The Aspertame Lawsuit (Equal Sugar Sweetener Is Toxic!)

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by NRen2k5

I would like to see some statistics that it is. Isn’t that where the burden of proof lies?

Nope, you made the statement, now back it up with facts. Or it is merely opinion.

Fine, my statement is opinion, no better than yours.

Originally posted by FredT
reply to post by intrepid

 

Ill be happy to provide you with some studies that show its cancer risk

Life-span exposure to low doses of aspartame beginning during prenatal life increases cancer effects in rats.

Consumption of aspartame-containing beverages and incidence of hematopoietic and brain malignancies.

Both are peer reviewed, published reserch articles

Finally! Thank you! Now this, I believe.


reply to post by anhinga

Propaganda, again, but at least the doctors’ statements can be verified.


reply to post by annestacey

Some toxins are eliminated. Some aren’t.

Your link is mostly irrelevant. A propaganda author interviewed by an alarmist/propaganda site. Haven’t I told you about this problem of yours enough?

Originally posted by NRen2k5

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by NRen2k5

I would like to see some statistics that it is. Isn’t that where the burden of proof lies?

Nope, you made the statement, now back it up with facts. Or it is merely opinion.

Fine, my statement is opinion, no better than yours.

I guess there's nothing left to say. That's fine, the reader will make up their own mind on this.

[edit on 4-11-2007 by intrepid]

The fact that it causes migraines/headaches in people (including me) seems a bit of a coincidence considering that it is claimed to be a neurotoxin.

www.blackwell-synergy.com...

This is the opinion of a former FDA worker on aspartame:

www.life-enthusiast.com...

Originally posted by intrepid

I guess there's nothing left to say. That's fine, the reader will make up their own mind on this.

No, I havent been able to make up my mind after reading this thread...unfortunately. I guess any of the two sides can provide proof backing up their side. But Id really, really, really like to know which side is fooling me.

reply to post by Skyfloating


This is a pretty neutral site, Skyfloating.... it's laid out simply and there's even a subject headed, "Illegal Attempts at Subverting This Site" - from an anti aspartame user.

aspartametruth.org...

My bottom line are the actual ingredients. Two of the three are 'fine' whereas the last is a toxic substance.

[edit on 4-11-2007 by anhinga]

reply to post by anhinga


Good site as it apparently attempts to way out the pro & con sides.

If you consume aspartame on a regular basis and have undiagnosed health problems, I strongly recommend you take the "aspartame challenge": stop consuming all aspartame products for at least a few weeks and see if your symptoms are alleviated.

From aspartametruth.org...

Worked for me!

Originally posted by anhinga
My bottom line are the actual ingredients. Two of the three are 'fine' whereas the last is a toxic substance.

Missed by post on table salt again, did ya?

reply to post by NRen2k5


I don't even know what that means . . . .

reply to post by intrepid


Here's a little info that is being flat out ignored in this debate...

Methanol is commonly encountered in the diet. The table below shows the amount of methanol you would get from a can of diet soft drink, along with amounts found in the same volume of several fruit juices. Methanol is well known to be poisonous in large quantity. "Large quantity" means tens or hundreds of grams. Your liver can deal with reasonable quantities of methanol, metabolizing it so that it can be excreted. If you start drinking enough methanol to get inebriated, you overwhelm your liver's metabolic machinery, and serious problems result.

Diet soft drink (12 oz can) 0.024 gram
Orange juice 0.018 gram
Apple juice 0.021 gram
Grape juice 0.046 gram
Tomato juice 0.085 gram

www.chm.bris.ac.uk...

1996, 27 June without public notice, the FDA removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in everything, including all heated and baked goods. The truth about aspartame's toxicity is far different than what the NutraSweet Company would have you readers believe.

www.speakfreeamerica.net...

From a "concerned mother's" website about the sniffing aspartame craze among kids.... this is sickening, did not know this was happening.

reply to post by anhinga


Just so you don't look like you're ignorant, please start adding fruit and vegetable juices to your list of TOXIC substances, since they contain MORE of the toxic ingredient you're so dead set against...

reply to post by 27jd


Watch the insults, and you're wrong as usual. READ A LITTLE before jumping up to the plate. IT NEEDS an antidote to counteract the poisonous nature of said substance. Which, I already posted in this thread!

discovermagazine.com...

