’WPCŹ āw ē8Ö<æų {’j[p šHlĆąÆ^ŻŽŪßO 3¤óŽA_øĀy'ńVŖīłgcĘ[׏9ļĄ_Ļuņüķi¾Ŗ¢ T}§yŪīp{ŃßØU÷ģ½=°ŃZj EZį^zd¬ėcŁéŖ«Wa„÷R²S-ęK:»ŁnXRĀ ]Ių7"#7ū[vJ>öūJ_VĶÄĮj³ż/ŁĪÜäį5>צ£ Õ®zćĒåL°L"j2_Ļ! smŽ2ų#Å/ä7ŅDń)ą÷o”')m¼ćtņļėB§=Ō6.eb”ŃkS.-?²·Ü9xé`Äńżz²Ń`| 6~¼ŠŃäēŚ\ ęĀk¾[ōuŪ’é^0dBČ:ŌōS:« 5øu?kĄŃ-uınŌĀ_nn>,Ļ4¶i %§umorÅļĶŲżėŽŁTERV¤+£SŲ%ū7Ņ%ēšįØ#_×Õ_Gg'ß"[Ž];. jNÕõ£Iėį{- č° óę¬N~įŁs³¦ĄJf # U N % å 0 ( ė L w @ _ 4 ³ Ā C a n o n B J - 2 0 0 BJ200 ą%33% ą0 ( Z 6 T i m e s N e w R o m a n R e g u l a r X ( $ ” ” C : \ O F F I C E \ W P W I N \ T E M P L A T E \ S T A N D A R D . W P T ų ł ś ū D ü ż g ž D ’ C«Ņ | x Ż ! ŻŻ ŻÓ ÓÓ Óń żńńżńńżńŃ7 f X X dķ X X dķ 7 Ńńżńą ąą ` ąą ø ąą ąą h ąą Ą ąą ąą p ąą Č ąą ąą x ąń žńSallyLefebvreĢą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąEnglish201Ģą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąFinalPortfolioĢą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąą Š ąMay12,1995ńžńń žńńžńń žń¹ńžń¹Ó ( ÓÓ Óń žńĢĢńžńÓ Óń žńASPARTńžńń’ńASPARTń’ńAME:WHATYOUDONššTKNOWCANHURTYOUĢą @ ąą @ ąą @ ąÓ Óą ąIfaproductisapprovedbytheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)andcomposedofĻnaturalingredients,wouldyouassumeitissafetoconsume?IfthesameproductisanartificialĻsweetener,wouldyouassumeithelpscontrolyourweight?Millionsofpeopleuseaspartame,ĻtheartificialsweetenerknownasNutraSweetš)š,withtheseassumptionsinmind.AspartameĻcanbefoundinthousandsofproductssuchasdietsoda,yogurt,andoverthecountermedicinesĻtonameafew.However,aspartameššstaintedhistoryofapprovalandpotentiallytoxicĻingredientscastaseriousdoubtonthesafetyofthissugarsubstitute.Furthermore,aspartameĻmayactuallyincreaseyourappetite(Farber52).Ģą ąWhileFDAapprovalmaysignalthegreenlightforsafeconsumption,85percentofallĻcomplaintsregisteredwiththeFDAareforadversereactionstoaspartame,includingfiveĻreporteddeaths(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóóla).Acloserlookattheunscientificstudies,suspiciousŠ ūK Šapprovalmethods,anditsharmfulingredients,revealthehiddendangersofthisartificialĻsweetener.Inreality,aspartameposesapublichealththreat.LetššsexaminethefollowingthreeĻmythstoconcludewhyyoushouldavoidaspartame:first,FDAapprovalmeansaspartameissafeĻtoconsume;second,itsnaturalingredientsimplyš šnotharmfulšš;andthird,ithelpscontrolĻweightgain.ĢĢņņFDAApprovalMeansSafeŠ ń&A"% Šóóą ąš šAspartamewasthemoststudiedadditiveeverapprovedbytheFoodandDrugŠ Ė($' ŠAdministration,ššarguesMarthaStone,NutritionAdvisorandprofessoratColoradoStateŠ „*õ%) ŠUniversity.Stone,anadvocateforaspartame,claimsthatš šaspartamewouldnššthavegottentoĻthemarketifitcausedproblemsinhumansšš(qtd.InCastrone12D).Doesš šmoststudiedššimplyĻsafeforhumanconsumption?Moreimportantly,whatweretheresultsofthesestudiesandhowĻwasaspartameapproved?AnindepthlookatthehistoryofaspartameapprovalrevealsatrailofĻsuspiciousmethodsandpossiblecollusionbetweentheFDAandtheG.D.Searlecompany,Ļmanufacturerofaspartame.Ģą ąAspartamewasdiscoveredin1965byachemistfromtheSearlecompany(Farber53).