Hi,

This quite disturbing letter I received today. I knew Apartame to be bad but not this bad

> Aspartame: Artificial Sweetener, Real Killer

> Aspartame is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals commonly
> used today, and you will find it in drinks such as diet
> colas and the artificial sweeteners you find in supermarkets
> in the sugar section. Aspartame is more toxic than some
> narcotic drugs, yet it is legal. Aspartame is used in more
> than 9000 products yet it has been linked to asthma, cancer,
> multiple sclerosis symptoms, anxiety, impotence, Parkinson's
> disease, seizures, and more. In fact, it is linked to at
> least about 18 serious diseases or conditions and many other
> minor ones.
>
> More than 9,000 different foods and pharmaceuticals now
> contain aspartame and they do not even mention this on the
> label. The story of aspartame and its creation is very
> interesting in a twisted way. If you look on the Internet,
> you will find numerous articles and scientifically published
> papers that clearly show the dangers of aspartame. Today,
> the places where you find aspartame most commonly are in the
> diets drinks such as diets colas, and in artificial
> sweeteners such as Nutrasweet and Canderel.
>
> The reason why aspartame raises so much concern and also
> causes so many problems and illnesses is because aspartame
> is actually, scientifically speaking, a member of a group of
> chemicals that are called excitotoxins and what this group
> of chemicals does is that it stimulates the neurons and
> nervous system and makes it fire excessively. When used in
> sufficient quantities, these chemicals fatigue and kill the
> nervous system by making it fire excessively. And that is
> why it is listed as such a dangerous chemical.
>
> Aspartame is actually composed of the ingredients a methyl
> ester, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Now listen to how
> dangerous these three ingredients are. Once it gets into
> the body, methanol is always converted to formaldehyde.
> Formaldehyde is that chemical that you find in laboratories
> that is used to embalm and preserve dead bodies. Now when
> you split aspartic acid and phenylalanine, you get a
> neurotoxin. The phenylalanine itself also carries some
> damage that includes the depletion of serotonin, increased
> mood swings, and the lowering of the seizure threshold.
> When it breaks down, aspartame also releases a chemical that
> is a brain tumor promoter.
>
> Okay, time for a pop quiz. Which is one of the companies
> that is involved in producing and marketing aspartame to the
> public? Monsanto. What else is Monsanto known for?
> Monsanto is one of the world's biggest producers of
> genetically modified foods, and it is a large producer of
> many other kinds of chemicals that go into foods and food
> production. What else is it known for? Pesticide production!
> Ok, which is one of the biggest soft drink markets in the
> world? Diet drinks. Diet drinks are one of the biggest
> revenue producers for food companies on this planet. And
> you cannot have diets colas without a sweetener. And so
> they mainly chose aspartame (and the labels usually don't
> say). It is such a multibillion dollar business that a lot
> of power and money are involved and yet again you see a
> reason why something that is otherwise insane has become so
> widespread and with very little information being passed on
> about it. The government actually protects the companies
> that produce these toxins. The FDA, based on questionable
> "evidence", approved it.
>
> Aspartame has actually been seen to contribute to the weight
> problem even though it is used in diets colas. Although it
> does not cause overweight issues in the same way that sugar
> does, it causes it by introducing very harmful toxins to the
> body. Excess toxins are often stored in the body in fat,
> and this is what contributes to the excess weight issues.
> There are millions of people drinking diets colas every day
> today and that still has not put a dent in their weight.
> Have you heard of the Gulf War syndrome? Many of the
> veterans who went to fight in the Gulf War when Iraq invaded
> Kuwait in 1991 went back to America with various illnesses
> that were at first unaccounted for. At first, the theory
> was that there was some chemical agent in the air in
> Saddam's country that was causing these people to fall sick.
> However, they did not understand why some people got sick
> and others did not, and in fact, the majority did not. Upon
> further investigation, some researchers reached the
> following conclusion and they were supported by many of the
> people who fell sick. The aspartame was the actual cause
> and here is what happened. During the war, Diet Kool-Aid
> manufacturers sent Diet Kool-Aid free to the soldiers out
> there in the desert. You know, to keep them cool. Some of
> those soldiers drunk very large amounts of this Diet Kool-
> Aid since it was free. Now the problem is that aspartame
> breaks down at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in
> the Arabian Desert is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That Diet
> Kool-Aid sat in that desert for 8 weeks and was slowly
> turning into a mixture containing formaldehyde. By the time
> the soldiers were drinking it, it was a toxic cocktail that
> contained formaldehyde among other things. This is what was
> making them sick.
>
> Research has shown that the formaldehyde that is converted
> from aspartame accumulates in a person's cells. It also
> damages the liver, hardens fluids in the joints and causes
> joint pains after prolonged use, damages the liver, damages
> the DNA, damages the cardiac system, damages the immune
> system, causes irregular heartbeat, and causes chronic
> fatigue. Quite often, it also results in Lou Gehrig's
> disease. The reason it does so is the extensive damage that
> it does to the central nervous system.
>
> Aspartame is also banned by major airlines for use by its
> pilots. Many major airlines do not allow their pilots to
> consume products that contain aspartame because it increases
> the risk of memory loss, vertigo, dizziness, and so on.
> Don't you find it strange that airlines will not allow their
> pilots to take it yet it is distributed to millions of
> consumers worldwide?
>
> It is also known to cause birth defects and even in low
> quantities is transferred to the fetus. Ever since its
> introduction, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease has gone
> up dramatically and even people as young as 30 are being
> admitted with this disease due to aspartame consumption.
> Do you know where else you can find aspartame? You can find
> it in some of the sugar-free chewing gums. Some, though not
> all, of these chewing gums contain aspartame. And even in
> such low quantities, it has been proven rather dangerous and
> there have been many instances of children and adults
> falling ill after just a few weeks of getting into the habit
> of eating these chewing gums. As you can see, the effects
> of aspartame a very varied and the way they manifest in a
> person very much depends on the person. However, regardless
> of who eats them, it is still toxic to some level. And
> prolonged use of it greatly increases the chances of a
> person getting degenerative diseases the more they use it.
> Since the 1950s, we have been following some very incorrect
> and unnatural guidelines regarding food, weight, and its
> link to health. Ever since then, we have become the only
> species on earth to have obesity problems and die of
> degenerative diseases. Paradoxically, we are also the only
> species that counts calories, is perpetually on a diet, and
> just can't seem to get lean and healthy. Why is that so? And
> why did it only start in the 1950s? Recently, the answers
> have been coming through and the truth is progressively
> being exposed. Have you ever asked yourself, "What if
> everything I know about food is wrong?" What would that mean
> to your life and your efforts?

