STORM2K

By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8

The Food and Drug Administration said it will do a review of a study that claims aspartame causes cancer.

Millions of people drink the popular artificial sweetener every day in their favorite diet soda and last year, an Italian study linked aspartame to higher rates of lymphoma and leukemia in rats.

An European union the equivalent to the FDA declined to support the conclusion, but many people claim aspartame has made them sick.

In fact, a number of medical professionals have urged people to stay away from it.

Painting is Gwenn Walden's joy, but she said a few years back the bright colors began to vanish before her eyes.

"I started having blind spots," she said. "Even if I waved the paint brush around, I could only see probably the top part. Anything below...would be out of sight, my hand, anything."

With fears of glaucoma or impending blindness, Walden went to the eye doctor.

"He's the one who said it was the brain spasm," she said.

Walden said she discovered the brain spasms occurred every time she drank a diet cola that contained aspartame.

Aspartame, known more commonly as NutraSweet or Equal, is the world's most popular artificial sweetener and found in more than 6,000 products from juice to Jell-O to jelly.

FDA approved it in the early 80's and it has been the source of growing controversy ever since. Early studies and thousands of consumer complaints to the government linked the sweetener to dozens of side effects.

After being incorrectly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism years ago, Janet Hull began researching aspartame. She said what she found out moved her to write a book.

"It is a sweet poison," she said. "It poisoned me."

She and government scientists found that when liquid aspartame is stored in temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it breaks down into dangerous toxins, which includes formaldehyde.

"It's not healthy for a child, for a fetus [or] for someone who is already compromised and ill," she said. "It's not healthy for someone who is healthy."

Hull is among many who believe people actually need to detoxify from aspartame's alleged side effects with the right combination of vitamins, but many others believe people can simply quit cold turkey.

The FDA continues to stand by its original approval of aspartame saying it's "safe" and "thoroughly tested," which is a position supported by many other reputable organizations.

However, there are also those who disagree.

"No matter what the FDA says, I will tell people they're better off without NutraSweet," said Dr. Jeffrey Manning, chiropractor.

Dr. Manning said he suggests patients take aspartame out of their diet because he's seen the physical benefits.

"Some of the phantom aches and pains that we couldn't address chiropractically started to go away," he said of those who quit consuming aspartame.

Walden said her blind spots went away when she quit drinking three diet colas a day.

"And I avoid everything, whether it's cookies, candies, whatever has got aspartame in it," she said.

Walden said she drinks only pure water now.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/w ... 9e91d.html

Yes, it is scary to think of what goes into some of the things we digest. I guess we just have to have confidence in the FDA that they will catch anything harmful. And, what we breathe in areas is just as harmful as swallowing. I just hope my immune system is up to par.....

Wayyyyy back when Nutrasweet first came out my grandmother sent us clips about how it would rot yer brain.

It has, but there are other factors in that too like happy hour, too much tv...

Aspartame was originally tried out on lab rats and was found to
cause cancer among the rat population in the testing survey. Of course,
who knows if the rats recieved HUGE doses, or, doses equivalent to their
body weight. I remember that survey, though.

~Annette~

I decided long ago, to have sugar, but in moderation. Being a cancer survivor myself, this just validates my decision to avoid artificial sweeteners. I won't even buy ice cream products with it and I've never cared for diet sodas.

One of the best sweeteners around is pure honey. Add it to your next pitcher of iced tea (before the water cools), toss in a few whole cloves and a squirt of lemon juice - it's so good. And it won't cause cancer.

Mary

Lately I've gotten addicted to honey drizzled over Granny Smith apples. YUM.

HurryKane wrote:Lately I've gotten addicted to honey drizzled over Granny Smith apples. YUM.

Apple slices with peanut butter are good, too.

****************

Sidenote: For peeps though without nut allergies obviously.

I searched for this topic and I would just like to say this:

Stay away from anything that has aspartame in it. It's poison for your body. It's not safe for anyone to drink/eat. It's not going to harm you too much if you drink a little bit of something with aspartame in it. Personally, I'm going to stay away from it all together. A tip is to watch out for anything that has artificial sweeteners or "no sugar" that normally would have sugar in it. Aspartame goes by more then 1 name so research it to find some other names for it. I had a few drinks from a bottle of flavored water last night and got a slight headache 1 hour after wards. I had some the day before and nothing happened but now I'm just going to avoid it all together.

