Update: Aspartame Causes Cancer - Original Studies Showed Problem

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21 Mar 2006 13:49:32 -0000

Health Supreme Update: Aspartame Causes Cancer - Original

Studies Showed Problem

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http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2006/03/21/aspartame_causes_cancer_original\

_studies_showed_problem.htm

 

Aspartame Causes Cancer - Original Studies Showed Problem

 

 

 

The controversy over aspartame, the artificial sweetener imposed on us

by Don Rumsfeld 'calling in his political markers' does not seem to

abate. On the one hand, we have the FDA and the aspartame makers

keeping a straight face regardless of all criticism, on the other we

see important scientific studies, such as the recently completed

Italian long term carcinogenicity study on rats that found

dose-dependent increased rates of certain tumors and leukemia.

 

Political pressure on legislators and regulators has resulted in

action in New Mexico and in the UK - so far.

 

Some creative action will be needed to break the deadlock and either

convince one and all of the innocuous nature of the sweetener ... or

to convince health authorities around the world to remove the

sweetener from the market.

 

A third way of course would be for people to just refuse foods or

drinks containing the poison. Ultimately, it is we who buy those

products and consume them, so we should be the first ones to inform

ourselves and choose. It's our health we are putting on the line here.

 

Today's news is that not only has the recent Italian study found

cancer in lab animals after feeding of aspartame in doses consistent

with human intake, but also the original studies that were submitted

to the FDA for approval have shown the same result!

 

The studies and a subsequent review convinced the FDA to withdraw its

first aspartame approval, until .... well, until Rumsfeld called in

his markers. Yet, world wide approval of aspartame rests largely on

the FDA's word - a disturbing thought.

 

Russell Blaylock, retired neurosurgeon and author of Excitotoxins: The

Taste That Kills has a good description of what happened with those

early studies that also showed cancer as a result of aspartame

consumption.

 

- - -

 

" Dr. Betty Martini,D.Hum. "

Aspartame is an Excitoneurotoxic Carcinogenic drug linked to

brain damage: Remove it from Schools!

 

Dangers of Aspartame

 

Russell L. Blaylock,MD

 

In 1965, a researcher at G.D. Searle pharmaceutical company

inadvertently discovered the artificial sweetener aspartame while

working on an anti-ulcer medication. It was discovered that the

sweetener was about 150X sweeter than an equal amount of sugar. Over

the next decade, the research staff at the G.D. Searle Company

conducted a series of studies in an effort to get the product approved

by the FDA.

 

Over all, this consisted of about 11 different studies. In 1974

aspartame was approved for use only in dry foods. Its approval was

based on these studies. Yet, even before these studies were being

presented to the FDA, the pharmaceutical giant was under investigation

for improprieties associated with several of its other drugs.

 

During this investigation, Dr. Adrian Gross was placed in charge of

examining these studies and Jerome Bressler was assigned to examine

three of the studies. This investigation included a thorough

examination of the pathology laboratory used in the tests, interviews

with the scientists and technicians involved and a careful analytic

review of the studies themselves.

 

In a letter to Senator Howard Metzenbaum, Dr. Gross discussed many of

their findings in this investigation. He pointed out that at the heart

of the regulatory process was the ability of the FDA to " rely upon the

integrity of the basic safety data submitted " to the FDA. Further, he

says, " Our investigation clearly demonstrates that, in the case of

G.D. Searle Company, we have no basis for such reliance now. "

 

He then pinpoints why he had reached this conclusion, when he states:

 

" Through our efforts, we have uncovered serious deficiencies in

Searle's operations and practices which undermine the basis for

reliance on Searle's integrity in conducting high quality animal

research to accurately determine or characterize the toxic potential

of its products. "

 

Dr. Gross expressed his disdain at the way teratology experiments were

conducted. These are critical tests with any new drug because they

determine possible dangers to unborn children when their mothers are

exposed to the product during pregnancy. He found that technicians

responsible for the tests had no formal training in teratology or

toxicology. In fact, they were given some books by the company and

trained themselves for 3 months.

 

Of most concern was the way the carcinogenicity tests were conducted.

These are tests to see if the product could cause cancer. According to

the law, any product intended as a food product cannot have

demonstrated cancer-causing ability at a dose 100X that commonly consumed.

 

Even though the tests were poorly conducted they did demonstrate that

aspartame was associated with a dramatic, dose-dependent, increase in

a variety of brain tumors - mainly astrocytomas - the type commonly

seen in humans. This means that the higher the dose of aspartame the

more tumors that were found.

 

The most appalling findings were by Dr. Bressler's investigation

group. They found that in several instances malignant tumors were

classified as benign and that in others, tumors were removed from rats

and tissue slides and reported as normal.

 

Dr. John Olney, a neuropathologist and neuroscientist, pointed out to

FDA investigators that aspartame contained at least two distinct

components that could harm the brain - diketopiperazine and aspartic

acid. The former is a suspected carcinogen and the latter an

excitatory amino acid. As a world expert on excitotoxicity, a process

where amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid causes brain

cells to be excited to death, he understood the real danger to babies

and small children. His laboratory studies had demonstrated that high

dose aspartame could cause the very same brain injury as other

excitotoxins.

