Aspartame not bad for your health

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TwistedHelix
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Aspartame not bad for your health

Post by TwistedHelix »

So, Aspartame isn't neurotoxic after all. Be aware that the Burdock Group has close ties with the food industry, and the study was funded by Ajinomoto company inc, which is a Japanese giant producing amino acids, livestock foodstuffs, and dietary substances. I'm not questioning their independence, just advising that you consume this with a pinch of monosodium glutamate:

Public release date: 11-Sep-2007
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Contact: Ellen Ternes
eternes@umd.edu
301-405-4627
Kellen Communications

Aspartame is safe, study says
A sweeping review of research studies of aspartame says there is no evidence that the non-nutritive sweetener causes cancer, neurological damage or other health problems in humans
Looking at more than 500 reports, including toxicological, clinical and epidemiological studies dating from 1970’s preclinical work to the latest studies on the high-intensity sweetener, along with use levels and regulations data, an international expert panel from 10 universities and medical schools evaluated the safety of aspartame for people of all ages and with a variety of health conditions. Their study is published in the September issue of Critical Reviews in Toxicology.

“There have been continued questions in the media and on the internet about the safety of aspartame,” said panel member and University of Maryland food and nutrition professor Bernadene Magnuson. “Our study is a very comprehensive review of all of the research that’s been done on aspartame. Never before has a group with the breadth of experience of this panel looked at this question.”

Aspartame

A non-nutritive sweetener, aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose, the accepted standard for sweetness. Though aspartame has the same number of calories as sugar on a weight-to-weight basis, it can be added to food or pharmaceuticals at a fraction of what would be needed with sucrose to achieve the same sweetness, with far fewer calories.

Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965, and since then has become a popular sweetener in more than 6000 food and pharmaceutical products that range from soft drinks to ketchup.

Aspartame Consumption

The panel used the latest data – 2001-02 -- from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to determine the most current levels of aspartame consumption.

“Even the very highest consumers of aspartame are well below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and well below the amounts used in animal testing,” said Magnuson.

Evaluation Findings

The team reviewed studies that tested a number of health effects of varying levels of aspartame, including amounts that far exceed the acceptable daily intake, on animals and humans. In addition to healthy adults and children, studies also looked at effects on adults and children with diabetes, hyperactive and sugar-sensitive children, and people with Parkinson’s disease and depression.

The Expert Panel’s evaluation concluded the following:

Overall:

Aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption, which remain well below established ADI levels, even among high user sub-populations. No credible evidence was found that aspartame is carcinogenic, neurotoxic or has or any other adverse effects when consumed even at levels many times the established ADI levels.

Specifically:

Based on results of several long term studies, aspartame does not have carcinogenic or cancer-promoting activity.
Results of extensive investigation in studies that mimic human exposure do not show any evidence of neurological effects, such as memory and learning problems, of aspartame consumption.
Overall the weight of the evidence indicates that aspartame has no effect on behavior, cognitive function, neural function or seizures in any of the groups studied.
Aspartame has not been shown to have adverse effects on reproductive activity or lactation.
Studies conclude that aspartame is safe for use by diabetics and may aid diabetics in adhering to a sugar-free diet.
There is no evidence to support an association between aspartame consumption and obesity. On the contrary, when used in multidisciplinary weight control programs, aspartame may actually aid in long-term weight control.
The studies provide no evidence to support an association between aspartame and brain or hematopoietic tumor development.


###
Expert Panel Members

In addition to Bernadene Magnuson, the Expert Panel included: George. A. Burdock, the Burdock Group; John Doull, University of Kansas Medical School; Robert M. Kroes, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Gary M Marsh, University of Pittsburgh; Michael W. Pariza, University of Wisconsin; Peter S. Spencer, Oregon Health and Science University; William J. Waddell, University of Louisville Medical School; Ronald Walker, University of Surrey, Great Britain; and Gary M.Williams, New York Medical School.

“Aspartame: A Safety Evaluation Based on Current Use Levels, Regulations and Toxicological and Epidemiological Studies” was funded by unrestricted support from Ajinomoto Company, Inc. The abstract may be accessed at http://informaworld.com/crtox. To talk with Bernadene Magnuson, contact Ellen Ternes, 301-405-4627, eternes@umd.edu.



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Loriyas
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Post by Loriyas »

Yeah, and the American Dental Association says mercury fillings are safe also. I take that with a pinch of salt too! Everyone has their own interests to protect-regardless of consequences to the consumer. It's hard to know who to believe anymore!
Lori
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gwa
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Post by gwa »

So why do I get vertigo when ingesting anything with aspartame in it if it is so safe?

The companies making this crap are taking a hit since so many companies are now using Splenda to sweeten their products. Too bad for Monsanto etal.


gwa
Loriyas
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Post by Loriyas »

Wow, I never thought about aspartame causing vertigo! I'll have to keep track the next time I ingest anything with aspartame (although I try to avoid it, it sometimes creeps in) to see if I experience vertigo then. It is a recent symptom for me and I'll have to check this out. Thanks!
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gwa
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Post by gwa »

loriyas,

Aspartame is all over the place in the food supply. I have noticed in the last year that more companies are using Splenda to sweeten their products, which helps those of us that cannot tolerate aspartame.

The companies that manufacture aspartame are obviously taking a financial hit now. Another sweetener, also a Monsanto product, is "Neotame". I have not seen this in anything I use, but it is out there and it also contains aspartame.

Monsanto was trying to get another cash cow sweetener now that the patent on aspartame was up, but it doesn't seem to have taken off well. That is probably because more companies are using Splenda.

My daughter-in-law, who has silent migranes, also gets vertigo from aspartame. She couldn't figure out why she always got vertigo when she ate at a certain restaurant and ordered raspberry tea. I told her that she should check with the waitress to find out if the tea mix had aspartame. Sure enough it did.

gwa
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