HOW SWEET IT ISN’T

The August article “Hitting the Sweet Spot” [The Chemistry of . . . Artificial Sweeteners] supports the safety of aspartame and gives credence to the half-truths often espoused by the diet-food industry. While it is true that both aspartame and fruit yield small amounts of methanol, in fruit the methanol is accompanied by ethanol, a natural antidote, and bound to pectin, which renders it unavailable to humans. In aspartame the methanol is unopposed, readily available, and ultimately metabolized to formaldehyde, which cannot be eliminated and hence accumulates in the body. It is not accurate to claim, as does your article, that aspartame “has consistently been declared safe” or that “no concerns have held up under scrutiny.” My own double-blind study on adverse reactions to aspartame, published in Biological Psychiatry, should raise legitimate questions about the safety of this product.

-Ralph G. Walton
Professor of clinical psychiatry Northeastern Ohio Universities
College of Medicine

[edit on 5-11-2007 by anhinga]

Originally posted by anhinga
reply to post by 27jd

 

Watch the insults

Wasn't an insult. Just giving you a heads up so as not to appear ignorant.

and you're wrong as usual. READ A LITTLE before jumping up to the plate. IT NEEDS an antidote to counteract the poisonous nature of said substance. Which, I already posted in this thread!

I know all about the "antidote", thanks. But maybe you should read a tad on it yourself, not just taking the uneducated word of EVERY scare site you can find, ignoring real science.

First, we'll address the "antidote", you probably have no clue about the duration these things stay in the body...

Funny, you anti aspartame folks claim the ethanol in fruit is an antidote
for the methanol in fruit. Funny, how in liquor, it doesn't do this.

*snip*

Methanol has a much longer half-life than ethanol-- about 5 to 10 times.
Often used at night, the ethanol in wine blocks the conversion of methanol
into formaldehyde. Inebriation results. By the next morning, the ethanol
is gone, but some of the one part in ten thousand impurity of methanol,
about 128 mg per liter red wine, remains, and is promptly largely made into
formaldehyde and then largely into formic acid, resulting in the many famous
"morning after" hangover symptoms, since formaldehyde and formic acid are
potent, cumulative toxins that affect all cells and tissues.
www.bio.net...

And the reason methanol is toxic, is because it turns into formaldehyde, and we'll look at the site I linked earlier, and even you linked later....

A simple MEDLINE search reveals that the levels of formaldehyde they are talking about (30 micrograms after the ingestion of 200 mg/kg/day of aspartame for 11 days) are well within 'safe' levels, even though 200 mg/kg is equal to about 60 Diet Cokes per day(!) and this abstract states that the safe level of formaldehyde consumption is 3 mg/kg/day. In other words, consuming 210 milligrams of formaldehyde per day is safe for someone who weighs 70kg (about 154 pounds). Note that 30 micrograms is 0.030 milligrams.

So the Barcelona study shows levels of measured formaldehyde exposure after ingesting aspartame equivelent to 60 Diet Cokes was 1/6000 of the acceptable daily limit for formaldehyde ingestion. Even if we say that there is a 100x difference in aspartame->formaldehyde metabolism between rats and humans and use the lowest level of natural formaldehyde found in foods (20 mg/kg) as the acceptable limit, this still means that consuming 60 Diet Cokes will cause your ingestion of formaldehyde to be 1/6th of the acceptable limit.

And this is a study that the anti-aspartame sites use to show aspartame is DANGEROUS!

Don't we have more important things to worry about?

aspartametruth.org...

Indeed we do.

reply to post by 27jd


Only reason I used that link is for others to see a non-bias, and guess what, I think it was a mistake to use, but it's said and done, so I carry on...

You like drinking and eating formaldehyde, a known carcinogen?

In food
www.stuff.co.nz...
www.holisticmed.com...
(this site is a study w/ a chapter labeled: Methanol and Fruit/Tomatoes: Convince the World That a Poison is "Natural")

1. They knew that alcoholic beverages contain protective factors which prevent chronic methanol poisoning (Sturtevant 1985).

2. Because industry scientists regularly announced that certain fruits contain extremely high levels of methanol, they should have taken the time to find out that fruits have protective factors which help prevent chronic poisoning from methanol metabolites.

In general
www.epa.gov...
www.osha.gov...

And personally, I'm still 'worried' about this topic. . . .

[edit on 5-11-2007 by anhinga]

Originally posted by anhinga
You like drinking and eating formaldehyde, a known carcinogen?

Yes, I love it. Can't get enough of it. But seriously, what kind of question is that?