 

The 1974 approval was withdrawn after the results of these

investigations were reviewed privately, but aspartame was given

approval once again in 1981. Ironically, it was approved using the

very same studies that resulted in it being banned as too dangerous

for human consumption in 1975.

 

In 1981, Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed commissioner of the FDA and

in 1983 he approved aspartame for use in beverages. Three months later

her left the FDA and accepted a position as the Senior Medical Advisor

to Searle's PR firm of Burson-Marsteller.

 

Despite Dr. Olney's and other neuroscientists' and pathologists',

objections, the product was given approval, essentially for all foods

and beverages.

 

In 1992, Dr. Olney published a study that suggested that the

significant rise in human brain tumors was related to the widespread

use of aspartame, since it began after the approval of aspartame in

foods and beverages. In Searle's original study Dr. Olney found that

there was a 47X increase in brain tumors in the rats exposed to high

dose aspartame. Even Searle's figures showed a 25X increase in brain

tumors. Using existing data Dr. Olney and his co-authors found an

overall 65% increase in brain tumors in humans since aspartame

approval. Dr. H.J. Roberts also reported a similar rise in a rare form

of brain cancer associated with aspartame use.

 

And a recent study by one of Europe's most prestigious oncology groups

(a million dollar study) found a non-statistically significant

increase in brain tumors in 1800 rats tested using aspartame. The

control animals, which received no aspartame, developed no brain

tumors, whereas the aspartame exposed animals developed 10 malignant

gliomas, 1 medulloblastoma and 1 malignant meningioma.

 

I have had contact with a number of young women who have developed

brain tumors (astrocytomas) following heavy use of aspartame products.

When we combine the experimental studies with the clinical data it is

obvious that aspartame is strongly linked to brain tumors and most

likely lymphomas and leukemias.

 

Of great concern is the study by Trocho and his co-workers from

the University of Barcelona, which found that aspartame was absorbed

and then broken down into its component parts, including methanol and

the methanol was further broken down into formic acid and

formaldehyde. Using sophisticated radioactive labeling techniques he

proved that the formaldehyde from the aspartame attached itself to the

DNA, RNA and proteins of cells and that it was very difficult to

remove. Further, they showed that the formaldehyde caused breaks in

the DNA.

 

This has major implications in humans, since DNA damage, as was seen

in their study, causes a multitude of cancers in humans as well as

worsening of autoimmune diseases, diabetes and neurodegenerative

diseases such as Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's and ALS. It also

causes concern because DNA breaks in the DNA in sperm and ova can

cause increased cancer risk and developmental problems in the

offspring of mothers and fathers consuming aspartame products.

 

In the Bressler examination of the Searle tumor study they found that

the female animals exposed to aspartame had a very high incidence of

uterine polyps, which were rare in rats not exposed. In fact, at even

moderate doses, there was a 15X increase in uterine polyps. In

addition, they found several ovarian tumors, breast fibroadenomas,

several pituitary adenomas, several lymphomas and pancreatic tumors.

 

The new million-dollar study by Dr. Morando Soffritti and co-workers

found a dramatic increase in malignant lymphomas and leukemias in

female rats consuming even low doses of aspartame - doses known to be

consumed by millions of children, pregnant women and others. Their

carefully done study concluded that most likely it was the

formaldehyde breakdown product from the aspartame that was causing the

cancers, which confirms what Trocho and co-workers had found earlier.

Formaldehyde is known to be a powerful toxin and carcinogen, even in

low concentrations.

 

Of great concern was the finding by Trocho, that formaldehyde tends to

accumulate in the DNA and is difficult to remove. This means that

drinking even a single diet cola sweetened with aspartame can

eventually produce significant DNA damage to raise one's risk of

cancer and other diseases. Today, over 5000 products contain

aspartame. It is also important to appreciate that we are exposed to a

number of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which can add to

aspartame's toxicity.

 

There are sufficient studies on the effect of aspartame on the

developing fetus to draw serious concern about the safety of this

product. For example, it has been shown that aspartame in the dose of

50 mg/kg/day (accepted as safe by the FDA) can produce phenylalanine

levels in a large number of women and their babies during pregnancy -

large enough to produce abnormal development of the baby's brain. This

is because phenylalanine interferes with the normal migration and

connections of the developing brain.

 

In my estimation, pregnant women should never consume foods containing

aspartame at any level, for the reasons I have discussed. The aspartic

acid, phenylalanine and methanol are all known to produce abnormal

development of a baby's brain.

 

There is also evidence from the studies done by Dr. Ralph Walton,

indicating that depressed people are especially sensitive to the toxic

effects of aspartame and that this is especially true of those with

suicidal tendencies. In a separate study he has shown that virtually

all of the independently conducted studies done on aspartame safety

have found problems with the product, yet not a single study funded by

the makers of aspartame (now Monsanto) reported even minor problems.