ĻAfterresearchingtheirproducttodetermineitssafety,SearlesubmittedteststotheFDAfortheĻapprovalofaspartame.AccordingtoņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó,compiledbytheAspartameŠ Š ŠConsumerSafetyNetwork,theFDAapprovedaspartamein1974forlimitedusebasedontheĻtestsselectedbySearle.Aftertheapproval,theFDAlearnedthatsomeofSearleššsotherĻproductshadserioussideeffects.Also,astudydonebyDr.JohnOlney,researchpsychiatristĻfromtheWashingtonSchoolofMedicine,revealedthatholesinthebrainsofmiceappearedĻaftertheconsumptionofasparticacid,amajoringredientinaspartame.ThisstudywasĻsubmittedtotheFDAaftertheyhadalreadyapprovedaspartameforlimiteduse.ThisnewĻevidencepromptedtheFDAtoorganizeaninternalTaskForcetoinvestigateSearleššsoriginalĻresearch(78).Ģą ąIntheirinvestigation,theFDA1975TaskForcereviewedastudydoneforSearlein1969ĻbyDr.HarryWaisman,ProfessorofPediatricsattheUniversityofWisconsin.ThestudyĻinvolvedfeedingaspartamemixedwithmilktoseveninfantmonkeys.After300days,fiveĻmonkeyshadgranmalseizuresandonedied.Dr.WaismandiedbeforeallofhisstudieswereĻcompleted.TheTaskForceuncoveredthatwhenSearlehadsubmittedtheWaismanstudytotheŠ +ā&* ŠFDA,allthenegativedatahadbeenomitted(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó67).Š ° Šą ąTheTaskForcealsodiscoveredthatquestionablelabpracticeshadbeenperformedbyĻresearchersfromSearle.Inasummaryoftheirinvestigation,theTaskForceconcluded:ĢÓ X ÓÓ Ą ÓWehaveuncoveredseriousdeficienciesinSearleššsintegrityinconductingĻhighqualityanimalresearchtoaccuratelydetermineorcharacterizethetoxicĻpotentialofitsproducts....ThecumulativefindingsofproblemswithinandĻacrossthestudiesweinvestigatedrevealapatternofconductwhichĻcompromisesthescientificintegrityofthestudies.(Qtd.inņņTheDeadlyŠ ¦ö ŠDeceptionóó89).Š Š ŠÓ X ÓÓ Ą ÓThisinvestigationrevealedthatSearleresearchershadcutouttumorsinanimalsthathadbeenĻfedaspartameandneglectedtoreportallofthemorcheckforcancer.Also,animalsthatwereĻš šreportedasdead,werelaterreportedaliveagainšš(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó9).Š ^ Šą ąOtherfindingsoftheTaskForceincludedš šfalsifieddataššfromanotherSearleproduct,ĻtheCopper7IUD,abirthcontroldevice.ThisproducthadtobepulledofftheshelvesduetoaĻ$9,000,000lawsuit.SearlelosteventhoughtheyclaimedtheIUDwassafe(ņņTheDeadlyŠ ģ ŠDeceptionóó8).Š v Ę Šą ąAsaresultofthefindingsofthe1975TaskForce,asmallerTaskForcewasassignedinĻ1977toinvestigateSearleššsoriginalresearchevenfurther.ThisinvestigationuncoveredthatĻSearlehadagainfalsifieddatabysubmittinginaccuratebloodtests.Apparently,theyhadĻsubstitutedunrelatedanimaltestsbecauseofinstrumentproblems.Inanotherstudy,acloserĻlookrevealedthatuterinetumorshaddevelopedinsometestanimals.Searleš šadmittedššthatĻthesetumorswererelatedtotheingestionofabreakdownproductofaspartame,Š +ā&* ŠDiketopiperazine(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó10).Š ° Šą ąDuetothe1977TaskForcefindings,FDAorderedagrandjuryinvestigationofSearleššsĻaspartamestudies.AssistantU.S.Attorney,WilliamConlon,andU.S.Attorney,ThomasĻSullivan,failedtostartanylegalactionagainstSearleconcerningaspartametesting.