You like breathing in formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde
This pungent pollutant can be found in most homes, but can you identify its source? Cosmetics
Glues and adhesives
Pressed-wood furniture, shelving, or paneling
Insulation materials
All of the above


The correct answer is: All of the above

This strong-smelling, colorless chemical is used widely in the production of everything from building materials to nail polish.

In homes, the biggest source of formaldehyde tends to be pressed-wood products, such as plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Used to make shelving, cabinets, furniture, and paneling, pressed-wood products release formaldehyde fumes into the air.

The amount of formaldehyde released from these products gradually decreases over time, which means new pressed-wood products emit more formaldehyde than older items.

Even so, the amount of formaldehyde that these products may emit is regulated by the U.S. government, and there is little evidence to suggest that household exposure level causes any long-term negative health effects -- although studies show that levels of formaldehyde vary significantly from home to home.
Most research showing negative health consequences from exposure to formaldehyde involved industrial exposure levels. Studies show that people who work with formaldehyde, and therefore are exposed to high levels for prolonged periods, may have a slightly increased risk of developing certain types of cancer. But the impact of typical home-level formaldehyde on cancer risk is considered to be negligibly low.

The bottom line: If you or a member of your family is sensitive to the stuff, keep the possible health effects in mind when you're making decisions about new furniture or home improvement projects. Using products that contain formaldehyde can temporarily increase levels in the air and may cause short-term symptoms in people sensitive to the fumes.

Other household items that may emit formaldehyde gas include:
Wallpaper
Permanent-press fabrics, such as drapes and linens
Glues and adhesives
Nail polish
Foam insulation
www.realage.com...

I bolded the bottom line. I believe it applies to aspartame as well, if you're sensitive to it, stop using it. Simple. Some people are sensitive to bee stings and can die very fast from ONE sting, it's best for them to avoid getting stung. It's all about individual chemistry.

It's telling that you feel you made a mistake citing an unbiased source.

As long as you're worrying, might as well add some stuff...

Many scientists and government agencies have concluded that levels of persistent toxic pollution in the environment, in wildlife, and in our bodies can cause health problems including reproductive failure, hormone disruption, cancer, birth defects, as well as learning and behavioral disorders.

Consider the following:

According to the National Academy of Sciences, 60,000 children each year may suffer brain problems as a result of exposure to mercury in the womb, affecting their ability to learn, remember, and pay attention.
The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that as many as one in one thousand people in the United States will develop cancer from exposure to dioxin, with the current average daily intake of dioxin at more than 200 times the amount considered safe by the agency.
Puget Sound’s declining orca whales have become one of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world, in part because of PCBs found in the Puget Sound food chain. PCBs are known endocrine disruptors, which become highly concentrated in the fatty tissues of top predators.
For these reasons and many others, persistent toxic chemicals are among the most dangerous substances on the planet.

How are we exposed to persistent toxic chemicals?

There are several ways in which people are exposed to persistent toxic chemicals. For example, these chemicals accumulate in the bodies of fish and animals, where they are stored in fatty tissues. They are passed on to humans when we eat fish, meat, or dairy products from an animal that had been exposed to or consumed persistent toxic chemicals during its life. These chemicals are passed on to children while in the womb and through breast milk.

Recent studies of dust have revealed the presence of persistent toxic chemicals in our homes, schools, and offices. This suggests that we breathe or ingest some persistent toxic chemicals from the ambient environment.

Children's exposure to persisten toxic chemicals is of particular concern. Kids receive a higher dose, or body burder, of chemicals due to their lower body weight. Small children inhale or ingest more contaminated dust or soil because they spend their time closer to the ground and they tend to place their fingers and items in their mouths frequently.
www.toxicfreelegacy.org...

Why are you SO concerned about ONE chemical that is questionable at worst, when there are SO many more that we are exposed to regularly that are toxic for sure?

I doubt anybody reading this thread will ingest said substance that is known to contain a toxic substance, formaldehyde. (based on methanol definition, which is the actual ingredient - see earlier posts)

Here's the "Sweet Misery" trailer. The documentary is available at either Youtube in small doses or at Googlevideo in one shot. (90 minutes)

youtube.com...

[edit on 5-11-2007 by anhinga]

Originally posted by anhinga
I doubt anybody reading this thread will ingest said substance that is known to contain a toxic substance, formaldehyde.