 

This is especially puzzling when you consider that among all the

food-related complaints registered by the FDA, 75 to 85% are related

to aspartame. This alone should tell us there is a problem.

 

There are sufficient independent studies to show that aspartame is a

dangerous product and that it should have never been given approval.

In fact, it was approved using the same shoddy studies alluded to by

Dr. Adrian Gross in his letter to Senator Howard Metzenbaum.

 

References

 

1. Letter to Senator Howard Metzenbaum from Dr. Adrian Gross, dated

October 30, 1987.

2. Jerome Bressler, The Bressler Report, 4/25/77 to 8/4/77

3. Olney JW. Excitotoxins in foods. Neurotoxicology 1994;15:535-544.

4. Olney JW, et al. Brain damage in mice from voluntary ingestion of

glutamate and aspartate. Neurobehavoral Toxicolology 1980; 2: 125-129.

5. Reynolds WA. Et al. Hypothalamic morphology following ingestion of

aspartame or MSG in the neonatal rodent and primate: a preliminary

report. Environmental Health 1976;2: 471-480.

6. Brunner RL, et al. Aspartame: assessment of developmental

psychotoxicity of a new artificial sweetener Neurobehavioral

Toxicology 1979;1: 79-86.

7. Wurtman RJ. Aspartame: possible effect on seizure susceptibility.

Lancet 1985;9

8. Maher TJ, et al. Possible neurologic effects of aspartame, a widely

used food additive. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1987;75: 53-57.

9. Walton RG, The possible role of aspartame in seizure induction. In,

Wurtman RJ, Ritter-Walker E. (eds); Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain

Function. Birkhauser, Boston, 1988, pp 159-162.

10. Changes in physiological concentrations of blood phenylalanine

produce changes in sensitive parameters of human brain function. In,

Wurtman RJ, Ritter-Walker E. (eds); Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain

Function. Birkhauser, Boston, 1988, pp187-195.

11. Christian B, et al. Chronic aspartame affects T-maze performance,

brain cholinergic receptors and Na+, K+-ATPase in rats. Pharmacology

Biochemistry and Behavior 2004;78:121-127.

12. Nakao H, et a. Formaldehyde-induced shrinkage of rat thymocytes.

Journal of Pharmacological Science 2003; 91: 83-86.

13. H.J. Roberts. Does aspartame cause human brain cancer? Journal

Advancement in Medicine 1991; 4: 231-240.

14. Trocho C, et al. Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds

to tissue components in vivo. Life Sciences 1998;63:337-349.

15. Scoffritti M, et al. Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in

rats. European Journal of Oncology 2005; 10: (in press)

16. Sabelli HC and Javaid JI. Phenylaethylamine modulation of affect:

therapeudic and diagnostic implications. Journal of Neuropsychiatry

1995; 7: 6-14.

17. Scharma RP, et al. cerebrospinal fluid levels of phenylacetic acid

in mental illness: behavioral associations and response to neuroleptic

treatment. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1995; 91: 293-298.

18. Robain O, et al. Experimental phenylketonuria: effect of

phenylacetate intoxication on number of synapses in cerebellar cortex

of rats. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 1983; 61: 313-315.

19. Matalon R, et al. Aspartame consumption in normal individuals and

carriers of phenylketonuria. In, Wurtman RJ, Ritter-Walker E. (eds);

Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function. Birkhauser, Boston, 1988,

pp41-52.

20. Monte WC. Aspartame: methanol and public health. Journal of

Applied Nutrition 1984; 36: 52.

21. Walton RG, et al. Adverse reactions to aspartame: double-blind

challenge in patients from a vulnerable population. Biological

Psychiatry 1993; 34: 13-17.

22. Olney JW, Farber NB, Spitznagel E, Robins LN. Increasing brain

tumor rates: is there a link to aspartame? J Neuropathology

Experimental Neurology. 1996;55:1115-23.

 

 

Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

Neurosurgeon (retired)

Visiting Professor of Biology

Belhaven College

Jackson, Mississippi

______________________

 

Dr. Blaylock is a world renowned neurosurgeon and author of

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health & Nutrition Secrets To Save

Your Life and Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients.

Web site: www.russellblaylockmd.com

 

He can be seen in the aspartame documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned

World, www.amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. He has a monthly

newsleletter: The Blaylock Wellness Report: www.blaylockreport.com

 

On autism: http://www.dorway.com/blayautism.txt

On brain problems: http://www.dorway.com/blayart1.txt

Excitotoxins, Neurodegeneration and Neurodevelopment:

http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html

Miami Herald Letter, Exposing Calorie Control Council, front group:

http://www.wnho.net/mh_aspartame_letter.htm

 

Media contacts through Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum., Founder, Mission

Possible Intl, 9270 River Club Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 770 242-2599

Bettym19

www.dorway.com, Aspartame Information List, www.wnho.net