Must Read Regarding Aspartame

There are many who disagree
One learns in science and medical studies that there is always another side to the story.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/18/is-aspartame-safe/

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20070911/expert-panel-aspartame-sweetener-safe

http://www.aspartame.org/aspartame_faq3.html

http://answers.hhs.gov/questions/3011

JC_hama said:

I can not eat or drink
I can not eat or drink anything that has aspartame in it. It gives me the most horrible headaches. I realized it about a year and a half ago when I started drinking crystal light. I began to have horrible headaches. They started out small, I could take advil and be ok. Then they started to get worse. Nothing was helping. I had a headache for 6 days straight. When I mentioned it to a friend, she asked if there was anything I was doing differently, any new foods I was eating. I mentioned the crystal light. She told me that studies had showed aspartame (which is used in some, not all, crystal light beverages) caused headaches and suggested I stop drinking it. I did and the headaches stopped.I checked the labels and sure enough, aspartame was used in the ones I had been drinking. Ever since then, I avoid it. I dont think it would hurt if I had it infrequently, but why test that theory right?

Cathy

About headaches and other aspartame sensitivities
Following are facts people don't understand about aspartame. Stated health issues like headaches may well be associated with aspartame, but to suggest that aspartame causes them could not be further from the truth. These issues likely reside in preexisting personal issues. Let me explain.

First, the fundamentals of toxicology (the science of poisons) say “everything is toxic” and dose alone separates a food/drug from a poison. For example botulinum toxin, perhaps the most toxic substance known, is used extensively in cosmetic procedures. High toxicity cyanide found in plant products we all consume is, however, innocuous at those doses. In contrast low-toxicity water drowns hundreds yearly. Any claim a chemical substance is “toxic” or poison is by itself is MEANINGLESS. Such claims MUST include a specific toxic response and specific dose. Aspartame critics cannot do this!

Second, aspartame is GI-degraded to its three components; they are more abundant in common foods and two are even essential for life. Food-borne methanol whatever its source is oxidized to formaldehyde and then formate. Formate is recycled (reduced) by the folate-B12 vitamins into methyl groups used to synthesize (thymine, in DNA), methylate (regulate) DNA, and detoxify truly-toxic homocysteine. Phenylalanine is used to biosynthesize epinephrine, etc. These ingredients are simply not a toxicological issue at the allowed doses of aspartame.

Third, aspartame has been extensively studied; adverse claims have been consistently disproven time after time, one of the latest being last year in New Zealand. Anti-aspartame arguments fostered by internet conspiracy theorists, who profit from books, false detoxification kits, etc., all predate 1998. In 1998 in the USA and in Canada, and Chile folate vitamin supplementation was mandated for cereal grain products, because of population-wide deficiency. That was not done in Europe, however.

So any health connections for aspartame most likely reside instead in personal folate deficiency (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19005123 or http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18208952) or related underlying biochemical issues (well-known folate- or related enzyme polymorphisms, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylenetetrahydrofolate_reductase). These personal problems are often mistaken for arguments against aspartame, because they subside after aspartame use is ended. But really aspartame was the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back, not the tons of cargo already there.’ Of course folate (and B12 status) or associated polymorphisms are a major 'cargo'. High blood homocysteine (a known health issue) presents yet another preexisting straw, but it is often evidence of folate issues. Other cargos include caffeine and alcohol, which provide twice the formaldehyde/formate of aspartame (per molelcule) or act to inhibit folate-mediate enzyme reactions (fetal alcohol syndrome), respectively.

Aspartame critics cite every practically health issue under the sun as being connected to aspartame, the latest of which is diabetes. But like virtually all the other claimed issues, aspartame linkage to diabetes is highly suspect too for the same reason. Two highly publicized presentations (one in humans the other in diabetic mice) both neglected even to consider folate status in their subjects. Folate deficiency is a substantial issue with regard to insulin resistance and insulin issues (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=folate,insulin; over 345 references). And obese/diabetic mice have serious known issues with folate, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=folate,diabetes mice. It is therefore very likely that people who think think they are affected by aspartame are affected by real medical (folate, B12) vitamin issues, not aspartame per se.

So in summary, aspartame is perfectly safe used as recommended, but issues with it are likely because of hidden, but real risks from the now-known and potentially population-wide folate deficiency or related enzyme issues that are also known to be connected to many types of cancer, as well as migraines and other acute issues.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)

amorriso said:

Studies
I've come to the point where I dont bother with all the studies claiming things are safe or dangerous. What I now do is decide for myself...and my decision is not to use artificial sweeteners.