ĻConsequently,timeranoutandthegrandjuryinvestigationterminated.ConlonwasthenhiredĻbythelawfirmthatrepresentedSearle.ItisinterestingtonotethatthiswasnotthefirsttimeĻSearlehadbeeninvolvedinagrandjuryinvestigation.TheyhadbeenaccusedofunreportedĻtumorsinthetestingoftheirtwodrugs,FlagylandAldactone(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó1011).Š ¦ö Šą ąAccordingtoanarticleinņņTechnologyReviewóó,aspartamecameupforapprovalagaininŠ Š Š1980.ThistimetheFDArecommendedthataPublicBoardofInquirybecreatedtodetermineĻaspartameššssafety.TheBoardwascomposedofthreescientists.Theyš šrecommendedkeepingĻaspartameoffthemarketuntilfurtheranimaltestscouldshowthatitdidnotcausetumorsššĻ(Farber53).Ģą ąThedisapprovalofaspartamebythePublicBoardofInquirywasnšštenough.ņņTheDeadlyŠ Ā ŠDeceptionóóstatesthatafivememberCommissionerššsTeamofScientistswasthenformedtoŠ ģ ŠlookattheresultsofthePublicBoardofInquiryconclusions.ThreescientistsvotedagainstĻapprovalandtwoscientistsvotedforapproval.Inexplicably,asixthmemberjoinedtheteamĻwithavoteofš šyesšštotheapprovalofaspartamecreatingadeadlock.Dr.Goyan,theFDAĻCommissioner,decidednottoapproveaspartameatthistime(13,16).Ģą ąInAprilof1981,Dr.ArthurHayesbecamethenewCommissioner.SearleappliedagainĻforapprovalofaspartame.Afewmonthslater,Dr.HayesapprovedaspartameforuseindryĻfoods.In1983,heapprovedaspartameforuseindietsoftdrinks(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó1415).Š +ā&* ŠOnemonthlater,Dr.HayeslefttheFDAandwithinthreemonthshewasworkingforSearleššsĻadvertisingagency,BursonMarsteller(Farber53).Ģą ąAspartameššshistoryofapprovalspeaksforitself.TheSearlecompany,whosesaleswereĻ700millionin1992(Therrien42),hadmuchtogainfromtheapprovalofaspartame.AfterĻresearchingtheirownproduct,SearleselectivelychosethetestsandthensubmittedthemtotheĻFDA.HowcanSearle,thecompanywhostandstoprofit,determinewhichreportsaretobeĻgiventotheFDA?Aninstantbiasiscreatedwhenthisisallowedtohappen.EvenwhenĻindependentresearchers,suchasOlneyandWaisman,wereapproachedbySearletoconductĻsafetytests,Searlewithheldimportantinformationthattheseresearchershaddiscovered.TheĻSearlecompanyššsefforttoproduceaclearpictureonthesafetyofaspartameisatbestaweakĻattempt.Falsifieddata,unscientificlabpractices,andahistoryofproblemswithsomeoftheirĻotherproductsmakesithardtobelievethatSearleššsconcernforthepublicššshealthtakesĻprecedenceoverfinancialgains.Ģą ąTheFDAshouldbetheobjectivesourcetoverifyifSearleššsresearchisvalid.TheFDAĻhasthefinalapprovalandthepublicdependsonthemtodeterminethesafetyofaproduct.InĻthisparticularcase,therepeatedreviewingofaspartamestudiesbyformingtwotaskforces,aĻPublicBoardofInquiry,andtwoteamsofscientistsseemsredundantifnotsuspicious.TheĻresearchindicatingtumorsandfalsifyingofdataresurfacedeverytime.ItappearsthatallofĻtheseattemptsweretoultimatelygetaspartameapproved,nottodetermineitššssafety.IftheĻFDAhadbeenreallyconcerned,theyshouldhaveinsistedonreviewingalloftheoriginalĻresearchbeforeitwasapprovedforlimitedusein1974.EveniftheFDAššsrepeatedattemptstoĻinvestigateaspartameššssafetywerelegitimate,ultimately,itwasCommissionerHayesššŠ +ā&* Šresponsibilitytodetermineifthisproductshouldenterthemarket.WhenheapprovedĻaspartame,itwasmorethanquestionableifhisintentionsweresincere.HisemploymentwithĻFDAwasjustlongenoughtogetaspartameapprovedandthenheconvenientlyquitandwasĻhiredbyaSearlerelatedcompany!HowcanwerelyontheFDAtomaketherightdecisionsĻconcerningaspartameapprovalifwearesuspiciousoftheirmotives?