More complaints have been filed with the Food and Drug Administration on aspartame than any other food item in its history, yet incredible amounts of aspartame are present in our food every day, according to Linda Page, Ph.D., naturopathic physician and author of "Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone." Page said at least 30 percent of us are sensitive to aspartame, even in moderate doses, and can suffer severe symptoms after consuming it, including neurological disorders.
Facts
Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal-Measure, is a synthetic sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar, made by combining two amino acids with neurotransmitter effects, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. The third ingredient is methanol, also known as wood alcohol or methyl alcohol. Aspartame is found in products such as breakfast drink powders, breath mints, cereals, chewing gum, cocoa, coffee and tea mixes, frozen and gelatin desserts, multivitamins, sodas, wine coolers and yogurt, to name just a few.
Side Effects
Immediate neurological side effects from consuming aspartame include headaches, mood swings, dizziness, attention difficulties and memory loss, even seizures and convulsions, according to Page. Side effects appear to be especially severe in children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Significance
High levels of phenylalanine can cause brain damage in anyone, Page said, and have been clearly linked to the formation of brain tumors. They also have been associated with brain damage in fetuses. Excessive aspartic acid causes neural cell damage, acting as an "excitotoxins," stimulating the neural cells to death. Methanol is a deadly poisonous, even in small amounts, breaking down into a neurotoxin known as formaldehyde. Free methanol is worse, created by heating aspartame to above 86 degrees, speeding up the absorption and flooding the body with neurotoxins. This occurs when aspartame-containing products are improperly stored at high temperatures or when they are heated during cooking, like oatmeal and gelatin. The FDA states that the methanol found in aspartame is not of sufficient quantity to be of concern, but the long-term cumulative effects of consuming it are unknown, according to "Prescription for Natural Healing" by Phyllis Balch.
Considerations
People with a neurological disorder known as PKU, or phenylketonuria, should avoid all forms of aspartame because they lack the enzyme that breaks down phenylalanine, causing it to accumulate and lead to potential brain damage, according to Balch, who also states that those with iron deficiencies and kidney disease may also be prone to toxicity.
What to Look For
Read the nutrition labels and look for the ingredients aspartame or phenylalanine. Food items containing aspartame must be clearly labeled with a warning that the product contains phenylalanine.
References
- FDA Links Aspartame to Brain Tumors
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Phyllis Balch, 2006
- Healthy Healing, Linda Page, PhD, 2004
