OT: Latest on Aspartame/NutraSweet Dangers from the UK - My FAVORITE corporation - Monsanto - NOT!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

UK - The Sunday Times
February 27 2000
BRITAIN

Top sweetener condemned by secret report

Jonathan Leake, Science Editor

BRITAIN'S bestselling sweetener was condemned as dangerous and potentially toxic in a report compiled by some of the world's biggest soft drinks manufacturers - who now buy tons of it to add to diet drinks. Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other manufacturers produced the report in the early 1980s before the sweetener, aspartame, had been approved for use in America. It warns that it can affect the workings of the brain, change behaviour and even en-courage users to eat extra carbohydrate, so destroying the point of using diet drinks. The documents were un-earthed last week under freedom of information legislation. It follows a decision by re-searchers at King's College in London to study suspected links between aspartame intake and brain tumours. Britons drink more than 9 billion cans or bottles of pop a year, of which about half contain artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, made by Monsanto and also marketed under the name NutraSweet, is 200 times sweeter than normal sugar and is used in many popular low-calorie foods and drinks. It has been declared safe in a number of studies and has been approved for use in both America and Europe. There has, however, always been concern at its tendency to break down, producing methanol, which is both toxic in its own right and which breaks down further to produce formic acid and formaldehyde. Phenylalanine, another breakdown product of aspartame, is also dangerous to people with phenylketonuria, a common enzyme deficiency. The 30-page aspartame report was drawn up under the auspices of America's National Soft Drinks Association (NSDA), whose governing body at the time included senior Coca-Cola and Pepsi executives. It says: "We object to the approval of aspartame for unrestricted use in soft drinks." It then lists ways in which aspartame was believed directly to affect brain chemistry, including the synthesis of vital neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Other papers obtained with the NSDA documents show the Food and Drug Administration also had misgivings. Despite this, it approved aspartame. Dick Adamson, of the NSDA, said that, in l983, it evaluated the data on aspartame and posed a umber of questions. Once they were answered, it no longer had concerns about the safety of aspartame in carbonated drinks. Ben Deutsch, a spokesman for Coca-Cola, referred questions to the NSDA. Copyright 2000 Times Newspapers Ltd. This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard terms and conditions. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from The Sunday Times, visit the Syndication website.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), March 01, 2000

Answers

I have a very big dislike for this company. They have messed up the rvers near me, you can't fish, or eat from my river because of them. I think Al Gore is concected to them, I can't remember how maybe someone can search this out. I saw that he toasted the manasto on a Russia River Poor Russias.

-- ET (bneville@zebra.net), March 01, 2000.

Remember, Monsanto is genetic engineering, terminator seed, aspartame and bovine growth hormone injected into cows and in our milk. Not a pretty picture.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), March 01, 2000.

Clarence Thomas got his start at Monsanto (or is it Mon-satan?).

I'm sure that the Supremes would give Monsanto an impartial review if ever a federal lawsuit rose to their attention regarding this limited liability corporation.

see www.ifg.org for more about the dangers of corporations www.counterpunch.org www.prwatch.org www.sonoma.edu/ProjectCensored/menu.html

-- mark (wind@solar.com), March 01, 2000.


Oh dear, I didn't remember that about dear, beloved Clarence!

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), March 01, 2000.

I think that the RICO act should be used against MonSatan and the company closed down for criminal negligence.

nancy

-- NH (new@mindspring.com), March 01, 2000.



This ain't exactly new news....

I know 2 people who suffered neurological damage from aspartane around 15 years ago. One was a muni bus driver who now can't even have a driver's license for a private car. The other was a broker who has siezures and also cannot work or drive...both courtesy of a 6 per day diet pepsi habit. I believe the offical number was something like 12 per 100K will have these reactions. The rationale was that out of the 100K thousands many will have their health improved (reduced obesity, etc.) so it's a good tradeoff. Bet the 12 affected wouldn't agree....I won't touch the stuff or let my son touch it either.

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), March 01, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