrees for a period of days or stored for longer periods (over 250
days). 

These are all things I don't want in my body.  

Now, some of these components are also found in food items like fruits and vegetables. For
instance, pears and bananas are on the high-end of those containing naturally-occurring
formaldehyde, but fruits also contain ethanol, which stablilizes it.  Also, fruits contain natural
pectins and enzymes which help to stabilize the compound. 

And, before you ask, we all hear about the essential amino acids we need in our diet, right? 
Well, the synthetic ones in aspartame are incomplete, and as our bodies go to work to break them
down, it causes an imbalance in the brain.  "What?" our brains ask.  "Where's the nutrition?" 
This contributes to the idea that drinking diet sodas will increase hunger, causing you to gain
weight.  Ummm, I think I can do without.

Another interesting tidbit:  In 1996, there are about 164 peer-reviewed studies relevant to
aspartame safety.  Seventy-four deemed it safe, and 90 deemed it unsafe.  Seventy-four studies
were industry-funded, and 90 studies were independently funded.  Hmmm.

And I wish more people knew about this, but ask a pilot, and he/she will tell you that aspartame
is bad.  Pilots are actually told to avoid aspartame in order to pass their yearly medical exam.
And in 1992, the US Air Force issued an alert to its pilots in its Flying Safety magazine.   In the
past, many pilots have passed out in the cockpit while flying and eating/drinking products with
aspartame, thus putting the entire flight at risk.  (Possibly due to the elevation causing increased
symptoms, not unlike how people from sea level can get drunk really fast in the high altitute
places like Colorado).  Not to mention, aspartame can adversely affect EKGs and the methanol
in it can impair vision. 

There's lots of anecdotal evidence on the effects of aspartame, too, which you can google if
you're interested.  But for me, I avoid it simply because it's not something I need, it provides no
health benefit, and it may actually be quite harmful.  I don't miss it.
For further 'easy' reading:
Summary of symptoms, with references: http://www.ceri.com/aspart2.htm
Article written by a pilot:  http://www.aspartamesafety.com/Article4.htm
An Email from Operation Mission Possible re: pilots and aspartame:
http://www.dorway.com/betty/avmags.html

Research:
1 Jensen J. Aspartame – The World’s Best Ant Poison. The Idaho
Observer. June 2006.
2 Gold M. The Bitter Truth about Artificial Sweeteners. NEXUS
Magazine. Oct/Nov 1995.
3 Soffritti M. Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Eur.
J. Oncol., vol. 10, n. 2, 2005
4 Martini B. Aspartame proven to cause cancer. Mission Possible, Jul
21, 2005. http://www.wnho.net
Posted by Melanie at 6:39 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Excerpt from TheWilava Workshop Blog (http://wilava.blogspot.com). Melanie Downey is the mother
of two and owner of Wilava: For Premium Skin (http://wilava.com), which specializes in handmade,
natural skin care for the whole family.