Conspiracy Theories: Sweet Poison
by Web-based activities claim that aspartame, the artificial sweetner more commonly known as NutraSweet, is extremely toxic.
The artificial sweetner aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester (aka aspartame) was accidentally created by chemists working for pharmaceuticals giant GD Searle in 1965. Hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, aspartame is now used in almost 5,000 products around the world and is best known as NutraSweet.
What the Theorists say:
Aspartame is an excitotoxin, a substance that stimulates nerve cells. It also breaks down in the body to produce methanol, which is converted into formaldehyde, an extremely potent poison that can cause a range of symptoms from headaches and tremors to acute vision impairment and blindness as well as diabetes. This ‘aspartame disease’ is often misdiagnosed as systemic lupus or multiple sclerosis. NutraSweet has also been linked to cancer and brain damage.
Despite all these dangers, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of aspartame in the 1970s, which was shortly followed by all the other regulatory bodies of the world. Theorists claim that this occured because GD Searler falsified or concealed unfavourable research into the substance and also used political muscle to get approval. Donald Rumsfeld was in charge of GD Searle at the time, somewhat conveniently. Other corporate villains that now make millions from aspartame include Ajinomoto and Monsanto. Suspiciously, the former head of the FDA now has a senior post at Monsanto…
The Official Story?
The anti-aspartame campaign is fueled by poor or nonsense science. The substance is composedof two harmless amino acids and breaks down in the digestive system to produce these components alongside a completely harmless amount of methanol. As a guideline, the amount of methanol produce from a can of sweetened soda is half that from a glass of tomato juice.
Should you be paranoid?
No. The weight of opinion from informed, disinterested sources comes down in favour of aspartame, although paranoics claim the FDA is corrupt and that other regulatory bodies have followed suit. They even claim that groups such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society have a vested interest in propagating the conditions caused by aspartame.
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