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American Academy of Pediatrics
In December, 1985 the American Academy of Pediatrics wrote: "The blood
phenylalanine levels reported in response to loading doses of aspartame in
normal adults and those heterozygous for the PKU gene do not seem to be
sufficiently high to warrant concern of toxicity to the individual or even to a
fetus during pregnancy".
December 1985
The American Council on Science and Health
"Anecdotal accounts, however compelling,
do not constitute scientific evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship.
Millions of people experience unpleasant physical symptoms. It is natural for an
individual to look for a cause for his or her physical discomfort, and aspartame
is an obvious, well-publicised candidate. However, the mere fact that a person
consumed this sweetener (aspartame) and experienced some kind of problem does
not mean that aspartame caused the problem. This situation could just as easily
be a coincidence. People who are concerned about the safety of aspartame can be
reassured by the results of the Centers' for Disease Control recent evaluation
of complaints about the sweetener. The CDC said that the complaints do not
provide evidence for the existence of serious, widespread adverse health
consequences from using aspartame".
The American Diabetes Association
On November 3, 1987 the American Diabetes
Association (ADA) submitted a statement to the Committee on Labor and Human
Resources United States Senate on Aspartame. That testimony stated:
"... Through the journal Clinical Diabetes alone, we are in regular contact
with approximately 70,000 physicians who are actively involved in the care of
patients with diabetes..."
"... We have had no indication from these professionals that there are
significant problems with the use of aspartame, or for that matter, that there
is any pattern of complaints regarding this product. The use and safety of
aspartame simply is not an issue among these health professionals, as far as we
can determine..."
"... in conclusion, ADA supports the continued availability of aspartame. Our
organisation, which has ongoing contact with a major portion of the diabetic
population using aspartame and the physicians who treat them, believes the
product has been shown to be safe ..."
"... We urge that the Congress, the Administration and the press focus their
attention on the broad evidence of science and nutrition, not on
unrepresentative individual anecdotal assertions..."
3 November 1987
The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical
Association
On July 19, 1985, the Journal of the American Medial Association reported on
its review of aspartame safety research. That authoritative report concluded:
"Consumption of aspartame by normal humans is safe and not associated with
serious adverse health effects. Individuals who need to control their
phenylalanine intake should handle aspartame like any other source of
phenylalanine".
19 July 1985
Chemistry & Industry
Considering how much random (mis)information is floating about in
the infosphere, it's no wonder that people are confused. The author of one scare
story, which spread like 'flu across the internet last year, claimed to have
"spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on
ASPARTAME". The message read: "In the keynote address by the EPA, they announced
that there was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and they
did not understand what toxin was causing this to be rampant across the United
States. I explained that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject."
The anonymous correspondent laid the blame at the door of the artificial
sweetener aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful. To quote:
"When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in
ASPARTAME coverts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid which in turn causes
metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants).
The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus people are being diagnosed
with having multiple sclerosis in error."
The message goes on: "If you are using ASPARTAME and you suffer from
fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps,
vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety
attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss - you probably have
ASPARTAME DISEASE!"
It scarcely needs to be pointed out that there was no such conference and
there is no such epidemic of multiple sclerosis. As the ever-dependable Urban
Legends Reference Page notes in its thorough debunking of the warning: "If you
can't trust an anonymous message filled with words rendered in CAPITAL LETTERS
and containing liberal doses of exclamation points, warning you about some
widespread and imminent danger, what can you trust?" (
http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartam.htm).
The message has been traced back to 1995, when it was written by one Betty
Martini. She is the founder of an organisation called 'Mission Possible' and,
according to that organisation's website, "has worked ceaselessly to spread the
word that aspartame is a toxic poison unfit for human consumption."
The word is certainly spreading. Like muck. However sincere Martini's beliefs
may be, her end effect is that of the boy who cried wolf. Such screeds can only
serve to obscure any genuine health problems which may arise.