Yes, it is scary to think of what goes into some of the things we digest. I guess we just have to have confidence in the FDA that they will catch anything harmful.

I don't trust the FDA at all. I find out what's crap and what's not by myself. I don't think Canada has much to do with the FDA but it seems we follow in their footsteps for a lot of things.

The bottom line is I believe aspartame is awful and should be taken off the market. However, this will never happen since the FDA will keep saying it's safe and the massive amount of money that is in the balance. Remember, there are reports of death from people who drink/eat lots of these aspartame products.

Other sweeteners such as Saccharine are better to use. Saccharine (used in sweet in low) was once thought to be a possible cause of cancer, but this has since been proven un-true. In fact, SWEET & LOW no longer has a "warning: this product may cause cancer" label. My favorite sweetener, however, is Splenda (sucralose). I think it has the best taste (though some studies have proven it to be somewhat dangerous). One thing to remember though is that anything is high quantities is dangerous. For example, a high level of sugar is likely just as dangerous to your health as a high level of any artificial sweetener. Everyone just needs to use things in moderation and we'll all be ok.

Based on some of the internet studies I have done, here are some of the safest/harmful sweeteners out there:

MOST HARMFUL
Aspartame
Having too much refined sugar or corn syrup.

HARMFUL
refined sugar
corn syrup

POSSIBLY HARMFUL
Sucralose
Neotame
Acesulfame-K

LEAST HARMFUL
natural sugar
Saccharine
Stevia
xylitol

100% SAFE
Nothing

Just a personal note, I've given up eating all the "supposed-to-be-good-for-you-low-in-fat-no-fat-low-suger-no-sugar-fat-free-diet" food and liquid and I'm not dead yet and feel better than I have in years

"No matter what the FDA says, I will tell people they're better off without NutraSweet," said Dr. Jeffrey Manning, chiropractor.

One wonders why, if the evidence is so convincing, they couldn't get a real doctor to support the claim.

One wonders why, if the evidence is so convincing, they couldn't get a real doctor to support the claim.

The FDA has "real doctors", this is just one person they cited at the end of the article which also said "She and government scientists found that when liquid aspartame is stored in temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it breaks down into dangerous toxins, which includes formaldehyde."

I have always known about this potential formaldehyde breakdown... which is why I have never been prone to purchasing anything with aspartame. I'm not saying that I've never had any--but I've deliberately kept it to a bare minimum. The presence of phenylalanine also had flags running up from the beginning in my mind.

I must concede that I, too, like the sucralose a lot better, and while I still don't purchase the bevy of soft-drinks with that flavoring, I will occasionally use it in a cup of coffee. What concerns me is that it is a substituded hydrocarbon, (from a sugar molecule--hence it's claim: It tastes like sugar because it's made from sugar) and that what they've substituted are three hydroxyl groups in the typical sugar molecular model with--chlorine... which is highly toxic. Yes, I know, they say it's "bonded" which it obviously is..but there are LOTS of chemical reactions going on in our bodies all the time, and one wonders if any/some of that chlorine is potentially getting into the bloodstream. The biggest thing in its favor is a 20 year study, showing that it does remain "relatively inert" and passes quickly through the body. I could go into it even more technically; but suffice it to say that I would not classify sucralose as a proven "safe" substitute either--although MUCH better as a choice than aspartame.

I also wouldn't go so far as to describe "sugar" as harmless either--although I think we all can admit that we ingest more of it than we realize--or need. Even I will use a very small amount of it to sweeten my tea (I like iced tea a lot--typical Southerner! ) but while I know of people in whose homes a five-pound bag of sugar won't last a week, the same lasts about five months or more in mine. While one could make a valid argument about "sugar" being the energy needed by every cell of the body to obtain its energy; but bear in mind any "starch" is just a complex sugar, and getting our required sugars (through carbs) is far better if derived from foods with nutritive value, than to simply ingest the empty calories of white sugar. All you get with that is a ticket to elevated blood/sugar levels, calorie build-up which if not used up, will be stored in the body as "fat"...which finds its way into the bloodstream and obviously can cause both obesity and a whole bevy of health threatening conditions. Sugar is true "poison" to teeth.. it is the breath of life for countless germs in our mouths, and unless very closely maintenanced, can cause a LOT of dental grief down the road--and believe it or not--dental problems have been linked with some cardio-vascular issues as well--check the latest info on flossing.