There are MANY people reading this thread, who will ingest MANY toxic substances, willingly or not. Are you COMPLETELY ignoring my above post? Formaldehyde is from many sources, the thing is, it is safely metabolized in small enough amounts. Meaning the body gets rid of it. And once again, we ingest MANY MANY MANY toxins everyday. Yes, you too. So continue to crusade against diet coke if it makes you feel better, but your body is FAR from pure, you're screwed anyway you look at it just by living here on earth.

Here's the "Sweet Misery" trailer. The documentary is available at either Youtube in small doses or at Googlevideo in one shot. (90 minutes)

Sorry, the name alone is all I need to see. Just like some Fox News, overly dramatic headline, it's propaganda. "Sweet Misery" and "Aspartamekills.com", etc., ALL biased propaganda. It would be like me linking you to check out a site called "Diet Coke is what Jesus would drink. com", BS. There are pros and cons, and AGAIN, there are PLENTY of sites that say sugar is the most horrble thing we could ingest, so whatever.

Bottom line: We're all gonna die. Thank you for caring enough to let us know what scares you and should scare the rest of us. I respectfully decline to be scared of it though. There are plenty of things to fear these days.

www.healthy-homes.com...


[edit on 5-11-2007 by 27jd]

Right, sure, keep trying to change the subject.... (looks around room, shrugs, takes a sip of this healthy, caffeinated Yerma Matte tea )

Here's ( lovethetruth.com... ) a 'cool' site for those following this 'lil discussion, what a great name! Their main page is pretty anti-NWO and have a lot of 'interesting' categories.... look at this! A page on aspartame:

-Aspartame/Nutrasweet's 10% Methanol appears in the body quickly and is the same alcohol (wood alcohol also in lacquer thinner), that your mother correctly warned you could make you blind. Many skid-row alcoholics had major problems with this cheap but deadly form of alcohol.

-Aspartame/Nutrasweet's 40% Aspartic Acid is an "excitotoxin" in the brain and excites neurons to death, i.e. it kills brain cells and causes other nerve damage.

-Aspartame/Nutrasweet's breakdown products attack the bodies tissues and create Formaldehyde which builds up in the tissues forever. Remember the smelly, eye watering fumes from the frogs you dissected in school? They were preserved with Formaldehyde! Formaldehyde is thought to cause cancer.

-American Bottlers Association did not want the FDA to approve Aspartame/Nutrasweet because of what the test report showed. But the FDA approved it anyway!

-Aspartame/Nutrasweet also breaks down to diketopiperazine (DKP) which is proven to cause brain tumors! brain tumors used to be rare. Several of the rats in the original study formed brain tumors during their Aspartame/ Nutrasweet exposure. The researchers surgically removed the tumors and returned the rats to the study and discounted the tumors.

lovethetruth.com...

Originally posted by anhinga
Right, sure, keep trying to change the subject.... (looks around room, shrugs, takes a sip of this healthy, caffeinated Yerma Matte tea )

Healthy? Au contraire.....

Like the other members of its family, caffeine, as a poison of sorts, can actually be toxic—even lethal. But a person would have to consume a really huge amount of caffeine to die from it. A deadly dose of coffee—or any of the other caffeine-bearing products, like chocolate or cola—is equivalent to 40 strong cups (5,000 milligrams) and your body would most certainly reject it before it could do any harm. An injection of this amount of pure caffeine, however, would more than likely do the trick.

It probably won't come as a surprise, then, to discover that the human body indeed responds to caffeine as it would a poison—very similarly, in fact, to the manner in which it responds to alcohol. Liver enzymes are called on to assail the caffeine molecules and break them down as quickly as possible. This is achieved by reversing the chemical processes by which caffeine was constructed in the plants from which it comes. Groups of molecules—the methyl groups of theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthine—are separated one by one.

This process has an interesting net effect on humans. It turns out that one of these molecules called paraxanthine is very similar to caffeine in structure and in its effect on the brain. Paraxanthine is even more potent than caffeine itself, and since 70 percent of a dose of caffeine is broken down into paraxanthine, a healthy percentage of the buzz that coffee gives us is not from caffeine at all, but from the dismantling of caffeine into paraxanthine.

As with most other drugs, everyone's body reacts a little differently to the intake of caffeine. For some, the smallest amount of caffeine is enough to keep them awake all night. Others profess to drinking ten—even twenty—cups a day without a disruption of sleep. Caffeine is known to upset stomachs and exacerbate anxiety in some people (though not in others), but to also ease headaches and bodily pains. It's often tied to irritability, depression, nervousness, and headaches.

www.brainconnection.com.../caffeine3

Why are you KNOWINGLY ingesting poison?