Posted on 07/06/2007 9:11:02 PM PDT by Coleus
A U.S. consumer group called for an urgent Food and Drug Administration review of the safety of aspartame on Monday, but the FDA said there was no immediate need to do so despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer. Italian researchers published a new study last week that showed aspartame -- widely used in soft drinks -- might cause leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats. "This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said in a telephone interview. Aspartame is used mostly in soft drinks but is also sold in packets to use in coffee, tea or on food. "People can easily avoid products using Nutrasweet or Equal and keep these products away from kids," Jacobson added.
Morando Soffritti of the Ramazzini Foundation in Bologna, Italy, and colleagues tested aspartame in rats, which they allowed to live until they died naturally. Their study of more than 4,000 rats showed a lifetime of eating high doses of the sweetener raised the likelihood of several types of cancer. "On the basis of the present findings, we believe that a review of the current regulations governing the use of aspartame cannot be delayed," Soffritti's team wrote in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, which is published by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. "This review is particularly urgent with regard to aspartame-containing beverages, heavily consumed by children." FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said the agency had not reviewed the study.
"However, the conclusions from this second European Ramazzini Foundation are not consistent with those from the large number of studies on aspartame that have been evaluated by FDA, including 5 previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
In the Congressional Record, Senate, S - 5511, May 7, l985, and part of the protest of the National Soft Drink Assn, now American Beverage, is this Statement:
"Aspartame has been demonstrated to inhibit the carbohydrate-induced synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wurtman affidavit). Serotonin blunts the sensation of craving carbohydrates and this is part of the body's feedback system that helps limit consumption of carbohydrate to appropriate levels. Its inhibition by aspartame could lead to the anomalous result of a diet product causing increased consumption of carbohydrates."
So as far as product liability is concerned you have companies marketing an addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drug to the population as a sugarfree diet product knowing full well this is causing obesity. They also know that aspartame is addictive and that the methanol component is classified as a narcotic. Aspartame liberates free methyl alcohol causing chronic methanol poisoning. This affects the dopamine system of the brain causing the addiction.
Damn! These morons never give up. This argument is over 30 years old.
If you’re in it for the caffeine then consider Diet Pepsi Max — 67 mg per can. I actually drink less diet soda during the day because my “need for speed” is satisfied.
I like diet 7 up the best
“Unless you are diabetic, lay off artificial sweetener...”
All “artificial sweeteners” are bad for everyone. If diabetics want sweet w/o sugar, stevia should be used.
Diet cola’s promote obesity. Many studies show this. And the level of consumption for those kids and adults adicted to diet soft drinks generally exceed the level of consumption used by the scientists in this study.
“More formaldehyde is produced drinking water...”
Please explain this comment - where and how in the biochemistry of the body is formaldehyde produced from drinking a glass of water?
I like the citrus taste.
I don’t remember the site. In either case, whether it was beer, water, or diet soda, all three produced formaldehyde, were only talking ppb.
Not too funny to me, since my wife died from a brain tumor 20 months ago! I believe that may be associated with excessive nicotine and tars, but have not seen any statistically certified studies on this matter.
“I truly believe that you are in no position to dictate...”
Who is dictating? Facts are facts. Review the studies, and not just the studies made by manufacturers of sweetners or soft drinks. Other side effects of artificial sweetners in diet drinks and other food stuffs are likely much worse than the obesity factor.
Mark
“Don’t attribute this statement to me, I was not the won who made it ...”
Yes, I know that. Perdogg posted it in his reply #13 to your posting #12 on this thread. Just thought you might like to see my comment. I agree with your comments in #12.
I have been an “equal junkie” since it first came out. Never drink sodas but put quite a few packets in my tea and coffee! My girlfriend and I used to laugh that we might be brain dead but we would be thin, LOL.
I am perfectly healthy and have had no long term side effects.
A few people are allergic to it, just like some are allergic to peanut butter. For the rest of us, no problem.
Holly cow, I just saw my typo...LOL...”won” instead of “one”. What can I say, learning a foreign language phonetically is the best way but sometimes when one’s tired the mind plays tricks...
“I will make sure I will pass this on to my DM patients...[embedded sarcasm].”
As you know, doctor, DM, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, obesity are several of the symptoms of the disease known as Insulin Resistance, and one or all may be present in a particular patient.
You also know that fasting blood sugar in a healthy person should be below 90, and typically a range of 100-125 has been an indication of pre-diabetes. Cleveland Clinic now considers fbs of 90 mg/dl or higher to be a biomarker of coronary heart disease risk.
No doubt you also know that the earlier pre-DM is detected, the easier it is to treat. NEJM in May 2001 proclaimed that in fact one can “cure” type two diabetes with diet and exercise.
The dietary modifications were able to reduce the rate of diabetes by nearly 60% and they did that without even understanding some of the most basic foundational truths of food choices. These investigators seemed absolutely clueless with respect to the influence of grain and sugar restriction on insulin optimization. The traditionally recommended low-fat diet can reduce diabetes by 60%; using a modified food choice program can reduce type two diabetes by well over 95%. There is significant evidence that the lo-fat diet success is because this greatly reduces the intake of polyunsaturated fats. MCFA’s such an lauric acid in coconut oil are beneficial in reducing blood sugar and increasing metabolism. Exercise is unquestionably also a big key here.
But you know all that, and I wish you well as you help your patients overcome one of the more debilitating diseases that have become pandemic in the last 45 years or so.
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