Ģą ąHowdoesallthisrelatetothesafetyofaspartame?FirstwemustexplorewhatsafeĻmeans.TheFDAdefinessafeasaš šreasonablecertaintyofnoharmšš(Farber48).SearleššsĻevaluationofaspartameššssafetywascompromisedwhentheywithheldnegativedataandĻsuppliedinaccuratetestresults.Withoutvalidresearch,š šreasonablecertaintyofnoharmššisĻdifficulttodetermine.HowcanaspartamebeonthemarketiftheFDAandSearlefailedtoĻdeterminewhetheritwassafeornot?Ģą ąBraintumorsandseizuresinaspartamefedanimalsindicateapossiblerisktohumans.ĻThedictionarydefinitionofsafemeansš šnotpresentingorinvolvinganydangerorriskššĻ(ņņWebsterššsóó877).Doesthismeanaspartameisnotsafe?TheanswerliesinthehandsoftheŠ Ā Špublic.Althoughaspartamewasnottestedonhumansbeforeitsapproval,itnowhasbeenĻtestedonthepublicbydefault.Over200millionAmericansconsumeaspartameproductsĻ(Weininger1/ZZ1).WehavebeentheguineapigsinthetestingofaspartamewithoutevenĻknowingit.AlookataspartameššsingredientsanditsdevastatingeffectsonhumanbeingsĻprovidetheevidenceforavoidingallaspartameproducts.ĢĢņņNaturalIngredientsImplyš šNotHarmfulššóóŠ ø)%( Šą ąš šThebuildingblocksofproteinššandš šyourbodycannotdistinguishbetweentheaminoŠ +ā&* Šacidsinaspartameandmilkšš(DeskinsG1)arecommonphrasesusedtodescribetheingredientsĻinaspartame.Theseanalogiesareusedtoconvincethepublicthataspartameisassafeasmilk,Ļorotherproteinfoods.AccordingtoDr.H.J.Roberts,whowaslistedinš šTheBestDoctorsinĻtheU.S.,ššitistruethataspartameiscomposedofthesameaminoacidsthatcanbefoundinĻproteinfoods.However,thereareonlytwoaminoacids,phenylalanineandasparticacid,thatĻareinaspartamewhileproteinfoodscontainmanydifferentaminoacids.WhenaspartameisĻingested,itfloodsthebloodstreamwiththesetwoaminoacidswhileproteinfoods,ontheotherĻhand,haveotheraminoacidswhichš šneutralizeššandeliminatethissuddenflooding(30).LikeĻtakingwordsoutofcontext,takingaminoacidsoutoftheirnaturalformmightcauseproblems.ĻAcloserlookataspartameššsingredientsandtheadversereactionsreportedbythousandsofĻpeoplerevealthedangersofthisartificialsweetener.Ģą ąDr.Robertsstatesinhisbook,ņņAspartameIsitSafe?óó,thataspartameššsthreecomponentsŠ ^ Šarephenylalanine(50percent),asparticacid(40percent),andmethanol(10percent).WhenĻaspartameisexposedtoheatorprolongedstorage,itbreaksdownintometabolites.OneoftheseĻbreakdownproductsisDiketopiperazine,atoxicmetabolitethatisnotusuallyfoundinourdiet.ĻTheeffectsofthesedifferentmetabolitesareunknown(27,3840).