> Article written by David Cameron, CEO ImagesOfOne.com.

> (Please forward this newsletter to your friends and
> associates, share it in newsgroups, mailing lists, and
> discussions, or publish it in your site and newsletter!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pinky,

Dang.
I knew it was bad but I didn't know HOW bad.

Reading the book ''Excitotoxins'' years ago changed my life. Absolutely topnotch book! Basically, MSG/Aspartame eat your brain cells. And I don't have any extras to spare, so I cut that stuff out ASAP!!!!

It had been giving me seizures at one time prior, but I didn't know what was doing it. They were very tiny ones, but they were there and I was noticing something was really wrong. My doctor said it was ADD! (which had come on me all of a sudden at age 38; I don't THINK so!) Something one day told me to switch over to regular cola instead of diet, and I did, and within about 10 days, all the little seizures and ''forget me'' spells were over for good!

Later I got into the Nutrasweet, with Dr. Atkins stuff. That ice cream with that in it tasted as good as Breyers! I adored that stuff! But the Nutrasweet got my eyes so messed up that I was trying to dig them out with my fingernails. I was in AGONY!!! To the doctor again, and he told me I was allergic to my cat! I told him I agreed that was possible, but thought it much more likely it was the Nutrasweet. He totally disagreed, and said that the Nutrasweet probably was not affecting me at all. So of course I went off the NUTRASWEET and got better, but it took a while for all of it to get out of my system. My eyes and my cat were both very grateful!

There's not going to be anything at all done about any of this stuff, though, because it would economically impact the manufacturers, and we just simply can't have that anymore. That's apparently what runs this country now!

from HSI
STEVIA
It will be interesting to see how the FDA's tune about stevia changes once Coca-Cola has plunked down the hefty chunk of change required for "approval" of the all-natural sweetener. As I mentioned a few weeks ago (in the 2/25/08 eTip, subject line: "Steeped in mystery"), the soda giant is teaming up with another company to get a version of stevia called Rebiana approved for use in some of its products. But that hasn't happened yet, and in the meantime, the FDA continues to make life miserable for other manufacturers using stevia in their products.

The most recent company to come under attack is Hain Celestial Group, which produces Celestial Seasonings tea. One of the products in the company's "Zingers" line, a "tea to go" drink mix, uses stevia to sweeten the beverage. But since the company hasn't forked over any ransom payments -- I mean "approval fees" -- to the FDA, the agency has insisted that Hain Celestial discontinue referring to the product as beverage or drink mix and re-label it as a "dietary supplement."

The warning letter to Hain Celestial also stated that "'data and information necessary to support the safe use [of stevia] have been lacking. In fact, literature reports have raised safety concerns about the use of stevia…'"

It's nice that they're so concerned for our welfare, and protecting us from those "safety hazards." Except for the fact that they only bother doing it when it's convenient for them.

We both know that there ARE no real safety concerns with stevia use -- that's just a nice hook the FDA can hang its hat on for now, while it holds out for its fat paycheck from Coca-Cola to clear. And once it does, I have no doubt that the agency will suddenly be convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, about what we've known all along: that stevia is one of the best, and safest, sweeteners available.