I'll go with real sugar - made by nature. Its one small change I've made for ME. And how I choose to be healthy is up to me. My choice.

Andree

Being "natural" has absolutely nothing to do with safety
Andree:

And you choosing sugar over artificial sweeteners is your right. No one is holding a gun to your head making you choose aspartame, sucralose (Splenda) or real sugar. I actually have no stake in this fight at all; I was an academic scientist. What I share are the facts, so I really don't care if you use or don't use aspartame.

On the other hand I will comment on your implicit argument that "made by nature is better." Botulinum toxin and aflatoxin B1 are perhaps the most poisonous substances known and both are made by nature and are present in foods we eat. That of course is not to mention totally natural cantaloupes, Romaine lettuce, etc. that have been in the news recently. So my point is that being natural has absolutely nothing to do with safety.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)

sunnyaz said:

Choices
Yes, it is a choice, just like everything else in life the government doesn't force on us. I CHOOSE to believe the arguments I have read AGAINST the safety of Aspartame. (Besides the fact that it tastes like crap!) Those arguments, combined with personal experience have my vote. I work in the Medical field and I see patients every day that are improving MANY unexplained symptoms by removing Aspartame from their diet. I can't even count on both hands how many doctors I associate with that take their patients off of ALL artificial sweeteners at their first visit.

Quoting Chris McKee CNC (one whom John E. Garst, Ph.D argues his point)
From Sweet Poison?

"Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. 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: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes."

To: John E. Garst, Ph.D
I am surprised to find your post here. Do you have investment in a product containing Aspartame? I have seen/read your arguments with other health professionals on line and can't help but think that maybe you are somehow "vested" in trying to convince people that Aspartame is safe. I DONT buy it, I never will; and I will oppose it until the day I die or it is taken off of the market. Your justification for the lack of B-12 or Folate in the diet doesn't convince me. If this is the case, should there not be a warning to those who are lacking in these supplements.

Why are you on our boards? Are you a cancer survivor or patient? If neither, why did you join? This is not a forum for your arguments pertaining to any vested interests, it is a discussion of "peers". It is not an open forum for whatever your agenda may be. We are all adults and we are able to research for ourselves. In fact, many of us are very well versed in research due to our illness.

BTW, the cantaloupes were contaminated with Listeria. This IS due to natural causes, POOP! Yes, poop. Animals poop and it gets in our food. Does it mean we should manufacture it in small doses if it tastes good so that we can slowly poison the population without their knowledge for our own profit?

Good Day!

Thanks
Thanks for the reply to that guy's post.


Cheers

A

sunnyaz said:

Choices
Yes, it is a choice, just like everything else in life the government doesn't force on us. I CHOOSE to believe the arguments I have read AGAINST the safety of Aspartame. (Besides the fact that it tastes like crap!) Those arguments, combined with personal experience have my vote. I work in the Medical field and I see patients every day that are improving MANY unexplained symptoms by removing Aspartame from their diet. I can't even count on both hands how many doctors I associate with that take their patients off of ALL artificial sweeteners at their first visit.

Quoting Chris McKee CNC (one whom John E. Garst, Ph.D argues his point)
From Sweet Poison?

"Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. 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: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes."

To: John E. Garst, Ph.D
I am surprised to find your post here. Do you have investment in a product containing Aspartame? I have seen/read your arguments with other health professionals on line and can't help but think that maybe you are somehow "vested" in trying to convince people that Aspartame is safe. I DONT buy it, I never will; and I will oppose it until the day I die or it is taken off of the market. Your justification for the lack of B-12 or Folate in the diet doesn't convince me. If this is the case, should there not be a warning to those who are lacking in these supplements.

Why are you on our boards? Are you a cancer survivor or patient? If neither, why did you join? This is not a forum for your arguments pertaining to any vested interests, it is a discussion of "peers". It is not an open forum for whatever your agenda may be. We are all adults and we are able to research for ourselves. In fact, many of us are very well versed in research due to our illness.

BTW, the cantaloupes were contaminated with Listeria. This IS due to natural causes, POOP! Yes, poop. Animals poop and it gets in our food. Does it mean we should manufacture it in small doses if it tastes good so that we can slowly poison the population without their knowledge for our own profit?

Good Day!

