 Aspartame - E951, is promoted as a 'low calorie' or 'sugar free' sweetener. Recently rebranded, AminoSweet, owners say the new name reflects that it comes from natural occuring amino acids: aspartic acid; phenylalanine.It is used in over 6,000 foods including: soft drinks; chewing gums; packaged foods; diet & diabetic foods; children's medicine & chewable vitamins. Equal, Candarel & Nutrasweet are aspartame sweeteners. There have been many exposes on this controversial food additive. Examples of known side effects are cancer, headaches, depression, sleep problems, seizures & dizziness. The approval of aspartame was the most contested in FDA history. It was eventually approved, but not on scientific grounds - but because of strong financial & political pressure. This may have something to do with the fact that it was listed by the Pentagon as a chemical warfare agent. There have been over 10,000 official complaints registered to the FDA regarding aspartame. Over two thirds of these complaints were neurological or behavioural, the remaining third were gastrointestinal. The FDA recognise that less than 1% of those who experienced effects would report it. Amongst many books & articles, Dr Janet Starr Hull's 'Sweet Poison' lifts the lid on the adverse effects of aspartame & the background to its creation. Diagram to show creation of toxins as our body digests aspartame  |
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Aspartame is made up of two amino acids: aspartic acid & phenylalanine. These are both naturally occuring amino acids, but never naturally occur in the density & isolation that aspartame offers. Aspartic Acid "An amino acid obtainable as a product of the hydrolosis of proteins. First isolated in 1868 from legumin in plant seeds, aspartic acid is one of several so-called nonessential amino acids for mammals; i.e., they can synthesize it from oxaloacetic acid (formed in the metabolism of carbohydrates) and do not require dietary sources." Britannica.com Aspartic acid is a known excitotoxin. "Excitotoxins are usually amino acids such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point of death" Dr.Mercola Phenylalanine An amino acid that enhances dopamine production in brain cells, creating a 'feel good factor' & can offer mild pain relief. More than 5,000mg is considered toxic & acts as a neurotoxin. When brain cells are overstimulated they die, leading to neurological effects such as brain tumors, headaches & migraines. Emotional & behavioural disorders can be triggered by too much phenylalanine & an altered serotonin/ dopamine balance. People with PKU or breast feeding mothers should not take phenylalanine supplements. Phenylalanine is found naturally in foods such as eggs, milk, bananas & meat. Methanol "Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits... It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable, liquid with a distinctive odor that is very similar to but slightly sweeter than ethanol (drinking alcohol). Methanol is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many varieties of bacteria, and is ubiquitous in the environment." Wikipedia 40% of methanol is broken down into formaldehyde when in our intestine. |