This article appeared in Chemistry & Industry and is reproduced
here by permission of the publishers.
15 February 1999
The Epilepsy Institute
On March 18, 1986 the Epilepsy Institute stated that it had recently
investigated the allegation that NutraSweet (aspartame) was associated with
seizures and "found aspartame to be safe for people with epilepsy". Dr. Richard
Reuben, Chairman of The Epilepsy Institute's Professional Advisory Board, stated
that he saw "no cause to link aspartame and seizures". This same Professional
Advisory Board "saw no change in seizure patterns or seizure activity of
patients over the past three years". In addition, Dr. Reuben has said
"Allegations of a link between aspartame consumption and seizures unnecessarily
raises deep concern, anxiety and undue fear for over 2.5 million Americans with
epilepsy".
18 March 1986
ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET): NO DANGER
The Inappropriate and Unsubstantiated Alarm Over Aspartame
David Squillacote, MD
Senior Medical Advisor, Multiple Sclerosis
Foundation
In the 1960's, before the advent of satellite communications, gold workers in
the interior of South America knew the closing price of gold on the London
market within an hour of the closing. The final leg of the communication was
over jungle drums. Before the Internet, information moved through the Multiple
Sclerosis (MS) community in a similarly informal, but high fidelity, fashion.
Now, within minutes of a breaking story or rumor, the first question appears on
the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF) Internet forum. Such is the case with
the recent alarm over aspartame (NutraSweet and similar dietary sweetening
agents).
In a recent article by Nancy Markle, allegedly based on talks at the "World
Environmental Conference", wild and inaccurate information about aspartame is
being spread. I have no problem with information dissemination, even when it is
wrong, but Ms. Markle has crossed the line. The MSF has asked me to look into
the allegations raised and report on them.
| 1. |
There is no connection between the MSF and Ms. Markle. The MSF
has no knowledge of Ms. Markle's professional credentials (none are cited), and
a MEDLINE search shows no contributions to the world medical literature by
her. |
| 2. |
The MSF has/had no connection with the "World Environmental
Conference". |
| 3. |
Neither the MSF nor myself have any connection with Monsanto
(producer of NutraSweet). We do not support any of the inflammatory allegations
about NutraSweet made at this conference, but neither do we in any way formally
endorse or condemn the product. |
I ran a number of MEDLINE searches on aspartame.
| 1. |
There are 377 citations in the world medical literature (all
languages) from 1966-1998. |
| 2. |
There is no information whatsoever about deleterious effects of
aspartame on MS, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE or lupus), or
fibromyalgia. |
| 3. |
There is no evidence that aspartame in any way causes, provokes,
mimics or worsens MS. |
| 4. |
There is no evidence of any "aspartame disease". |
| 5. |
Repeated studies in peer reviewed journals show no adverse
effects of aspartame on seizures (rats, children, adults), weight gain, body
temperature, cognitive/behavioral/neuropsychiatric/neurophysiologic function,
brain/intestinal/liver hormones or enzymes, brain tumors, cancer, birth defects
(rats and humans), Parkinson's disease, allergic responses, blood pressure,
carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, etc. |
| 6. |
It has not been shown to be dangerous to diabetics in any
way. |
| 7. |
One small study (which has not been repeated) did find some
worsening of depression when depressed patients took large doses of
aspartame. |
| 8. |
Several small reports have appeared showing that there may be a
subset of migraine patients who worsen with aspartame. Other studies show no
connection in patients who have claimed to have aspartame-related headaches.
|
Ms. Markle's claims regarding the metabolism of aspartame are wildly
inaccurate. Her understanding of pharmacology and metabolism is largely
incorrect.
