Aspartame Poisoning Fact Sheet 
 (NutraSweet • Equal • Canderel • Diet Coke • Diet Pepsi • Pepsi One)
Updated September 15, 2001

Aspartame (NutraSweet) Toxicity Information Center
12 East Side Dr., Suite 2-17, Concord, NH 03301  USA 603-225-2110
Email: aspartame@holisticmed.com • Web: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
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Formaldehyde Poisoning From Aspartame Ingestion

Formaldehyde is distributed throughout the body and accumulates after aspartame ingestion. Formaldehyde has been shown to cause gradual damage to the nervous system, immune system, and irreversible genetic damage at extremely low-level, regular exposure. Internal damage from gradual formaldehyde poisoning often occurs before symptoms appear.

“These are indeed extremely high levels for adducts of formaldehyde, a substance responsible for chronic deleterious effects that has also been considered carcinogenic. …It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts.” [Life Sciences (scientific journal), Vol. 63, pages 337+, 1998]

FDA Reported Aspartame Poisoning Symptoms

Memory loss, migraines, vision loss & other vision problems, dizziness, seizures, arthritis symptoms, confusion, numbness or tingling of limbs, convulsions, slurring of speech, depression, irritability, anxiety attacks, personality changes, insomnia, palpitations, asthmatic symptoms, chest pain, hypertension, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin disorders, loss of blood sugar control, diabetic complications, weight gain, hypoglycemia, PMS symptoms, frequent urination, bloating, excessive thirst, death, and many more. 

Diseases Aspartame is Believed to Promote and Worsen

Multiple Sclerosis, lupus, diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, allergies, asthma, lymphoma, arthritis, ADD/ADHD, and other diseases susceptible to gradual poisoning.

Millions of Cases Aspartame Poisoning

Aspartame Poisoning reports account for more than 75% of the reports to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System as of 1995. It has been estimated that 1-2 million sufferers have recognized their adverse reactions to aspartame. Many times that number of people may be suffering from its effects but have not yet recognized the connection between aspartame poisoning and their symptoms. Please read the countless case histories available on the Internet at: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

 “I know from my own experience, the levels of devastation this product  are real. I have  lesions on the left temporal lobe of my brain  and a series of seizures to prove it. …. I drank diet coke for YEARS.... loved the stuff.. and  'tho everyone told me(vaguely) that Aspertame was bad for me.. did I listen??  Noooooo. Annnnd I paid the price.” [Aspartame Victim]

“I know that the average consumer has a devil-may-care something-is-gonna-kill-me attitude... but they don't realize that before THIS stuff kills they are going to have a miserable declining existence with LOTS of pain and other problems (not to mention cancer, tumors, and maybe even alzheimer or similar things) before death solves the problem.” [Aspartame Victim]

“I have had most all of the symptoms as those you surveyed: petit mal seizures, headaches (felt like my brain was going to come out of my head), loss of vision, dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, disorientation, dizziness, sleeplessness, diarrhea, sensitivity to noise and bright light, stomach bloat and gas, inability to lose weight on what had previously been a successful diet and might have gained weight, shortness of breath, chest pains, irregular heart beat. I always had the feeling I was seeing the world through a clouded lens. I took myself off aspartame about a month ago. The above symptoms are either gone or are greatly reduced at this point.”  [Aspartame Victim]

Independent Scientists Find Problems With Aspartame

In a preliminary review of the scientific literature on aspartame, nearly 100%of the independent research has identified problems with aspartame according to Ralph Walton, M.D., Chairman of The Center for Behavioral Medicine & Prof. of Clinical Psychiatry at the Northeastern Ohio Univ. College of Medicine. This includes controlled human research and animal research. Research paid for by the aspartame manufacturer always claims that aspartame has been proven safe, but has been shown to have severe flaws.