I also agree that saccharine got a bad rap. (Just like eggs did back in the 70's which I'm happy to say I've NEVER believed, and feel quite vindicated by recent findings) I believe when I've finished with my current supply of Splenda, I'll go back to that for my coffee. Frankly, it's safer than either sugar or sucralose IMO, and decidedly safer than aspartame. The mention of Stevia is interesting--I'd tried to get that stuff once.. and found it to have an awful aftertaste--although I do concede it is extremely "sweet" and only a drop or two will be sufficient in a large glass of tea or a cup of coffee. Stevia is 100% natural, and yields virtually zero calories, so, if you're one of those who find a brand with no aftertaste--go for it.. it's probably safer than anything as sweeteners go.

I also agree that there are a lot of benefits to honey, especially raw honey--lots of healthful benefits--yes still high in sugar/carb levels; but there are, at least additional contents that seem to be far better than the empty calories of typical white sugar.

Okay... off my own brand of "artificial sweetener" soapbox.

A2K

High Fructose Corn Syrup is supposed to be very dangerous and yet it is in nearly every product at the grocery store. Good luck avoiding it.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is supposed to be very dangerous and yet it is in nearly every product at the grocery store. Good luck avoiding it.

Don't think it's possible altogether; but I feel I don't get very much as I drink NO soft drinks any more...(much prefer my own tea), nor do I eat much of any processed sweet foods. It's a retched quagmire, but at least we can minimize the amounts of the stuff we consume. The reason it's so ubiquitous is that by volume it is a much less expensive sweetener than sugar.

A2K

Audrey2Katrina wrote:

High Fructose Corn Syrup is supposed to be very dangerous and yet it is in nearly every product at the grocery store. Good luck avoiding it.

Don't think it's possible altogether; but I feel I don't get very much as I drink NO soft drinks any more...(much prefer my own tea), nor do I eat much of any processed sweet foods. It's a retched quagmire, but at least we can minimize the amounts of the stuff we consume. The reason it's so ubiquitous is that by volume it is a much less expensive sweetener than sugar.

A2K

yup, it is super cheap.

Two NutraS**t stories: My uncle Danny was having a lot of mysterious health issues, including small seizures. Docs were baffled, and then one asked what he drinks. He was putting down about six cans of Diet Coke a day. Hey, no calories, right? Approved by our pals at the FDA, RIGHT? So he quits, and within a month he's back to normal and has remained so. And my personal best memory regarding this stuff is that there was some initial controversy over it. Some night time news show did a report and I remember this smug attorney for the company as he smiled and stated "We have over (I think he said 200 million dollars) invested in this product. It IS going to be on the market." Drink up, y'all!

I have at least two cans of Coke Zero daily...it has been an addiction for a while. Before Zero came out I was hooked on C2. I certainly hope it isn't bad for you as I can't go without these things!

Honey, pick me up a couple of packs of cigs and a six pack of beer for me please. And we are worried about artifical sweetners?????....MGC

ahhh. Coke Zero... I wonder how many people remember when Coke tried to change its formulation from the original formula to the "new" formula in the mid 80's.... set off a riot of protest from Coca-Cola purists... the result was the return of the "original" formula under the new name "Coca-Cola Classic"... eventually the New Formula went the way of the dinosaur--with one exception: Diet Coke... this was essentially the "new formula" Coke, only sweetened with wood alcohol..er.. Aspartame. Now coke "Zero" is actually the original "classic" coke, sweetened with a mixture of aspartame, and something else..believe it's acesulfame potassium, hopefully the latter reduces some of the effects of the latter. But not many folks realize that the Diet Coke is nothing more than artificially sweetened NEW Coke.(or VERY similar to diet Pepsi--virtually NO discernable difference).. which I despised, because had I wanted it to taste that sweet, I'd have become a member of the "Pepsi" Generation... gimme the taste of the old Coke anyday.

A2K