Aspartame - Sweet Poison?

Sweeteners that leave a sour taste

You can’t beat a canned diet drink for marketability. An ultrathin body, never-ending popularity and material success are all yours if you drink cans of diet fizz. But no, of course they don’t work. In reality, the sweet taste stimulates tastebuds and increases appetite in many users, resulting in overall weight gain. Possibly one reason for the rising number of obese children and adults in this country. On the increase, too, are those who complain of major side-effects to artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, owned by Monsanto (tradenames: Nutrasweet, Canderel). Far from being allowed to promote health and happiness, shouldn’t these products carry a health warning?

Companies cleverly exploit our concerns about obesity and tooth decay by marketing products labelled ”no added sugar“ or ”lite“. And if you think they are doing you a favour, think again. According to the Food Commission, it costs around two pence to sweeten a litre of soft drink with aspartame (E951). As artificial sweeteners like aspartame are three times cheaper than ordinary sugar, you can find them in an increasing number of ”regular“ versions – just read the labels.

Aspartame is developed in a laboratory and made up of 3 ingredients. The amino acid phenylalanine blocks the production of the brain chemical serotonin. High levels may lead to emotional disorders and no doubt boosts the sales of anti-depressants. Aspartic acid stands accused by leading scientists of overstimulating brain cells, causing holes in the brains of mice. The final member in the toxic triumvirate is methanol, an alcohol made from wood. The body breaks it down into the highly poisonous formaldehyde (embalming fluid).

There is plenty of evidence to suggest aspartame is harmful, however, all of it has been vigorously denied, not only by the giants that make or sell it, but bona fide government food agencies as well. In 1996, Professor R Walton from Ohio’s University College of Medicine analysed all of the 164 medical studies dealing with the safety of aspartame in humans. He found that every single study funded by the aspartame industry claimed there were no health problems associated with its use. Of those studies that had no connections to industry, almost all identified health problems with the sweetener. These include headaches, memory loss, dizziness, rashes, depression, hyperactivity and rages. It is also linked to epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, MS and brain tumours.

The risks are greater for those whose blood brain barriers are not fully developed or protected, such as children, the elderly or people with chronic health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure. Too bad that aspartame has bought its way into brightly coloured cans, yoghurts, desserts, chewing gum, baked beans, crisps and top-selling fruit drinks. And, shock horror, it’s also found in toothpaste, cheap vitamins and medicines, particularly those targeted at children.

We are unlikely to see a restriction in the use of artificial sweeteners. Far from it - a new, even more potent sweetener called Neotame has been developed by Monsanto and is awaiting approval for general usage. It’s up to you whether you give it houseroom.

Martina is a qualified nutritionist practising at The Dolphin House Clinic,  Brighton (Tel: 01273-324790). email: martina@thehealthbank.co.uk

For further background information and references on this topic, please visit www.sweetpoison.com. You may also be interested in reading : 

Article first published September 2002, Brighton Argus.

Copyright 2005 Martina Watts              All Rights Reserved              www.martinawatts.com