[Will T Smith]

seizures and convulsions
dizziness
tremors
migraines and severe headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
memory loss (common toxicity effects)
slurring of speech
confusion
numbness or tingling of extremities
chronic fatigue
depression
insomnia
irritability
panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
marked personality changes
phobias
rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
asthma
chest pains
hypertension (high blood pressure)
nausea or vomitting
diarrhea
abdominal pain
swallowing pain
itching
hives / urticaria
other allergic reactions
blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
menstrual cramps and other menstraul problems or changes
impotency and sexual problems
food cravings
weight gain
hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
burning urination & other urination problems
excessive thirst or excessive hunger
bloating, edema (fluid retention)
infection susceptibility
joint pain
brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
death

-----------------------------------

Darn, I'd have to summarize that as "Everything Bad".

Anytime someone says xxx substance cures EVERYTHING, I am a skeptic. Conversly, when someone claims xxx substance CAUSES everything, I am equally a skeptic.

I perused these pages and found a lot of anachronistic citations. However, I found no properly controlled studies. For example, one page cited an optometrist that reported 25% of Aspartame users suffered vision problems. However, there was no control group to study the disease rate in the general population.

One could distribute sugar pills in a room and determine that they cause TB. That is, if you distribute them in a TB ward.

[Will T Smith]

seizures and convulsions
dizziness
tremors
migraines and severe headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
memory loss (common toxicity effects)
slurring of speech
confusion
numbness or tingling of extremities
chronic fatigue
depression
insomnia
irritability
panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
marked personality changes
phobias
rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
asthma
chest pains
hypertension (high blood pressure)
nausea or vomitting
diarrhea
abdominal pain
swallowing pain
itching
hives / urticaria
other allergic reactions
blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
menstrual cramps and other menstraul problems or changes
impotency and sexual problems
food cravings
weight gain
hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
burning urination & other urination problems
excessive thirst or excessive hunger
bloating, edema (fluid retention)
infection susceptibility
joint pain
brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
death

-----------------------------------

Darn, I'd have to summarize that as "Everything Bad".

Anytime someone says xxx substance cures EVERYTHING, I am a skeptic. Conversly, when someone claims xxx substance CAUSES everything, I am equally a skeptic.

I perused these pages and found a lot of anachronistic citations. However, I found no properly controlled studies. For example, one page cited an optometrist that reported 25% of Aspartame users suffered vision problems. However, there was no control group to study the disease rate in the general population.

One could distribute sugar pills in a room and determine that they cause TB. That is, if you distribute them in a TB ward.

[BillG]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

This is just like tobacco, and in 20 years we'll look back and realize how naive we were to trust the pimps selling their poison...mark my words.

Not only does your writing evidence you illiterate, now you demonstrate genuine stupidity. Please ban me. I cannot take it anymore. Your site is not worth the time it takes to read.

[Jimmy Dodd]

Originally Posted by sesummers

I read somewhere that one possible reason some people get headaches from the stuff is the "Pavlov's dog effect". Your brain learns to associate sweetness with an infusion of blood sugar. High blood sugar causes you to release insulin. After a while, the SWEETNESS will cause your brain to tell your pancreas to release the insulin, without waiting for the sugar.

So my "real" problem is that I have an impatient pancreas. Great! :roll:

---
Bwana Jim

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by BillG

Not only does your writing evidence you illiterate, now you demonstrate genuine stupidity. Please ban me. I cannot take it anymore. Your site is not worth the time it takes to read.

:lol: Oh my goodness...I would love to know by what force this site keeps drawing you back if it's so horrible! If I could package influence like that, I would be a rich man. As you have requested, your account is now deactivated. I would encourage you to take things less seriously - it's just a PDA web site! Surely there are more important things to get worked up about...and proper use of certain words isn't one of them either. :roll: :lol:

[Chad]

Well, I read all 43 posts and no comments from a single physician in the bunch.

Conjecture and heresay are what rumors are about .. the facts are that aspartame is safe for consumption at normal doses. Research attempts to detect the worst case scenario, feeding rats and mice hundreds of times the normal amount of a substance to assess it's effects. Remember too, that one person who has a side affect or reaction to aspartame is enough to warrant listing that as an "untoward effect". When in reality, it is most likely an exception to the rule. On the whole, the chemical is accepted as safe by a majority of the medical profession.

