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EDITOR'S COMMENT:

Here's a follow up to the story I sent out earlier today that dealt with
the controversial affects of Aspartame.

The first post is from the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation website. It
contains a letter written by David Squillacote, MD, that challenges many of
the points presented in the earlier post, "The Dark Side Of Artificial
Sweeteners." Importantly, Dr. Squillacote apparently does not realize that
"Nancy Markle" is not the author of the article he is responding to.

The second post comes from Monsanto's Nutrasweet website. It contains a 1999
press release challenging the alleged harmful affects of Aspartame, along
with links to several websites related to the Aspartame controversy.

And the finally, here's a link is to the Aspartame Toxicity Information
Center:

Aspartame Toxicity Information Center:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

While Dr. Squillacote and Monsanto do their best to torpedo all suggestions
that Aspartame causes a host of serious health problems, there appears to be
no shortage of people who believe otherwise.

Who's right? I don't know. Those of you who are interested in pursuing this
controversy should, however, now have enough information, from both sides of
the argument, to pursue it further if you want to.

Thanks to Suzanne Taylor for pointing me to the Snoops website which, in
turn, led to the resources posted below.

--- David Sunfellow

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ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET): NO DANGER
By David Squillacote MD

http://www.msfocus.org/aspart.htm

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 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 endorse or
condemn the product.

I ran a number of MEDLINE searches on aspartame.

a. There are 377 citations in the world medical literature (all languages)
from 1966 - 1998.

b. 2. There is no information whatsoever about deleterious effects of
aspartame on MS, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE or lupus), or
fibromyalgia.

c. There is no evidence that aspartame in any way causes, provokes, mimics
or worsens MS.

d. There is no evidence of any "aspartame disease."

e. 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.

f. It has not been shown to be dangerous to diabetics in any way.

g. One small study (which has not been repeated) did find some worsening of
depression when depressed patients took large doses of aspartame.

h. 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.

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SCIENTIFIC STUDIES, REGULATORY AUTHORITIES WORLDWIDE
CONFIRM ASPARTAME SAFETY

http://www.nutrasweet.com/infocenter/medialib/statements/confirmsafety.asp

(Chicago, IL - November 3, 1999-revised) Like many well known consumer
products, aspartame has been the subject of e-mail chains, websites,
listservers and user groups, many of which contain misinformation.

Aspartame's safety has been documented in more than 200 objective scientific
studies, which have been reviewed by the regulatory authorities in more than
100 countries around the world, by the United States Food and Drug
Administration, the Center for Disease Control, the European Commission's
Scientific Committee on Foods, and by experts of the United Nations' Food
and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. All of these
bodies have found aspartame to be safe. Further references are listed below.

It is our hope that consumers will choose to ignore these rumors and
propaganda, which are given further attention through tactics like awareness
days and instead ask their doctor, talk to a nutritionist or dietitian or
contact the organizations where reputable scientists have spent years
researching aspartame and who have examined and dismissed these allegations
as false. Consumers with questions about NutraSweet or Equal should call the
NutraSweet consumer line, toll-free at 1-800-322-5316 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
CST.

For further reference, please contact:

American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org

American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org

American Council on Science and Health
http://www.acsh.org

Calorie Control Council
http://www.caloriecontrol.org

Center for Disease Control (CDC)
http://www.cdc.org

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00772.html

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1998/sep16/aspartame.html

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
http://www.msfacts.org

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int

Grocery Manufacturers of America
http://www.gmabrands.com

International Food Information Council
http://ificinfo.health.org

Urban Legends and Folklore
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blasp.html

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