Thank you Sunny
Thank you for your post Sunny. This site is for cancer survivors, caregivers or patients. If John E Garst fits into one of the above catagories, then he is welcome to join in our discussions. If not, he has absolutely NO business being on this board. This is a forum that people who are touched by cancer can ask questions about their disease, express how they are dealing with all that cancer entails. It is a place where people feel safe among others who will not judge, but will help. I really take offense to someone who would use this site as a means to pursue a personal agenda. ~Cheryl

sunnyaz said:

Choices
Yes, it is a choice, just like everything else in life the government doesn't force on us. I CHOOSE to believe the arguments I have read AGAINST the safety of Aspartame. (Besides the fact that it tastes like crap!) Those arguments, combined with personal experience have my vote. I work in the Medical field and I see patients every day that are improving MANY unexplained symptoms by removing Aspartame from their diet. I can't even count on both hands how many doctors I associate with that take their patients off of ALL artificial sweeteners at their first visit.

Quoting Chris McKee CNC (one whom John E. Garst, Ph.D argues his point)
From Sweet Poison?

"Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. 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: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes."

To: John E. Garst, Ph.D
I am surprised to find your post here. Do you have investment in a product containing Aspartame? I have seen/read your arguments with other health professionals on line and can't help but think that maybe you are somehow "vested" in trying to convince people that Aspartame is safe. I DONT buy it, I never will; and I will oppose it until the day I die or it is taken off of the market. Your justification for the lack of B-12 or Folate in the diet doesn't convince me. If this is the case, should there not be a warning to those who are lacking in these supplements.

Why are you on our boards? Are you a cancer survivor or patient? If neither, why did you join? This is not a forum for your arguments pertaining to any vested interests, it is a discussion of "peers". It is not an open forum for whatever your agenda may be. We are all adults and we are able to research for ourselves. In fact, many of us are very well versed in research due to our illness.

BTW, the cantaloupes were contaminated with Listeria. This IS due to natural causes, POOP! Yes, poop. Animals poop and it gets in our food. Does it mean we should manufacture it in small doses if it tastes good so that we can slowly poison the population without their knowledge for our own profit?

Good Day!

Don't buy the rhetoric, regulatory agencies have the facts
Each of you that respond to aspartame with some perceived health issue seriously need to read what I have written here and at http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/10/why-the-fda-doesnt-ban-food-colors-bpa-and-other-chemicals/246011/. I strongly suspect that any personal sensitivity to aspartame reflects not true aspartame safety issues, but some pre-existing personal problems with folate deficiency, folate polymorphisms, and related issues like vitamin B12 deficiency and/or accrual of homocysteine amongst still other possibilities. All are closely intertwined (see the actual biochemical cycles and their overlap point at, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3129576/figure/F1/). That means people sensitive to aspartame may be more susceptible to the many cancers and disease issues associated with these underlying issues I describe--whether one regularly uses aspartame or not.

The cited "researchers and physicians" criticizing aspartame are not qualified to make judgments on toxicological and safety issues. But check out more about many of them at http://whatdoesthesciencesay.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/sweet-misery-fact-check-part-1/ (along with a rebuttal of the disease claims you make). There are virtually no qualified scientists that question aspartame safety, but there is a conspiracy theory (see Snopes, etc) to which you evidently subscribe.

The fact is that I have independently studied the safety claims you and critics cite: "Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes." None of the claims hold up. But every disease you list is covered by the folate deficiency and related issue paradigm that I share with you here and at the atlantic.com link. Space prevents a detailed comment on each disease, but consider a sampling below. Don’t believe me? Then go here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez and type folate deficiency, “your cited disease from above” and see what turns up.

Parkinson's disease
I addressed the Parkinson's disease comments here recently, http://www.altmeds.com/parkinsons-disease/articles/parkinsons-and-aspartame (check it out quickly; sites often censor or delete comments). [Also a copy and paste entry cut off some words, so good luck reading it).

Brain cancer
I could direct you to a site where I refuted the brain cancer argument, but it doesn't exist anymore. So I copied much of my comment below. Think and judge for yourself. (For the references go here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez and type the following numbers into the search line.)

Olney et al, 1996 (PMID 8939194) … conclude “the artificial sweetener aspartame is a promising candidate to explain the recent increase in incidence and degree of malignancy of brain tumors”. Hardly proof! And it was strongly criticized and refuted by actual data that you can obtain and read.

Besides associations between meningiomas and hormones and/or HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), the documented association between folate issues and meningiomas or gliomas is very relevant (Bethke et al, 2008; PMID: 18483342). They conclude that “the results of our study are consistent with an increased risk in subjects with reduced conversion of homocysteine to methionine due to either reduced MTRR enzyme activity or reduced activity upstream at the MTHFR enzyme [both folate enzymes], which could result in aberrant promoter methylation. The biological basis of PBT [primary brain tumors]; development is unclear. The role of aberrant methylation has, however, been documented in both gliomas and meningiomas (16-19). Given that studies have shown that the MTHFR 677TT genotype can be associated with decreased global DNA methylation and promoter-specific methylation in tumors (20), it is entirely plausible that the variants we have studied will affect the risk of PBT.” Semmler et al, 2008; PMID: 18447718 and Sirachainan et al, 2008; PMID: 18406541 both found similar associations.