Ģą ąAccordingtoanarticleinņņConsumerReportsóó,foodandbeveragescontainingŠ P" Šphenylalanine,themajoringredientinaspartame,mustbelabeledduetothegeneticdisorder,Ļphenylketonuria(PKU).TheU.S.carriesawarningonallaspartameproductstoalertpeopleĻwithPKU(580).PeoplewiththisgeneticdisorderlacktheenzymeneededtometabolizeĻphenylalanineandthereforeitš šaccumulatesššinthebodyandcanš šcauseseverementalĻretardationšš(Roberts33).AccordingtoStevenFarber,Ph.D.candidateinbrainandcognitiveŠ +ā&* ŠsciencesatMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,thereareanš šestimated10millionpeopleĻwhoarecarriersandmaynotknowit.ššHestatesthatthesePKUcarriersarealsoatriskbecauseĻš štheycannotdegradephenylalanineaseffectivelyasnormalindividualsandmaybesensitivetoĻincreasedlevelsintheirdietsšš(48).Ģą ąPhenylketonuricsandPKUcarriersarenottheonlypeoplethatshouldavoidĻphenylalanine.Dr.LouisJ.Elsas,II,DirectorofMedicalGeneticsatEmoryUniversitySchoolĻofMedicine,š šrecommendsthatpregnantwomenavoidaspartamesweetenersššbecauseitisĻunknownwhatquantityisconsideredsafe(qtd.ņņInAssc.OfBirthDefectChildrenóó2).Dr.Š ¦ö ŠRobertsalsosuggeststoavoidaspartameproductsduringpregnancyduetoincreasedlevelsofĻphenylalanineontheš šfetalsideoftheplacenta.ššIncreaseslevelsofphenylalaninemayĻš šinterferewiththegrowthofthefetusbrainšš(181).Ģą ąInanarticlepublishedintheņņAssociationofBirthDefectChildrenóó,KarenMillsarguesŠ ^ Šthataspartamemayberesponsibleforhersonššshealthproblems.UnawareofthedangersofĻaspartame,sheconsumedfourtosixdietsodasadayandalsotookphenylalaninecapsulestoĻrelievefatigueduringherpregnancy.ShewasingoodhealthanddidnotsmokeordrinkduringĻthistime.HerpregnancywasconsiderednormalandprenataltestingruledoutanygeneticbirthĻdefects.Herdeliverywasalsonormal.WhenhersonBrandonwasborn,hewasseverelyń öń,ńöńĻretardedwithseriousneurologicalproblems.Allofhisxrays,geneticstudies,andbloodtestsĻcamebacknormal.Karenstates,š šIamsuspiciousthatNutraSweetš)šcouldbeacontributingĻfactorinBrandonššssituationsincetherearenophysicalorgeneticcausesrevealedforhisĻneurologicalproblemsšš(2).Ģą ąAsparticacid(aspartame)andglutamate(ingredientinmonosodiumglutamate)haveŠ +ā&* Šbeenlabeledasexcitotoxins,whichDr.RussellBlaylock,authorofņņExcitotoxins:TheTasteThatŠ ° ŠKillsóó,definesasš šagroupofexcitatoryaminoacidsthatcancausesensitiveneuronstodieššŠ Ś Š(226).AnarticleintheņņOrlandoSentinelTribuneóóstates,š šaccordingtoBlaylock,asinglemealŠ d“ Šmaycontainseveraloftheseadditives...givenahighenoughdosecanincludebrainlesions.ššĻBlaylockisconcernedthatš šhundredsofmillionsofinfantsandyoungchildrenareatgreatriskĻandtheirparentsarenotevenawareofitšš(qtd.InBonvieandBonvieG1).Ģą ąThelastcomponentofaspartameismethanol,betterknownaswoodalcohol,aš šdeadlyĻpoison,ššclaimsDr.Roberts.TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyrecommendslessthaneightĻmilligramsperdayofmethanol.AtypicalliterofanaspartamedietsodacontainsĻapproximately55milligrams.Complicationsofmethanolpoisoningincludeblindness,brainĻswelling,pancreatitis,numbness,shootingpains,cardiacchanges,anddeath(28,4245).ĻAccordingtoAspartameConsumerSafetyNetwork,wheningested,methanolbreaksdownintoĻformaldehyde,š šknowntocausecancer,accumulatingslowlywithoutdetectioninthebodyššĻ(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó2).