| 1. |
Aspartame does cause the production of small amounts of methanol,
but no more than normal consumption of fruits and vegetables. |
| 2. |
There are about 200 mg of aspartame in 12 ounces of most diet
drinks. Even with greater than 2000 mg of aspartame, there is no change in the
levels of methanol in normal adults. Normal volunteers have taken 600 mg/hour of
aspartame for 8 hours without significant increases in serum methanol. Normal
men have taken 10,000 mg of aspartame without any side effects. |
| 3. |
Infants who have received equivalently enormous doses of
aspartame show no increase in serum methanol levels. |
| 4. |
Methanol itself is not the problem in "methanol poisoning". It is
the generation of formic acid when the methanol is very high that causes the
dangerous acidosis and the blindness. Normal volunteers have taken 14,000 mg of
aspartame. Even though their methanol levels rose, the formic acid did not. The
methanol levels returned to normal within 8 hours. |
| 5. |
When aspartame-containing beverages are left at high storage
temperatures, the aspartame can degrade and form small amounts of
methanol. |
| 6. |
Diketopiperazine (DKP) is another breakdown product of aspartame.
It has not been show to be carcinogenic (causes cancers). |
| 7. |
There is no connection between "Desert Storm Syndrome" and
aspartame. |
Ms. Markle cites the work of Dr. H.J. Roberts. I do not know if she is citing
Dr. Roberts with or without his knowledge. Dr. Roberts is apparently an
Australian physician who has 77 citations in MEDLINE. He is a prodigious letter
writer and most of his citations are letters to the editors. He has published a
number of case reviews in second and third tier journals, and in addition has
produced a few articles on clotting problems and diabetic complications. He has
produced no original research that I can find on aspartame.
In summary, this series of allegations by MS. Markle are almost totally
without foundation. They are rabidly inaccurate and scandalously misinformative.
I have found no basis for alarm about aspartame, but would recommend (based on
one study) those patients who are being treated for depression let their
physicians know that they are using aspartame. Patients who have a documented,
evaluated adverse reaction to aspartame should avoid its use. There is no
connection between the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and Ms. Markle or her
writings.
12 January 1999
On 14 October 2003, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society issued a
statement concerning rumours circulating on the Internet about aspartame.
Stories Linking Aspartame and Multiple Sclerosis Unfounded
Several websites and documents circulating on the Internet are making
unsubstantiated claims about aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in many
diet soft drinks and other foods.
These stories claim that Aspartame is the cause of a variety of illnesses,
including MS, lupus, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, birth defects, Desert
Storm syndrome, brain tumors, and seizures. However, please bear in mind the
following:
 |
The claims are not documented. |
|
There is no evidence for "epidemics" of multiple sclerosis, lupus, and some
of the other diseases as claimed in the articles. |
|
There is no evidence that authors of the claims have any scientific,
medical, or academic credentials; nor is there any evidence that they have done
any scientific research to support their claims. |
|
No published, peer-reviewed scientific research exists that supports the
claims being made in the articles. |
MS symptoms come and go, often randomly. Thus, it is sometimes too easy to
assume that something coincidental in a person's life - a food eaten, a specific
event, an unproved therapy - is related to the onset of symptoms or the end of
symptoms. In fact, it may be independent of any of these things.
Scientifically controlled studies are of great importance, whether they prove
a drug is of true benefit or that a substance is of true harm.
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/headlines-aspartame.asp
14 October 2003
United States General Accounting Office Report
At the request of Sen. Howard Metzenbaum,
the General Accounting Office (GAO), an agency independent of the Executive
Branch, investigated the entire regulatory process over some ten years which led
to the Food and Drug Administration's approval of aspartame as a safe food
ingredient.
On June 18, 1987 the GAO's Executive Summary reported:
"FDA adequately followed its food additive approval process in approving
aspartame for marketing by reviewing all of Searle's aspartame studies, holding
a Public Board of Inquiry to discuss safety issues surrounding aspartame's
approval, and forming a panel to advise the Commissioner on those.
Furthermore, when questions were raised about the Searle studies, FDA had an
outside group of pathologists review crucial aspartame studies. GAO found that
throughout aspartame's approval history, the FDA addressed safety issues raised
internally and by outside scientists and by concerned citizens.
18 June 1987
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