Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
The FMS Community offers available information on this issue, we do not endorse
any view on the subject. Please read the information and make your own, educated
decision on the issue.
The Snopes Statement on Aspartame.
phenylalanine, the main metabolite of aspartame has been used from many health sources for various ailments including fibromyalgia chronic pain depression etc.
Nancy Markel/ Betty Martini. An Anti aspartame piece by a leading activist.
Internet Article on Aspartame
The Internet is a marvelous source for information and communication. But when it
is used to proffer outrageously inaccurate information masquerading as science,
it is ill used. Such was the case in a recent piece attacking aspartame (the major
sweetener used in diet soft drinks and many other products) by a person identifying
herself only as "Nancy Markle." Choosing to remain essentially anonymous, she provided
no qualifications, affiliations, nor an address.
Aspartame has been approved as safe for human consumption by the United States Food
and Drug Administration, by regulatory authorities in over 90 countries, by the
Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization and the World Health Organization, and by many medical and scientific
organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy
of Pediatrics, the American Diabetes Association, the Epilepsy Institute, and the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
The Internet article attributes numerous diseases, including multiple sclerosis,
systemic lupus, diabetic coma, memory loss, "Dessert (sic) Storm health problems,"
and others to aspartame intake. This incredible assertion by Ms. "Markle" simply
has no basis in fact. Wood alcohol (methanol) formed by the breakdown of aspartame
is cited as the source of these health problems. The metabolic, nutritional and
safety studies performed on aspartame, which are published in medical and scientific
literature, document its safety.
Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and the methyl ester of
phenylalanine. When aspartame is absorbed by humans, approximately one-tenth of
the dose is converted to methanol, which is then converted to formaldehyde, then
immediately to formate, which is then converted to carbon dioxide and water. All
of these conversions occur by normal metabolic processes. These same processes are
used in converting the methanol found in many fruits, fruit juices, vegetables and
wine to carbon dioxide and water. Thus, methanol is a natural by-product of the
metabolism of many commonly consumed foods. In fact, a glass of tomato juice provides
about five times as much methanol as a similar amount of diet soft drink containing
aspartame. Many other juices also provide more methanol than a similar amount of
soft drink. These amounts of methanol from many foods, or the lesser amounts from
aspartame intake, are rapidly metabolized, do not accumulate in the body and cannot
reach harmful amounts.
Although the causes(s) of multiple sclerosis
(MS) and systemic lupus are not fully understood, many scientists believe they are
autoimmune diseases (attack by the body against its own tissue) and MS may be triggered
by a virus. There is no evidence to support the absurd allegations in the "Markle"
article.
The safety of aspartame has been thoroughly established, and consumption of diet
soft drinks or other foods containing aspartame is not associated with adverse health
effects. The level of daily consumption that is judged to be safe by the FDA is
50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight per day. At this level,
for example, a 150-pound (60-kilogram) person would need to consume almost 16 12-ounce
cans of a beverage containing aspartame to reach this level of intake. The article
attributed to "Nancy Markle" is misinformation that does not even qualify as junk
science.
Aspartame: review of safety.
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2002 Apr;35(2 Pt 2):S1-93
Butchko HH, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C, Blackburn GL,
de Sonneville LM, Geha RS, Hertelendy Z, Koestner A, Leon AS, Liepa GU,
McMartin KE, Mendenhall CL, Munro IC, Novotny EJ, Renwick AG, Schiffman
SS, Schomer DL, Shaywitz BA, Spiers PA, Tephly TR, Thomas JA, Trefz FK.
Medical and Scientific Affairs, The NutraSweet Company, Mt Prospect,
Illinois 60056, USA.
harriett.h.butchko@nutrasweet.com
Aspartame Hoax?
There is no known connection between aspartame and any medical
condition except phenylketonuria, whose victims must completely
avoid phenylalanine, one of the breakdown products of aspartame
(and present in many other dietary sources as well). The stories
about it's alleged toxicity are urban legend. It never gets into the
bloodstream but is broken down into other substances that commonly
occur in the diet
ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET): NO DANGER Written by David Squillacote MD
Relief of FM symptoms
following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins (MSG, Aspartame)
Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.
Ann Pharmacother 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6 Smith JD, Terpening CM, Schmidt SO, Gums JG.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA. PMID: 11408989
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder that is often difficult
to treat effectively.
CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome for two to
17 years are described. All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with
limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete, resolution of their symptoms
within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame
from their diet. All patients were women with multiple comorbidities prior to elimination
of MSG. All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.
DISCUSSION: Excitotoxins are molecules, such as MSG and aspartate, that act
as excitatory neurotransmitters, and can lead to neurotoxicity when used in
excess. We propose that these four patients may represent a subset of fibromyalgia
syndrome that is induced or exacerbated by excitotoxins or, alternatively,
may comprise an excitotoxin syndrome that is similar to fibromyalgia. We suggest
that identification of similar patients and research with larger numbers of patients
must be performed before definitive conclusions can be made.
CONCLUSIONS: The elimination of MSG and other excitotoxins from the diets of
patients with fibromyalgia offers a benign treatment option that has the potential
for dramatic results in a subset of patients.
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