Pam Myam on wed 16 jun 99
I know this is way off topic, but considering the appearance from time to
time of posts about joint and muscle pains on the list, I thought it might be
pertinent. I received an email from a friend whom I consider very credible.
I stopped adding Equal to food and drink several years ago because of
headaches, but have not actually made an effort to avoid it in prepared
products (like yogurt, ice cream, occasional soft drinks, etc..) I was
surprised to see that aspartame is an ingredient in the new Maalox that I
recently purchased. The website looks rather sensational in a tabloid kind
of way, but my friend's note persuaded me to wade through. I had a bit of
trouble accessing the site directly through AOL, but was able to get there
through Yahoo.
From my friend:
> A friend forwarded a lengthy article to me. I won't forward the article but
> encourage you to go to www.dorway.com for information about Aspartame. I
> thought it was probably one of those fake articles from a competitor. But,
I
> stopped using Equal, and was amazed when after a few days my joint aches
and
> muscle pains were gone, with no other changes in lifestyle. I had been
> walking up steps one at a time and pulling on the railing to manage to
move.
> In two weeks time I am now running up the steps.
She later told me that she had been experiencing a number of fibromyalgia
symptoms and that those, too have lessened.
Pam
(pammyam@aol.com)
Cindy Dueringer on thu 17 jun 99
In a message dated 6/16/99 8:10:32 AM Central Daylight Time, Pammyam@AOL.COM
writes:
<< ---------------------------Original message----------------------------
I know this is way off topic, but considering the appearance from time to
time of posts about joint and muscle pains on the list, I thought it might be
pertinent. I received an email from a friend whom I consider very credible.
I stopped adding Equal to food and drink several years ago because of
headaches, but have not actually made an effort to avoid it in prepared
products (like yogurt, ice cream, occasional soft drinks, etc..) I was
surprised to see that aspartame is an ingredient in the new Maalox that I
recently purchased. The website looks rather sensational in a tabloid kind
of way, but my friend's note persuaded me to wade through. I had a bit of
trouble accessing the site directly through AOL, but was able to get there
through Yahoo.
From my friend:
> A friend forwarded a lengthy article to me. I won't forward the article but
> encourage you to go to www.dorway.com for information about Aspartame. I
> thought it was probably one of those fake articles from a competitor. But,
I
> stopped using Equal, and was amazed when after a few days my joint aches
and
> muscle pains were gone, with no other changes in lifestyle. I had been
> walking up steps one at a time and pulling on the railing to manage to
move.
> In two weeks time I am now running up the steps.
She later told me that she had been experiencing a number of fibromyalgia
symptoms and that those, too have lessened.
Pam
(pammyam@aol.com)
>>
I've been to the "dorway" website and have it bookmarked. Much of what is
there is fact but you are right that it was written in a way to add shock
value to the dangers of aspartame. Here's what I have found after digging
into this.
A few years ago I was a tournament racquetball player (quite a few years
ago), lifted weights, was on a volleyball team....etc etc....I also drank
quite a bit of diet pop. Probably six to eight cans a day. I had lots of
transient aches and pains and weaknesses, and every once in awhile I had a
strange problems with my vision. The vision disturbace would creep in from
the perifery and in about 15 min it would obstruct my entire field of vision,
it sort of looked like I was looked through that glass they use in bathrooms
to obscure clear view. As a jock and an artist (I used to paint miniatures)
losing my vision is not an option. I went to my eye doc and he'd never heard
of anything like it. So I did research on my own. What I came up with was
surprising.
I found a report done by Rodale Institute that had done some studies on
aspartame where a few women had reported similar vision disturbances and
periodic blindness. Rodale went on to explain that although the FDA says
aspartame is ok, it failed to mention that the testing that was done was
funded by the company that makes Nutrasweet! I've found similar information
as to the problems presented by aspartame usage in CSPI (the Center for
Science in Public Interest which also publishes a monthly newsletter).
NutraSweet, (ie aspartame) is made from the amino acid phenylalanine, which
in most people is a pretty benign substance. But in some people it can be
very toxic. Phenylalanine, (the amino acid and is used by the thyroid gland
to stimulate it so it can release the hormone thyroxine. It is used by the
brain to manufacture norepinephrine and dopamine which are brain
neurotransmitters) the other product in aspartame is aspartic acid, another
of the twenty or so amino acids the body uses to make protein. Although they
are bound together in the aspartame molecule, this molecule seems to break
apart rapidly in digestion, releasing both amino acids and allowing rapid
absorption into the body (pretty much the same as MSG does when it breaks
down)
The phenylalanine component of aspartame raises some concern. As you already
know, phenylalanine causes brain damage in infants with a certain medical
disorder called phenylketonuria. (remember the babies getting stabbed in the
heel for a blood test....that's the PKU test for phenylketonuria). Infants
with PKU problems become profoundly retarded if dietary phenylalanine is not
ridgidly limited. I wonder then what about borderline or subclinical PKU
problems or possibly adult-onset possibility of PKU.....just my own wondering.
The aspartic acid component in aspartame is equally as detrimental. Aspartic
acid as well as glutamic acid (in MSG) they are both excito-toxic amino
acids, meaning they are able to excite or stimulate nerve cells. In excess
quantities, both are neurotoxic or poisonous to nerves and can cause nerve
degeneration. But again, these are EXCESSIVE quantities used in animal
studies.
