BLOG: Dr. Sharyn Wynters, Naturopath
Aspartame
Known as Equal, Spoonful and most recently as AminoSweet, aspartame or 1-aspartyl 1 phenylalanine methyl ester is an engineered compound with three components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (wood alcohol). Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids found in many foods. However, amino acids are always consumed in combination with other amino acids. Isolated, some are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, causing abnormal nerve firing and cell death. A few of the side effects of aspartame are headaches, mental confusion, problems with balance, and numbness. In most instances, the effects are subtle, yet cumulative. More serious side effects of aspartame have been misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, and thyroid dysfunction. Often, the elimination of aspartame eliminates a variety of symptoms.
The term excitotoxin has been applied to aspartame (and MSG). These chemicals cause nerve cells in the brain to fire more rapidly than normal until they become exhausted. Cell death often results. Excitotoxins have also been shown to stimulate the generation of free radicals which accelerate many degenerative illnesses.
Ten percent of aspartame is methanol - a substance with a safe limit outlined by the EPA as 7.8 milligrams per day. A one-half liter beverage sweetened with aspartame contains twenty percent milligrams of methanol - four times the EPA limit. Of greater concern is the fact that methanol breaks down into formaldehyde. Independent studies have shown that formaldehyde from aspartame ingestion is extremely common. Each diet soda with aspartame produces six milligrams of formaldehyde - three times the daily limit established by the EPA. This amount is thirty times the established limit in New Jersey, one hundred times the limit of California, and three hundred times the limit in Maryland.
Exerpted from "Survive! A Family Guide to Thriving in a Toxic World" By Sharyn Wynters, ND and Burton Goldberg, LHD.Sharyn Wynters is a naturopath with over 30 years of experience in health and wellness. Her book provides descriptions of areas of concern regarding toxins, offers suggestions for healthier solutions and provides lists of products and companies that provide safer alternatives. For more information on lead and other toxins, check out Dr. Wynter’s book Survive: A Family Guide to Thriving in a Toxic World. http://www.cancerschmancer.org/promo/survive-family-guide-thriving-toxic...