Š Ā Šą ąEricSotowasavictimofmethanolpoisoning.In1989,whenEricwasdiagnosedwithĻdiabetes,hestartedconsumingaspartameproductstoavoidsugar.Soonafter,EriccomplainedĻofnumbnessinhisfingers.Afterseeingadoctorforthisproblem,itwassuggestedthathehaveĻsurgerytocorrectawristnerve.Beforehewentinforsurgery,ablackspotappearedoverhisĻlefteye.Afterbeingexaminedbyanopthamologist,EricwasadmittedtothehospitalforĻpossiblemethanolpoisoning.HedecidedtostopusingaspartameproductsafterhearingaboutĻthedangersfromafriend.ThedamagetoEricššseyeswaspermanent,butthenumbnessinhisĻfingersstoppedeventhoughdoctorssaiditcouldonlybecorrectedbysurgery(ņņTheDeadlyŠ +ā&* ŠDeceptionóóB4).Š ° Šą ąEricSotoisnottheonlypersontosufferfromaspartamerelatedhealthproblems.MaryĻStoddard,presidentofAspartameConsumerSafetyNetwork,claimsthatnearly10,00ń÷ń0ń÷ńĻcomplaintshavebeenreportedtothisnonprofitorganization.ThefollowingsymptomsareĻlistedontheAspartameConsumerSafetyNetworkFactSheet:ĢÓ Ą ÓÓ X Óheadaches,nausea,vertigo,insomnia,numbness,blurredvision,blindnessĻandothereyeproblems,memoryloss,slurredspeech,depression,personalityĻchanges,hyperactivity,stomachdisorders,seizureńųńsńųń,skinlesions,rashes,Ļanxietyattacks,musclecrampingandjointpain,lossofenergy,symptomsĻmimickingheartattacks,hearinglossandearringing,andlossorchangeofĻtaste.(ņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó1).Š 4 ŠÓ X K ÓÓ ĄwK ÓIncludedinthesecomplaintsareš šhundredsofpilotswhohavereportedlifethreateningadverseĻreactionsduetoaspartame,ššaccordingtoAspartameConsumerSafetyNetwork,inanarticleĻfromņņGeneralAviationNewsóó.MichaelCollins,formerpilot,sufferedfromseizureswheneverheŠ Ā Šdrankdietsoda.Whenhestoppedusingaspartameproducts,heremainedseizurefree.ĻUnfortunately,helosthismedicalcertificationandcannolongerfly(qtd.inHicks2).Ģą ąWhileseizuresarecommonamongaspartameusers,headachesarethemostcommonĻcomplaint(Roberts95).AccordingtoCarolineB.Kline,nutritionconsultant,eighteenmillionĻAmericanssufferfrommigraines.Inhermagazinearticle,š šMigraineMakeńłńrńłńs,ššshesuggeststhatĻdietcouldbeoneofthecausesofthesesevereheadaches.AspartamewaslistedaspossibleĻculprit(207).Ģą ąAmericansarenottheonlypeopleworriedaboutthesafetyofaspartame.In1988,theŠ +ā&* ŠMexicangovernmentissuedadetailedwarningtobeputondietsodasthatcontainaspartameĻ(Bouleau66).Thelabelonthesedietsodasreads:ĢÓ Ą ÓÓ X ÓThisproductshouldnotbeconsumedbyindividualswhoareallergictoĻphenylalanine.Consumptionbypregnantwomenandchildrenunder7isnotĻrecommended.Usersshouldfollowabalanceddiet.ConsumptionbyĻdiabeticsmustbeauthorizedbyaphysician,(Bouleau66).ĢÓ XR ÓÓ ĄR ÓIfaproducthastohavethismanywarnings,howcanitpossiblybeonthemarket?Ģą ąTheFDAhastheanswer.ThomasWilcox,FDAspokesman,claimsthatš šsomepeopleĻdonššttolerateaspartame,butthereportstotheFDAarenšštsufficienttowarrantachangeintheĻproductššsclassification....Unlessthereisshowntobesomeverycommonseriouseffect...Ļyoudonšštwanttodeprivetheentirepopulationoftheproductšš(qtd.inBonvieandBonvieG1).