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Hi! Does anybody know if artificial sweeteners are safe to use by someone with ms? I need to lose weight, and have been told to control my sugar intake by my doctor. Is all the hype about aspartame being dangerous true or not? Thanks for your input. Susannah

Susannah,

As far as I know, there have been no studies on Aspartame being extra harmful to people who suffer from MS; however, medical research suggests that Aspartame can cause harm to a healthy body. Since I have MS, I don't have a "healthy" body; therefore, I believe it's in my best interest to avoid foods that may cause harm.

Now, refined sugar ain't all that good for a healthy body either: what's a person to do to satisfy that sweet-tooth? Fresh juices, honey, and whole foods keeps my gimp body satisfied, healthful and energetic. It wasn't easy at first, but if I can do it, anyone can!

Ask your physician to help you to plan a healthy diet that avoids fabricated foods, refined sugars, refined oils, and other food poisons. if your doctor is to aid you with a weight-loss regime telling you to avoid sweets requires some detail (and a lot of encouragment). A healthy diet that promotes weight-loss requires more than the elimination of the "wrong" foods; it requires eating a lot of the "right" foods.

Be Well,
Rev. Leonidas

Multiple Sclerosis Information
The medical community is less understanding of the environmental factors, which includes aspartame, that effect Multiple Sclerosis, but environmental contact, especially during early years of growing up, can result in Multiple Sclerosis symptoms in later years.

It has been determined that Multiple Sclerosis is mediated in large part through the immune system. The immune system is what then alters the response to foreign materials in the body and appears to attack the myelin or the coating of the nerves around the axons in the brain and in the spinal cord.

Ingestion of aspartame adds to toxic reactions within the myelin, exacerbating Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.

Multiple Sclerosis:

Aspartame Information
Aspartame Side Effects
Hair Analysis Information
Order a Hair Analysis

Aspartame Detoxifcation:

How to Detox
Read about SweetPoison
Contact Janet Hull






Multiple Sclerosis and Aspartame
The cause of Multiple Sclerosis is not a single thing but a coming together of genetic predisposition, environmental contacts, commonly starting early in life, and other factors that we really only partially know about today, such as food chemicals like aspartame. One key question to ask is why do some people succumb to the disease and others do not?

Specifics things about Multiple Sclerosis have been researched and determined to be valid such as the patterns that people with certain tissue types from certain hereditary backgrounds are more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis, as well as persons from a Northern European background are more susceptible than someone from an African background. It is twice as common in women as it is in men, and people who grow up in the cooler polar regions of the world, whether it be the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, have two to three times more chance of getting Multiple Sclerosis than the same person with the same genetic background who grows up in a warmer climate or a tropical area.

Actually, these factors are settings for the disease, but not the triggers. So, what triggers Multiple Sclerosis?

Whats known about Multiple Sclerosis?
Scientists do know some certain things about Multiple Sclerosis. Some new information that came out within the last few months shows there is more going on with Multiple Sclerosis than meets the clinical eye. When patients are clinically stable, they may still have the disease working in their body, but just not being manifested. With the development of MRIs, Multiple Sclerosis appears to have more active MRI lesions than it appears to have clinical exacerbation. This correlates with the research results of lesions within the brain mass of laboratory mice fed aspartame.

The best advice for Multiple Sclerosis worries, stay away from aspartame at all cost.


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Wow...
Seems kinda tough for iabetics with MS. Thats about all the sweetners they can choose. Splenda is another, yet has controversy as well.

Tiramisu wrote:Seems kinda tough for iabetics with MS. Thats about all the sweetners they can choose. Splenda is another, yet has controversy as well.

I don't know if stevia is OK for diabetics, but it might be something for you to look into. One of my local health food stores sells organic ground stevia in bulk. Searching PubMed for the terms "stevia AND diabetes" calls up a few interesting looking papers.

NHE

In addition to the information which can be found on stevia via PubMed, here's some more information about stevia from Healthnotes (note to access Healthnotes go to a site such as http://www.newseasonsmarket.com and click on the Healthnotes link). A Google search also brings up quite a few hits as well.

NHE

Stevia
Common name: Sweetleaf
Botanical name: Stevia rebaudiana

Parts used and where grown
The stevia plant originally came from the rain forests of Brazil and Paraguay. It is now grown in those areas, as well as in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and China. It is most widely used as a non-sugar sweetener in food and drink, particularly because it does not appear to have any calories or affect on blood sugar like most natural sweeteners (like sugar or honey). The leaf is used in herbal preparations.

Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies)
The native peoples in South America used stevia primarily as a sweetener, a practice adopted by European colonists. The indigenous tribes also used stevia to treat diabetes (1). During World War II, stevia was grown in England as a sugar substitute. The greatest use of stevia as a sweetener today can be found in Japan.

Active constituents
Various glycosides, particularly stevoside, give stevia its sweetness. Stevoside is between 100 and 200 times sweeter than sugar. Early reports suggested that stevia might reduce blood sugar (and therefore potentially help with diabetes) (2) although this has not been confirmed in all reports (3).

How much is usually taken?
Less than 1 gram per day can be used effectively as a sweetener. Usually, the powdered herb is added directly to tea or to food.

Are there any side effects or interactions?
Extensive reviews of human and animal data indicate stevia to be safe (4). Stevia accounts for nearly 40% of the sweetener market in Japan and is commonly used in various parts of South America (5).

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with stevia.

References for Stevia:
1. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 478–80.

2. Curi R, Alvarez M, Bazotte RB, et al. Effect of Stevia rebaudiana on glucose tolerance in normal adult humans. Braz J Med Biol Res 1986;19:771–4.

3. White JR Jr, Kramer J, Campbell RK, Bernstein R. Oral use of a topical preparation containing an extract of Stevia rebaudiana and the chrysanthemum flower in the management of hyperglycemia. Diabetes Care 1994;17:940.

4. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 478–80.

5. Blumenthal M. FDA rejects AHPA stevia petition. Whole Foods 1994:Apr;61–4.