Do you think aspartame is
safe to use?

If you are not sure if aspartame is safe to use, read on!

James M. Schlatter, a chemist working for G.D. Searle & Co. discovered this artificial sweetener in 1965. He had some on his finger when he was working on an anti-ulcer drug, he licked his finger and noticed the chemical had a sweet taste. It was not (FDA) approved until the 1980’s because of the relationship between this sweetener and brain cancer.

What are artificial sweeteners?

Aspartame is 50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid and 10% methanol or wood alcohol.

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids. Amino acid is found naturally in protein foods that we eat, it helps to build tissue and muscles. There are many types of amino acids that we ingest when we eat, they join together to form protein chains.

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are a singular amino acid that are not forming into a protein chain but instead they are entering into the central nervous system in high concentration and causes the neurons to begin firing rapidly. This can excite the neurons enough that cells die.

High levels of aspartic acid have been found to cause headaches, mental confusion, balance problems, seizures. Besides the nervous system, it has accelerated diseases such as cancer, coronary artery disease, and arthritis.

When ingesting isolated aspartic acid was stopped, the continuing damage ceased. High levels of isolated phenylalanine can cause a decrease in the amount of serotonin in our brains which leads to depression and other emotional disorders.

It can be a carcinogen when exposed to warm temperatures or stored for a long time, it breaks down into diketopiperzine (DKP)

Phenylalanine can enter into the placenta to the fetus with pregnant women, through breastfeeding, and children under one. The blood-brain barrier that helps prevent toxins entering the brain has not been fully developed yet.

This artificial sweetener can have access to the nervous system. The placenta can magnify the levels of phenylalanine in the blood and kill cells. Infants are more sensitive to toxins then adults. Infants exposed to high levels of phenylalanine have an increased risk of birth defects and irreversible brain damage.

The 3rd component, methanol (also known as wood alcohol) is a colorless liquid that is poisonous and flammable.

Early symptoms of methanol poisoning is headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, chills, memory lapses, and numbness in the limbs. Long term exposure can cause blindness and death.

Formaldehyde (derived from methanol) and then to formic acid causes metabolic acidosis. The formaldehyde will accumulate in the cells and react with cellular proteins like enzymes and DNA. Fire ant poison in their sting is formic acid.

The food additives can cause free radical production by stimulating the generation of free radicals (charged oxygen molecules with an unpaired electron). This can cause a negative impact on tissues and organs.A common complaint is joint pain.

Free radical production can accelerate degenerative illnesses such as atherosclerosis, cancer, coronary artery disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, infertility and arthritis.

The National Cancer Institute has reports on brain tumors. Dr. H.J. Roberts of West Palm Beach, FL reports on treatment for vision impairment from aspartame reactors.

The methanol toxicity from this chemical sweetener in diet sodas can cause:

* Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an autoimmune disease that a person's immune system attacks various organs or cells of the body causing damage and dysfunction. People that get off of the aspartame usually become asymptomatic.

* It can mimic multiple sclerosis. When taken off aspartame, symptoms like fibromyalgia, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision and memory loss can disappear.

Our blood-brain barrier does not work as well when we have diabetes, hypertension, those who smoke and all of us who are aging. The blood-brain barrier helps prevent toxins entering the brain, therefore you have more of a reaction to aspartame. Aspartame can keep the blood sugar level out of control.

The armed services warns pilots to stay off of aspartame.

There is the Desert Storm Syndrome, truckloads of diet soda were sent to the soldiers and sat on pallets in heat up to 120 degrees during the Persian Gulf War. Thousands of troops returned home with the symptoms resembling this type of poisoning.

Aspartame may cause weight gain, like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is in soda also. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid stimulate the release of insulin. The rapid spikes in insulin remove the glucose from the bloodstream and stores it as fat resulting to hypoglycemia and sugar cravings.

It inhibits carbohydrate induced synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin which signals that the body is satisfied. This leads to food cravings, you eat more carbs and gain weight. There has been weight loss when the diet is free from aspartame.

You can convince yourself to eat more calories since you think you are saving calories with the diet soda.

Stevia is a sweet food, not an additive, it helps in the metabolism of sugar and has been approved as a dietary supplement by the FDA. I like using Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar substitute. It is good for your teeth and the digestive system (make sure animals do not have Xylitol). It is OK for diabetics.

Do you know what you are putting into your body?

It's your body, you should!