The tragic defection of the Wall Street Journal from the truth on aspartame poisoning. Rebuttal by Dr. Roberts Follows. **************** Not "cleaning up"... simply more MUD on the issue. Clearing Up Newest Rumors About Aspartame Sweetener Wall Street Journal June 7, 1999 CALL IT A TEMPEST in a diet-soda can. The debate over aspartame -- despite official rulings of safety -- continues to be the most confusing food fight on the horizon. Picture: Health Journal>First there was a widely received blitz of e- mail, falsely blaming the sweetener for causing multiple sclerosis, Gulf War syndrome, and other ills. A news magazine called Diabetes Interview, popular among patients, added more heat to the debate in a recent article that looked at some provocative hypotheses linking aspartame to neurologic toxicity. Diabetics commonly use sweeteners to keep their blood sugar in check. The American Diabetes Association shot back with a letter that compared the magazine to holocaust deniers. The magazine's publisher, Scott King, suggests the association is tainted because it receives money from Monsanto, the maker of the Equal brand of aspartame. ADA vehemently denies the grant monies nvolve any quid pro quo (and adds that the letter-writer wasn't speaking for the association). Whew! What's a soda-drinker -- or diabetic -- to make of all this? Here's the unsweetened truth. Since approving aspartame in 1981, the Food and Drug Administration has collected more than 7,000 consumer complaints about the product. The most common symptom reported is headache. But controlled trials haven't nailed down any proof of a link. Consumers with a little time and motivation can read the record for themselves by searching "aspartame" in a database like PubMed, at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed. There, you'll find 603 study citations. Scroll through the scary hypotheses and small-case reports implicating aspartame in seizures or brain tumors, and then weigh that against the larger body of reassuring data from controlled studies that fail to prove the sweetener causes these illnesses. For instance, the specter of brain tumors was laid to rest in a 1997 case-control study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. It found no ties between the cancer and a child's consumption of the sweetener, or a mother's use of it during pregnancy. Aspartame does pose one undisputed health hazard for the roughly one in 16,000 people in the country who have a condition called phenylketonuria, also known as PKU. Sufferers can't metabolize phenylalanine, an amino acid, which can build up and cause mental retardation. Aspartame contains the substance. DUKE UNIVERSITY researcher Susan Schiffman, Durham, N.C., whose work has been funded by Monsanto, thought she had settled the issue about headaches a decade ago when she published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found a placebo pill triggered more headaches than did the sweetener. Caffeine-laden tea and soda were likelier cuprits, she says. Still, reports of throbbing temples have produced a view of aspartame that survives debunking studies. The lead article in the National Headache Foundation's current newsletter states that among other foodstuffs, "Aspartame also seems to be a major trigger" of headaches. Individuals who suspect they can't tolerate aspartame have learned to read labels and avoid it. There are a host of other sweeteners besides aspartame:sucaralose (Splenda), acesulfame K (Sweet One), sorbitol, mannitol and an herbal product called stevia. Monsanto is testing a new product currently called "Sweetener 2000." Some adult diabetics are beginning to question how much they really need the artificial sweeteners. In parallel with the trend of "tight control," measuring blood sugar up to 10 times a day and correcting with careful doses of food and insulin, there's a move by some to reconsider the limited use of sugar. Instead of being the lone villain, sugar is now seen as one of a host of carbohydrates that must be carefully measured and balanced throughout the day by diabetics. "Everything from a slice of bread to a glass of juice gets turned into sugar once it's in the body," says Mr. King, an insulin-dependent diabetic. "You have to know the chemistry of food and play with it," says San Francisco fitness-club director Laura Greenfield, a longtime diabetic. "A baked potato really whacks my blood sugar up," more swiftly than a bowl of ice cream. NEVERTHELESS, endocrinologist Alan Marcus, like many doctors, still recommends artificial sweeteners as part of a diabetic's tool kit. "I'd rather see a person take an Equal in their coffee than a teaspoon of glucose. They'll require less insulin and less obesity will develop," he says. "Use them judiciously -- as with any food or additive." Ms. Greenfield views Equal with equanimity. "I drink one Diet Coke every three days, and one packet of Equal a day to sweeten my tea." But she says she also eats cookies. "There's no one forbidden food in diabetes. You can eat sugar food as long as you count it with your carbohydrates. What any diabetes educator would tell you is use it in moderation," she says. "We shouldn't be relying on artificial sweeteners. In spite of what it calls "overwhelming evidence that aspartame is safe," the FDA says it will continue to monitor and follow up on reports of adverse reactions to the sweetener. Consumers and physicians can file such reports with consumer-complaint coordinators at FDA district offices around the country, as well as with its emergency-operations branch in Rockville, Md. ********************************************************************* ************* Rebuttal by renowned doctor, author and expert witness. ********************************************************************* H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P, F.C.C.P. 6708 Pamela Lane West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 June 8, 1999 Editor, Letters The Wall Street Journal 200 Liberty Street New York, NY 10281 Dear Sir, Your feature on the "truth about aspartame" (June 7) fell far short of the mark. It was clearly influenced by industry-supported researchers, self-serving corporate interests, and embarrassing deficiencies of the FDA. I have carefully studied aspartame disease for 15 years as a corporate-neutral Board-certified internist and endocrinologist. My observations are detailed in more than a score of publications and three books. In my opinion, they convincingly lead to three conclusions. First, the FDA should not have approved the use of aspartame in 1981 as a tabletop sweetener, in 1983 as a chemical added to sodas, and more recently as an all-purpose sweetener. Second, the protocols of most "negative" studies have been flawed for