The discussion was a spirited one, but maybe the site should focus on what the contributors know best .. Pocket PC's .. that's what I come here to read!

-C.H., MD

[Dave Beauvais]

Originally Posted by BwanaJim

Actually, phenylketonurics are persons with Phenylketonuria which is a rare, metabolic disease in which an enzyme (phenylalinine hydroxylase) ...

Thank you for clearing that up. I think I've always read that as though "Phenylketonurics" was just another ingredient which itself contained "phenylalanine." ops: Now that I look at it again armed with the correct information, I see my error. Thanks! Who would have thought I'd learn about medical conditions on a PDA site!

--Dave

[aBrentk]

Jason, thanks for looking out for us! I don't personally know how aspartame effects me, if at all, but I'm always a little suspicious of man-made foods. There are too many diseases in this world with unknown causes (Crohn's for one, which one of my sons has), some of which are becoming more prevalent over time, to take the subject of man-made foods (and other chemicals that we either breath or somehow ingest) lightly. Should we say the sky is falling and hide under a rock, obviously not, but let's also not completely ignore others' alleged suffering while we wait for corporate-funded (or under-funded) labs to tell us what's safe.

And while on the subject of low-cal sweetners, let me play Andy Roony for a second and ask, "You ever notice how people drink diet sodas with their <insert junk food here>?"

[twoggle]

Hello. Just wanted to add a few thoughts based on my understanding of this issue developed from discussions with researchers and reading the research. A few years ago I was asked to participate in a meta-analysis of the research, but the project never got off the ground -- everyone was too busy!

It wasn't until a few years ago that research in Italy showed that aspartame ingestion at relatively small amounts led to the accumulation of formaldehyde "adducts" (bound to protein) in the brain, liver, and other organs and tissues.

"These are indeed extremely high levels for adducts of formaldehyde, a
substance responsible for chronic deleterious effects that has also been
considered carcinogenic.
....
"It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard
because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts."
(Life Sci, 63(5):337+, 1998)

Exposure to formaldehyde from aspartame ingestion can be calculated. However, this was the first study to look at formaldehyde accumulation.

About that same time, there were several other findings including 1) the fact that almost all studies independent of the manufacturer found problems with aspartame (including double-blind studies) while manufacturer-funded studies claimed safety; and 2) the claims that the manufacturer made for several years that the chemicals from aspartame were metabolized similarly to that of natural food products (e.g., tomatoes, fruits, meat, dairy, etc.) were disproven by their own research and by independent research.

Since that time, there have been independent human studies linking aspartame to fibromyalgia, memory loss, and one small study linking diet beverages to large brain tumors in certain population groups.

It is true that there are a couple of "urban legend" sites and some web sites created by the manufacturer or organizations funded by the manufacturer. However, the urban legend sites are put together by well-meaning persons who have no familiarity with the subject. In fact, one person (not me) made an attempt to discuss the science on the snopes.com message board, but the science of the issue was deemed to be off-topic (like this subject :-)).

The best place to get information on this any most related health subjects is from persons and organizations that are 1) completely independent of the manufacturer and the trade groups, and 2) familiar with the research (not just summaries/abstracts). Come to think of it, whever I want to buy an expensive product, I look for total independence and thorough knowledge of the subject. Of course, independence and familiarity doesn't necessarily mean that the information is accurate, but I do think there is a better chance of accuracy.

Here are a couple of sites I like:

http://www.additivesout.org.uk/
(click on aspartame link on left of page)

Government *scientists*
http://www.dorway.com/betty/fdainves.txt
http://www.dorway.com/gross.txt
http://www.dorway.com/bressler.txt

Scientific FAQs
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/aspfaq.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/

Statements by independent physicians
http://www.dorway.com/doctors.html

=============

Now I just need to find the right Pocket PC to help me in my work!

Cordially,

Twoggle

[dave]

is that aspartame under the screen of my jornada?

[teschall]

I once told my mother (a very heavy neutrasweet user) that aspartame caused memeory loss. About 4 hours later, she called me and asked "what did you say aspartame causes"!!! True story.