Monsanto and Ajinomoto are responsible for aspartame poisoning. Information on Monsanto’s toxic products can be found on the Internet at: http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/

Quotes from Independent Health & Medical Experts

 “It was a very interesting paper, that demonstrates that formaldehyde formation from aspartame ingestion is very common and does indeed accumulate within the cell, reacting with cellular proteins (mostly enzymes) and DNA (both mitochondrial and nuclear). The fact that is accumulates with each dose, indicates grave consequences among those who consume diet drinks and foodstuffs on a daily basis.”
Dr. Russell Blaylock, Neurosurgeon & Neuroscientist

“Because I have seen a number of patients – mostly women - who report headaches from using it, I don't view it as nontoxic or biologically inert.”
Dr. Andrew Weil, respected Complementary Medicine practitioner

 “Aspartame has resulted in irreversible brain damage in lab animals. Taken in quantities consumed by the average sweetness addict, it can cause headache, dizziness, depression, memory loss, confusion, visual loss and convulsive seizures. …. A bonafide poison: Wood alcohol (methanol), is the one certifiable poison in aspartame, is what alcoholics sometimes have made the mistake of drinking, only to end up blind or dead, two of the more notorious effects.”
Dr. Robert Atkins / Health Revelations, April 1994

“The years that have followed the release of this toxic substance on the American population have been met with literally thousands of consumer complaints of adverse health effects associated with consumption of products containing aspartame … Currently aspartame accounts for over 75% of all the complaints in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System. Yet the use of this product grows every day and your FDA does nothing.”
Ted Broer, MD / Publisher of “Fit at Forty, Fifty, Sixty & Beyond”

“The mental symptoms that aspartame can produce in a person is thought to be related to the increase in violence and suicides in our population. Aspartame causes a blockage of the formation of serotonin in the brain. …people swallowing aspartame … will more readily have headaches, insomnia, depression, hostility, anxiety, and a host of other negative symptoms. …. Aspartame is known to disturb thyroid function.”
Lendon Smith, MD, Physician & Publisher of “The Facts”

“This product has some highly toxic reactions in the human visual pathway, and we are beginning to observe the tragic damage to the optic nerve, such as blindness, partial to total optic nerve atrophy. Once this destructive process has developed there is no return of visual restoration.  We are beginning to see and observe another toxic reaction which affects the central nervous system which is related to phenylalanine levels in the central nervous system.  These observations are more vague, however, it stimulates the damaging to the brain and the central nervous system, having the manifestations as PKU Neuro Damage.  Over 3,000 cases have been reported, and the FDA to date has ignored this existence.”
Dr. Morgan Raiford, Ophthalmologist & Methanol Poisoning Expert

 “The [manufacturer] lied and they didn't submit the real nature of their observations because had they done that it is more than likely that a great number of these studies would have been rejected simply for adequacy. What [the manufacturer] did, they took great pains to camouflage these shortcomings of the study. As I say filter and just present to the FDA what they wished the FDA to know and they did other terrible things for instance animals would develop tumors while they were under study. Well they would remove these tumors from the animals.”
FDA Toxicologist & Investigator Dr. Adrian Gross

“[The manufacturer’s studies were] incredibly sloppy science. What we discovered was reprehensible.”
Former FDA Commissioner, Alexander Schmidt

“Unfortunately, many patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed serious metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be specifically attributed to using aspartame products. This was evidenced by: The loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia, the occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or simulation of diabetic complications (especially impaired vision and neuropathy) while using these products. Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and the prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently. I regret the failure of other physicians and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to sound appropriate warnings to patients and consumers based on these repeated findings which have been described in my corporate-neutral studies and publications.”
Dr. H.J. Roberts, MD (Diabetic & Weight Loss Specialist) 

“Chemically speaking, it's as if image-conscious dieters, in their quest for weight loss, were sucking on the toe of a corpse ‘just for the taste of it.’” [Referring to formaldehyde being used in embalming fluid]
Julie Rauer, Journalist 
On-line Expert Interviews: http://www.aspartame.com/

Sweetener Resources

Sweeteners To Use	Sweeteners To Avoid	
Stevia **	Aspartame	
Barley Malt	Neotame	
Evaporated Cane Juice	Sucralose (Splenda) — http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/	
Fruit Juice	Acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet & Safe, Sweet One)
http://www.holisticmed.com/acek/	
Rice Syrup	Cyclamates	
Honey	Saccharin	
Licorice Root (small amounts)	Refined Sugar #	
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)	High Fructose Sweeteners #	
Amasake	Sugar Alcohols (e.g., xylitol, sorbitol, etc.) #	
		
** Safe for Diabetics	# Can be used in very small amounts	

A detailed list of company resources for safe sweeteners can be found on the Healthier Sweetener Resource List web page on the Internet at:		http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/