Fibromyalgia
I am working on this issue at this very time to respond to an article in my online local paper suggesting aspartame causes fibromyalgia. Aspartame has been cited in connection with the disease, but again, aspartame sensitivity merely indicates serious underlying issues. Here, however, the underlying issue is less likely folate than of homocysteine and vitamin B12 deficiency. My second link shows how they are related, but iron deficiency is also likely involved. Here are some documenting snippets from my in progress discussion.

But homocysteine accumulating in blood, often as a consequence of folate issues and/or B12 deficiency, is a sign of serious health concerns. Those include heart issues (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=homocysteine,heart), but also fibromyalgia (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9310111).

...vitamin and related associations ... provide a much better explanation than aspartame for fibromyalgia. In that light I encourage the reader to consider various possible causes. Weight seems a significant factor (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=weight,fibromyalgia; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21972124; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21476098). As the latter reference suggests, it is unclear, which comes first fibromyalgia or weight gain. However, weight-related issues like sleep disorders (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17268733) and some interestingly sleep-disorder-associated medical issues like low ferritin (a form of iron), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20087382, and coeliac disease that affects (GI) iron absorption may play a big role too, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361320. Still other citations also link fibromyalgia to iron issues (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18404239 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21176208). All of these may actually be related in that iron and folate interact in scientifically still unclear ways; low iron may foster folate insufficiency, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=iron,folate and even vice versa.

I refute all claims that aspartame causes disease as I am doing here. For more about me and my reasons go here (http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/10/why-the-fda-doesnt-ban-food-colors-bpa-and-other-chemicals/246011/); look for my response to Michael Bulger, who asked about my writing web sites, etc.

As to why I am writing to this cancer site, it is the underlying folate and related issues I am writing that about are the cause of much cancer. (Type folate deficiency, cancer into the search line at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez). And as I said above, I strongly suspect that any personal sensitivity to aspartame reflects not safety issues with aspartame per se, but pre-existing personal problems with folate deficiency, folate polymorphisms, and related issues like accrual of homocysteine and vitamin B12 deficiency amongst still others. People with such a sensitivity should not use aspartame. Whether aspartame sensitivity could become a test for susceptibility to disease associated with these folate and related issues is a really good question. But these issues do associate with many types of cancer, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2592326/pdf/0541545.pdf (Table 1).

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)

sunnyaz said:

Still not buying it......
You can argue your point all you want, I still won't use it. I have never had a deficiency of Folate, B-12 or any other vitamin or mineral and I have experienced horrible affects from it. In fact, I take supplements and have taken them for many years. Since I have deleted it from my diet I have never felt better. So, I still believe that if a problem exists with a food or drug, ie. an interaction, there should be a warning on the label of any product containing it, just like on prescriptions and food products. Producers of food products and drugs are legally responsible for detailing every ingredient including amounts in their products, i.e. peanuts or peanut oil for those that are allergic or sensitive to it. It shouldn't be any different with Aspartame.

So again, your arguments are understood, I still won't use the product and I will never recommend that anyone use products containing Aspartame. As for "Don't buy the rhetoric, regulatory agencies have the facts" I believe what I choose to believe because of personal experience and my own educational knowledge.

Case in point; I have a patient that was experiencing horrible bouts of chronic diarrhea. I did stool cultures along with ova and parasite tests. Nothing came back positive on repeated occasions. Then I asked her about Aspartame in the products she was ingesting. She was drinking diet Soda with Aspartame and chewing gum with Aspartame after quitting smoking. In less than two weeks after discontinuing diet soda and all Aspartame products (as she was instructed to check all labels) her symptoms began to subside and she has never been more grateful for the help and information. I checked her most recent labs today, she was not deficient in any vitamins including Vitamin D, Folate, Transferritin, Ferritin or B-12. No problems with Iron or vitamin counts what-so-ever.

This is the end of my part in this discussion. People can believe what they want and do their own research. As for me, I stand on my perspective that Aspartame is not okay. I still haven't been able to determine what your "agenda" is with Aspartame or why you feel the need to defend it. I am sure that I will figure it out eventually, although it's not a priority.

Thank you for your time and information for those that find it useful, and I am sure there are some that do. But, I respectfully ask that you please refrain from participation in our forums unless you are a cancer patient, survivor or caregiver like the rest of us.

Sincerely,
Julie-SunnyAZ

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