ĻHowseriousdothesideeffectshavetobeandhowmanypeoplehavetobeaffectedbeforethisĻproductispulledoffthemarket?WhenyoustarttoaddupthePhenylketonurics,the10millionĻPKUcarriers,migrainesufferers,diabetics,children,andpregnantwomen,whoareallpossibleĻvictimsofaspartamepoisoning,itseemssignificantenoughtobantheuseofaspartame.DonšštĻthesepeoplewhoareatriskorhavealreadysufferedcount?DeprivingpeopleoftheirhealthĻseemsmoreseriousthanš šdeprivingtheentirepopulationššofasugarsubstitute.Ģą ąWhataboutthepeoplewhoassumeaspartameissafe?IsitfairtoputthesepeopleatĻrisk?EvencigarettesanddrugshavewarningsonthemtoalertthepublicofpossiblesideĻeffectsanddangers.AspartameonlyhasonewarningforPKU.HowcanpeoplemakeawiseĻchoiceiftheyarenšštevenwarnedofthedangers?ThewarninglabelwouldhavetobeaveryĻlengthytoproperlywarnallpeople.TheonlysolutionistostopaspartameconsumptionbyŠ +ā&* Špullingitoffthemarket.Thiswouldpreventpeoplefromunnecessaryharm,especiallythoseĻwhoareunawareofthedangers.Ģą ąEvenifyouareawareofthedangersandaretryingtoavoidaspartame,youmighthaveĻtospendmoretimereadinglabels.ThefamiliarNutraSweetš)šlogomightnotappearonallĻaspartameproducts.ThepatentonaspartameheldbySearleexpiredinDecemberof1992,ĻallowingothercompaniesbesidestheNutraSweetš)šCompanytoproduceaspartame(TherrienĻ42).(NutraSweetš)šCo.andG.D.SearlearedivisionsoftheMonsantoCompany).TheonlyĻcluenowonsomeproductsisš šaspartameššlistedintheingredientsandaphenylalaninewarning.Ģą ąIfyouššrestillnotconvincedbythetaintedhistoryofaspartameoritsharmfulingredientsĻandareusingittohelpcontrolyourweight,thinkagain.StudiesshowthatthismaynotbetheĻcase.ĢĢņņHelpsControlWeightGainóóŠ č8 Šą ąš šIdrankdietsodafortheobviousreasontoavoidsugarandtoavoidweightgainššĻclaimsabusinesswomaninacasereportedtoDr.Roberts(qtd.InRoberts147).ItššsnotunusualĻforpeoplewhoaredietingtoreachforanaspartameproductversesaproductcontainingsugar.ĻAspartameisš š200timessweeterššthanordinarysugarsofewercaloriesareconsumed(DeskinsĻG1).Withaweightconscioussociety,fewercaloriescanbeattractive.However,acloserlookĻshowsthataspartamemaynothelpcontrolweightgain.Ģą ąOutlinedinthefollowinglistaresomereasonswhyaspartamemightnotbeeffectiveinĻcontrollingweight:ĢÓ H ÓÓ ’ Ó1.AccordingtoanarticleinņņTechnologyReviewóó,š šaspartamemayactuallystimulateŠ +ā&* Šappetiteandbringonacravingforcarbohydratesšš(Farber52).Ģ2.AnarticleinņņUtneReaderóóclaims,š šresearchersbelievethatanykindofsweettasteŠ Ś Šsignalsbodycellstostorecarbohydratesandfats,whichinturncausesthebodytoĻcravemorefoodšš(Lamb16).Ģ3.FromtheņņSanFranciscoChronicleóó,JeanWeiningerstatesthatš šstudieshaveshownŠ h ŠthatpeoplewhouseartificialsweetenersdonšštnecessarilyreducetheirconsumptionĻofsugarortheirtotalcalorieintake....HavingadietsodamakesitokaytoeataĻdoublecheeseburgerandachocolatemoussepiešš(1/ZZ1).Ģ4.š šTheAmericanCancerSociety(1986)documentedthefactthatpersonsusingĻartificialsweetenersgainmoreweightthanthosewhoavoidthemšš(Roberts150).ĢÓ ’Ä_ ÓÓ H¶_ Óą ąWhetheryouaretryingtolosepoundsormaintainyourweight,usinganartificialĻsweetenersuchasaspartamedoesnotseemtohaveanysignificanteffectonweightcontrol.