Hi Pinky,

I actually had a co-worker discover she had a reactions to aspartame. Throughout the day, she was using it in her coffee, and the soft drinks she drank had aspartame in it. The symptoms were: her fingers going numb, leg muscle cramps and weakness in her legs. She really thought she was getting something quite serious. After, reading the article from the health magazine, she stopped drinking ANYTHING with aspartame in it all together. It took about three weeks for the aspartame to finally get out of her system. Today, 8 years later, she is running a marathon with NO SYMPTOMS.

The reason I am sharing this story is to let others know how harmful this product is.

Many Blessings

This is so scary, all my life tea is like my favorite thing ever i've been using sweet n low in it. That means i'll have to give up my tea and for me that's like just giving up on life. Can i still drink tea with all that stuff in it? I hope that i can still drink turkey hill green tea. I don't want to really give that up. Even when i was in the army over in Iraq in 03 My mother sent me tea so i wouldn't be so depressed. I'm ok as long as i can drink once a day just a little bit of it. I now only drink that Turkey hill Green tea but i was always getting the diet kind. Now i'll have to find tea without that aspartame.


peace and love

Aaron,

I think that would be best so you don't become sick. Is there Turkey Hill Green Tea that is plain and unsweeten? You could add honey

Many Blessings

Pinky, this is great information which I know is true. I would like to pass it on to one person in particular, however if it doesn't come from a degreed expert she doesn't believe it. Do you know the source of the information you provided above? I'm sure with some research I could find sources that would give me the ammo I need, but I simply don't have the time to do it right now. So any info on the sources would be much appreciated!!

The people who produce this stuff have contributed to much suffering and even death. It is so sad to me, so unfathomable! Much Light is needed by these people.

I've been drinking very little soda lately. I've been a Diet Pepsi fan for over 30 years. I can't drink sugared soda -- it tastes horrible to me. I was really thirsty today on the way home from work and needed to stop for something else at the grocery store. I was going to grab a bottle of water out of the cooler at the checkout but no water -- only Pepsi. I bought a Diet Pepsi. All I could think while I was drinking it was that I was drinking poison. It tasted horrible to me. I think my Diet Pepsi days are over and I'll take the few extra steps to find water. Arizona makes some nice teas with not much sugar - and in glass bottles, too.

I'd be a Coke fan in a flash if they'd put stevia in it!

Aaron, I'm happy that you're home safely from Iraq. Any lingering issues that you'd like us to help you work on from that? Much love and hugs to you.

Hi Aaron,

Do'nt despair you can still drink your tea There is a very good and perfectly healthy substitute for sweet and low etc. and that's Stevia.

Mine is from Sunrider. With one bottle you can do a long time.

I second that Pinky - also from Sunrider. 1 drop is equivalent to 1 teaspoon sugar more or less. It lasts for ages.

I had a Stevia plant and when you chew the leaves they are fantastically sweet. Unfortunately in the drought we had it died.

Love
Wendy

Aaron, Sweet and Low is saccharin, and that is VERY cancer causing; it's TERRIBLE! All the artificial sweeteners they've made are bad!

Stevia is natural, and the things I have always heard about it is that it has NEVER been shown to have done anything bad at ALL! So THAT'S why the FDA is so skeptical! They only like things from killer drug companies!

If you read diet recommendations from most of the natural food people, who believe in natural (which of course in the US is ALTERNATIVE health), most of them either recommend stevia, or allow it. Many of them also allow or recommend honey.

But aspartame, saccharin, and manmade sweeteners are rarely on their approved lists. I THINK that I have also read that stevia actually has some nutritional value (but I'm not sure about that--I very well could be misremembering on that).

Any of my friends I see using saccharin, I always try to get them to stop. I know of one man that my sister and I have TRIED to get to stop. He's been using it for MANY years. He had a case of cancer and had to have part of his nose removed. So far we have not had the nerve to tell him that the two things COULD be related. I HAVE told him that it causes cancer, and because he had it before he really should stay away from known carcinogens.

I have gotten off all drinks except for water. I buy bottled water and then energize it with Raymon Grace's DVD. The water gets bubbly, and tastes great! He also tells you how to put thought forms in the water, which can help with illnesses, headaches, etc. (I especially use them when I dont' get enough sleep, to keep me active and unsleepy at work, and so far it has really worked!) I have had really great luck with his water and the thoughtforms.

I have now been able to quit using ice in my drinks, and drink just the room temperature water. (And this is coming from a chick who wouldn't even use a straw, cuz it warms stuff up too much! I had to have that ice against my FACE!)

Hi Tweasel

quote:

I THINK that I have also read that stevia actually has some nutritional value (but I'm not sure about that--I very well could be misremembering on that).

yes it has according to Sunrider it helps to get rid of fungus in the stomach, intestines.

I Googled. Coke and Cargill did a press release May 2007 announcing their working together to use stevia in Coca-Cola products. One or the other of them has applied for 24 patents and is pursuing FDA approval.

Thank you for taking the time to post these articles. I have been a drinker of diet soda for more years than I can remember. As of today - no more. I am 70 years old and have several conditions that might be contributed by my diet drink consumption. Most of which got me involved in QT. I will report back in a month to let you know of my status. Especially essential tremors and nerve damage. Again thank you and now off to have a glass of water.