Nutrasweet - the History of this Toxic Chemical and Its Promotion (Part
1)
In December of 1965, while James Schlatter, a chemist for G.D.
Searle & Company, was working on an anti-ulcer drug candidate he accidentally
discovered aspartame. He was recrystallizing aspartame from ethanol when the mixture
spilled onto the outside of the flask he was using. Some of the powder landed on his
fingers. Schlatter discovered the sweet taste of aspartame when he absent-mindedly licked
his finger later. He realized that the sweet taste must have been the aspartame.
The first report of the discovery of the artificial sweetener was
in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It stated:
"We wish to report another accidental discovery of an
organic compound with a profound sucrose (table sugar) like taste... Preliminary tasting
showed this compound to have a potency of 100-200 times sucrose depending on concentration
and on what other flavors are present and to be devoid of unpleasant aftertaste."
G.D. Searle has spent the last 40 years aggressively and
recklessly promoting their accidental discovery with total disregard to the evidence they
have gathered that show how dangerous and toxic this chemical is to human beings.
As early as 1984, studies were performed that clearly indicated
the toxicity of Nutrasweet (aspartame) to living organisms. In 1984, the State of Arizona
completed studies showing that aspartame in carbonated beverages can break down into free
methanol (among other things) in 99°F temperatures. Compare this to human beings’
average body temperature and we begin to see a problem.
On May 13, 1998, the University of Barcelona produced a study
clearly showing that Aspartame was transformed into formaldehyde in the bodies of the
living creatures, and that upon later examination the formaldehyde had spread throughout
the vital organs of their bodies.
The chemical breakdown of Aspartame in the human body is as
follows:
Methanol, from Aspartame, is released in the small intestine when
it meets the enzyme chymotrypsin.
The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde
is next converted to formic acid. Formic acid is toxic and is commonly used as an
activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid (90% of
Aspartame) are amino acids normally used in the synthesis of protoplasm when supplied by
the foods eaten. When unaccompanied by other amino acids, they become neurotoxic.
The FDA has established at least 92 medical/health problems that
have symptoms associated with Aspartame. These include abdominal pain, anxiety attacks,
Arthritis, Asthma and asthmatic reactions, bloating, edema , blood sugar control problems,
brain cancer, breathing difficulties, burning eyes or throat, burning urination, chest
pains, chronic cough, chronic fatigue, confusion, death, depression, diarrhea, dizziness,
excessive thirst or hunger, flushing of face, hair loss or thinning of hair,
headaches/migraines, dizziness, hearing loss, heart palpitations, hives , hypertension,
impotency and sexual problems, insomnia, irritability, joint pains, laryngitis, marked
personality changes, memory loss, menstrual problems or changes, migraines and severe
headaches, muscle spasms, nausea or vomiting, seizures and convulsions, slurring of
speech, swallowing pain, tachycardia, tremors, tinnitus, vertigo, vision loss, and weight
gain.
Aspartame disease mimics the symptoms and many times worsens
the following diseases:
Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease,
Lupus, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease, birth defects, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, and Attention Deficit Disorder.
In September 2004, an affidavit was signed describing the third
world studies and the health hazards of aspartame. These studies were conducted in 1983
and 1984 by the G.D. Searle Company and were translated to English from Spanish in 1984.
The "double blind" studies showed irrefutable evidence that aspartame caused
severe health problems and even death to the study group. According to the affidavit, the
doctor directing the studies has not been seen since the approval of aspartame in 1984.
The affidavit also describes how the affiant was directed by G.D. Searle officials to
destroy all records of the studies (including filed notes and/or translations) possessed
by the affiant. The affiant also described how the translations were forwarded to the G.D.
Searle corporate offices in Illinois.