ĻThoseextracaloriesyousavedbydrinkingadietpopwonšštmakemuchofadifferenceifyouĻstillneedtosatisfyyourhungerandindulgeinseveralcookieslater.IfitisactuallyincreasingĻńśńyourńśńappetite,whyuseit?CommonsensetellsyouthatproperdietandexercisearemoreĻbeneficial.Evenifyoubelievethataspartamemayaidindieting,isthisworthriskingyourĻhealth?Ģą ąFDAapprovalandnaturalingredientsmaysignalsafetyatfirst,butthemountingĻevidenceagainstaspartamerevealsmanyhiddendangersandpossiblerisks.IfyouareĻexperiencinganyoftheadversereactions,stopusingaspartameandseeifthesymptomsĻdisappear.Nowthatyouareawareoftheproblemswithaspartame,informothersoftheĻsymptomsofaspartamepoisoning.NotifytheFDAofanyadversereactionsthatyoumayŠ +ā&* Šexperienceandencourageotherstodothesame.Donšštjuststopusingaspartame,butmakeaĻdifferencebyreturninganyaspartameproductsyoumaynowhave.Ifsalesgodown,hopefullyĻaspartamewillbepulledoffthemarketandputanendtotheaspartamedilemma.Š d“ ŠÓ ÓńńÓ fę Óńńń ńń ńÓ 3ó Óń ńńńBIBLIOGRAPHYĢÓ Óą0 ąą ° ąņņAssociationofBirthDefectChildrenóó.š šTheAspartameControversy.šš14Fall1989:12.Š rĀ (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąBlaylock,RussellL.ņņExcitotoxins:TheTasteThatKillsóó.SantaFe:HealthPress,1994.Š 4 (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąBonvie,BillandLinda.š šWhatššsEatingKids?MaybeItššsTheirDiets.ššņņOrlandoSentinelŠ ö F ŠTribuneóó12Mar.1995:G1.Š ø (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąBouleau,Cecilia.š šDietCokeChangesasMexicoOfficialsSouronSaccharin.ššņņAdvertisingŠ z Ź ŠAgeóó23May1988:66.Š < (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąCastrone,Linda.š šFavorableResearchSweetensAspartame.ššņņRockyMountainNewsóó24Aug.Š žN Š1994,ņņEd.F:12D.Š Ą (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąConsumeróóReports.š šAQuestionofHealth.ššSept.1993:580.Š Ņ (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąņņTheDeadlyDeceptionóó.AspartameConsumerSafetyNetwork.Dallas:1994.Š D (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąDeskins,Barbara.š šAspartameIsnšštLinkedtoCancer.ššņņPittsburghPostGazetteóó21Aug.1994;Š V ŠG1.Š (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąFarber,StevenA.š šThePriceofSweetness.ššTechnologyReviewJan.1990:4653.Š (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąHicks,Megan.š šNutraSweetš)š...TooGoodtobeTrue?ššņņGeneralAviationNewsóó31Jul.1989:Š L Š2.Š (#(# ŠKline,CarolineB.š šMigraineMakers.ššņņLadiesHomeJournalóóOct.1994:207.Š Š Šą0 ąą ° ąLamb,Lynette.š šJustaSpoonfulofAspartame.ššņņUtneReaderóóJuly/Auń ūńfńūńńüńgńüń.1988:1617.Š "ā" (#(# ŠRoberts,H.J.ņņAspartame(NutraSweetš)š)IsitSafe?óó.Philadelphia:TheCharlesPress,1990.Š T$¤$ ŠStoddard,Mary.Personalphoneinterview.March1995.Ģą0 ąą ° ąTherrien,Lois.š šHowSweetitIsnšštatNutraSweet.ššņņBusinessWeekóó14Dec.1992:42.Š Ų'(#( (#(# Šą0 ąą ° ąņņWebsterššsDictionaryóó.EncyclopedicEdition.NewYork:LexiconPublications,Inc.,1989.Š )ź$* (#(# ŠWeininger,Jean.š šSweetTalk.ššņņTheSanFranciscoChronicleóó4Jan.1995,finaled.:1/ZZ1.