several reasons --- especially failure to use "real world" products exposed to heat and storage. In turn, they have served to confuse or intimidate physicians, patients and regulatory agencies. Some are classic examples of "sciencegate". Third, the enormity of aspartame disease warrants removal of products containing this chemical as an "imminent public health hazard." This opinion reflects its multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic and fetal/carcinogenic effects. My own data base of severe aspartame reactors using logical diagnostic criteria exceeds 1200 persons... including predictable recurrences on rechallenge. I have repeatedly stressed the potential severe damage from use of ALL aspartame products (including gum) by (a) patients with diabetes, hypoglycemia, migraine, epilepsy, depression, memory loss, and eating disorders, and (b) pregnant women, infants and children. Moreover, there is considerable evidence that they may accelerate, aggravate or simulate multiple sclerosis, the complications of diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. These views are detailed in my publications about this ignored epidemic. H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P, F.C.C.P. ___________________________________________________ Director, Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research ******************** http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/time.html http://www.medicinegarden.com/Library/index.html#aspartame Multiple Sclerosis Or Aspartame Disease? H. J. ROBERTS, M.D., F.A.C.P.,F.C.C.P. Aspartame disease refers to symptoms and signs attributable to the use of products containing aspartame, a chemical commonly known as NutraSweet (R) and Equal (R). In my opinion, it afflicts many consumers of such products, possibly in the millions. This is based on my own database of over 900 aspartame reactors, extensive researches, and more than 7,000 complaints volunteered to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Over half of adults in the U.S. currently consume aspartame! The most vulnerable areas for this affliction are the brain, eyes, inner ear and peripheral nerves. Its frequent features include headache, dizziness, poor equilibrium, confusion, impaired vision or double vision, convulsions, ringing in the ears, slurred speech, tremors, extreme fatigue, motor and sensory disturbances affecting the limbs, and other neuropsychiatric complaints. They are detailed in my two cassette talk, IS ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET(R)) SAFE? A MEDICAL, PUBLIC HEALTH AND LEGAL OVERVIEW - 1995, and SWEET'NER DEAREST: BITTERSWEET VIGNETTES ABOUT ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET (R))-published by the Sunshine Sentinel Press (P. O. Box 17799, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416; 1 800 -814-9800; Fax 561-832-2400; e-mail, sunsentpress@sunsentpress.com ). I have encountered scores of patients with aspartame disease in whom these features, in varying combinations, were diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. This has been particularly impressive in the case of weight- conscious young women who used aspartame as soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners and gum. The causative or contributing role of aspartame was indicated by (1) the dramatic improvement within several days or weeks after avoiding aspartame products, and (2) the prompt and predictable recurrence of these complaints after resuming aspartame (often inadvertently). Each of the components of phenylalanine-aspartame (50%); aspartic acid (40%); the methyl ester, which promptly becomes methyl alcohol or methanol (10%) - and their multiple breakdown products after exposure to heat or during prolonged storage is potentially toxic to the brain, retina and nerves. An erroneous diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can penalize a person in numerous ways and for years. It is my opinion that the diagnosis of "early" multiple sclerosis should not be made in individuals consuming aspartame products until they have been observed for many months of total abstinence. Some minor finding by CT or MRI scans of the brain does not justify this diagnosis in an aspartame reactor. (C)1996 H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P.,F.C.C.P. 300 27th Street West Palm Beach, Florida 33407 *************** Aspartame intolerance. Garriga MM, Metcalfe DD Mast Cell Physiology Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland. Aspartame is a food additive marketed under the brand name Nutrasweet. Aspartame is a white, odorless, crystalline powder and consists of two amino acids, L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. It is 180 times as sweet as sugar. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first allowed its use in dry foods in July 1981 and then approved its use in carbonated beverages in July 1983. It has subsequently been approved for use in a number of materials including multivitamins, fruit juices, stick-type confections, breath mints, and iced tea. The FDA requires the statement "phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine" on labels of food products containing aspartame because individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) must restrict their intake of phenylalanine. Aspartame is judged to be free of long-term cancer risks. Aspartame is not stable under certain conditions including baking and cooking, and prolonged exposure to acid conditions. In such situations it loses its sweetness. Products formed from aspartame include its component amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid), methanol, and diketopiperazine (DKP). Animal studies show DKP to be nontoxic. Methanol occurs in small amounts and does not exceed that formed during consumption of many foods including fresh fruits and vegetables. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) monitors aspartame's safety in part through reports of adverse reactions. After aspartame was approved for use in carbonated beverages, the FDA received an increased number of reports concerning adverse reactions related to aspartame. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reviewed these reports, which included complaints of neurologic, gastrointestinal, andallergic reactions. Publication Types: Review Review, tutorial MeSH Terms: Aspartame/adverse effects* Behavior Dipeptides/adverse effects* Female Headache/etiology Human Hypersensitivity/etiology Male Product Surveillance, Postmarketing* Substances: Aspartame Dipeptides PMID: 3061324, UI: 89086740 From a PubMed medline query at the following address: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/Entrez/referer?/htbin- post/Entrez/query%3fdb=m&form=6&uid=3061324&Dopt=r