FDA banned Aspartame twice? If that is the case, how is this product legal now?

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

It tastes oh so sweet, is virtually calorie-free and has no aftertaste, which may be why aspartame is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners on the market. I can almost guarantee that you have probably consumed an aspartame product in the past few days. You might have even consumed it in the past few hours.

I am sure that at some point during Holiday Season, we will all definitely consume some aspartame, but what if I told you that you could be slowly doing yourself harm?

Aspartame is one of the most controversial products on the market and for good reason. There have been many studies done on the dangers of consuming aspartame, and we are going to go into those, but first, let’s take a look at where it came from.

Aspartame was discovered by accident by a scientist named James M. Schlatter in 1965. He was researching an anti-ulcer drug and happened to lick his finger (which seems dangerous to me) and discovered this sweet taste. This is what was then named Aspartame. It is made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. When the product is consumed, it is broken down into these amino acids and a small amount of methanol in your body. These components are naturally found in several foods including: eggs, fruits, meats and vegetables.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, over 1,000 studies find no evidence of harmful effects. The National Cancer Institute concurs that there are no links between consuming aspartame and increased risk of cancer. In 2002, “Aspartame: Review of Safety,” was published in the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. In the review it states that aspartame has been approved for human consumption by regulatory agencies in more than 100 countries for over the past 20 years, representing billions of man-years of safe exposure.

Naturally, there are two sides to this argument, so I am going to present the other side as well. There have been doctors who have studied aspartame and have not reported the same positive results noted earlier in the article.

Dr H.J. Roberts is an expert on aspartame and has reported that aspartame acts as a psychoactive drug causing psychiatric and behavioural problems, especially if it interacts with anti-depressants.

Dr Walton is a psychiatrist who conducted a study as to whether individuals with mood disorders were particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of aspartame. In his study he found that there were significant negative effects found in participants who had a history of depression. The negative effects were so bad that the study had to be stopped early even though the researchers were staying within the allowable intake of aspartame for their subjects.

Reginall Bundrage, a pathologist who has worked at the EPA reported that he told his superiors that there is no way that aspartame should be on the market because it was killing so many people. “That was in 1990 and it’s now 2010 and it’s still on the market killing people.”

Did you know that the FDA banned Aspartame twice? If that is the case, how is this product legal now?

It was banned following three independent scientific studies of the artificial sweetener. It was concluded that regular aspartame intake resulted in a high probability of inducing brain tumours. A study conducted in 1977 discovered that of 196 animals used by Searle for testing aspartame, 98 died.

Aspartame accounts for over 75% of all reports to the FDA relating to adverse reaction to food additives. These reactions are extremely serious, including seizures and death. There are some adverse effects of aspartame, and below are chronic illnesses that can be triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame:

• Brain tumours
• Multiple sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s
• Mental retardation
• Lymphoma
• Birth defects
• Fibromyalgia
• Diabetes
• It is particularly hazardous to fetuses and infants

There is no surprise that the sweetener industry, and major sweetener users (Nutrasweet, Equal, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Monsanto) have challenged findings like these.

Once again, as consumers, it is your responsibility to be aware of what you are putting in your body. If you notice adverse symptoms appearing after consuming certain products, consult your doctor, and don’t ignore what you are feeling.

It is very important, especially during this time to be taking better care of our mind, body, and soul.