And to add to this mess, some people just have allergies to these products.
The whole thing in a nutshell means that yes, aspartame can cause nerve
irritation and damage, especially in those people susceptible or have reached
toxic levels for their bodies. Symptoms can include headaches, vision
disturbances, abdominal pains, cramps, diarrhea, rashes, hives, asthma
attacks, muscle and joint aches....basically the same symptoms as allergies
can cause.
The body has to maintain balance and if you use an amino acid to a toxic
level, it will disrupt the body and brain chemistry balance temporarily and
can cause physical and emotional problems until balance is restored. MOST
amino acid damage can be reversed when you quit using products with amino
acids and your body returns to normal levels.
I haven't had ONE episode of eye problems since I stopped all aspartame and
it's been 10 years. MSG is another product that can cause the same symptoms.
You may be able to use these products for a time with no symptoms, but when
your body reaches a toxic level symptoms will/can appear. If you have
suspicions, just eliminate it from your diet for awhile and see if symptoms
improve. Many people have no symptoms using either aspartame or MSG.
I've been collecting information about amino acids for a number of years and
doing quite a bit of reading and research about it, if you are interested in
more technical information I can give you a reading list and some links. I
try real hard to take a balanced look at these products and present the
information in a non-biased way so you can draw your own conclusions.
Hope this helps,
KC Cindy
Bill Aycock on thu 17 jun 99
Pam and friends
This location and the "information" about Aspartame (Equal) is one of the
more fragrant lies perpetuated on the net by messages like this.
There have been several nationally published notes and articles about this
scam. There has been a strong effort to find the origin, with no luck, the
last I heard.
The myth about formaldehyde from Aspartame is just that- a myth. Someone
has started and spread a "scare" scenario, with out any basis in fact. Dont
fall for it.
Bill
-
Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill
Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
(in the N.E. corner of the State)
W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr
baycock@HiWAAY.net
Ronnie Beer on fri 18 jun 99
I have been a lurker on here for several months and want to thank all of you
who have fed my thirst for knowledge about the mysteries of pottery making.
I may not have had anything to say for sometime, but this subject is
something I know about. As briefly as possible, in Feb. 1996 I was pushing a
big box of books toward the garage and something happened in my back. That
began a year and a half nightmare of unceasing pain caused by my sciatic
nerve. I had surgery and it only made it worse. Insurance paid for every
thing Western medicine had to offer, but my healing came through an
acupuncturist. No, not the acupuncture, but something he finally gave me in
desperation, The Allergy Elimination Diet. I couldn't walk a block without
sitting and was pretty close to being suicidal. I went on this diet in March
1997, you cleanse your body for three weeks, and then gradually add known
allergens back, one at a time. I had some reactions from corn and dairy
products, and thought that was it. By July of 1997 I was pain free. Now
that I think about it, I stayed off of diet sodas and my sweetener of choice,
Equal, for a long time. I can't remember when I started back on diet sodas,
which I do love, but I do know that I've begun suffering from the joint pains
I had then again. I'm 53, and until reading this note and looking at that
site, I'd just figured it was aging, or menopause or just living in Houston.
I know this works, because I now know why I got better two years ago.
Thank you so much for posting this. I hope that others will believe.
Now that I'm out of the lurkers closet I may even post some pottery
questions, I have many.
Ronnie Beer
<< > stopped using Equal, and was amazed when after a few days my joint aches
and
> muscle pains were gone, with no other changes in lifestyle. I had been
> walking up steps one at a time and pulling on the railing to manage to
move.
> In two weeks time I am now running up the steps. >>
Pam Myam on fri 18 jun 99
Dear Bill and all,
While I know about the "urban legends" and sensational scares that circulate
on the internet, the story about the woman who could barely climb the stairs
came from a personal friend about herself. I did not see all of the posts on
the list, but I've received personal emails from four people who had very
significant symptoms that "miraculously" disappeared after they stopped using
aspartame--before my post appeared. I went to the Equal website and the
NutraSweet website and read some of the information refuting the bad press
earlier today. The url's follow this message. One of the sites credits a
particular woman with starting the rumor. I also read the American Diabetes
Assoc. statement about aspartame.
My intention was certainly not to perpetrate a scam or convince people, in
general, to stop using aspartame, but to share the information that *some*
people *might* have very significant and serious health problems related to
its use--like MSG and peanuts. I think the claims are very real to the
individuals who have experienced problems. The fact that it might not pose a
problem for many people certainly does not alter the fact that it might pose
a problem for some who might not otherwise be aware of the potential for
easily easing some health woes. Perhaps there is something other than the
formaldehyde that is at play.
Here are a few sites that support the safety of aspartame:
http://www.nutrasweet.com/ (Click on "Fact and Fiction")
http://www.diabetes.org/ada/aspartame.asp
http://www.equal.com (all the good stuff about the product)
===
http://www.diabetes.org/publications/adasearch/QUERY.ASP (links to various
health organizations for general information)
===
Regards,
Pam
In a message dated 6/17/99 5:39:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
baycock@hiwaay.net writes:
> Subj: Re: Aspartame and pain
> Date: 6/17/99 5:39:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time
> From: baycock@hiwaay.net (Bill Aycock)
> Sender: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU (Ceramic Arts Discussion List)
> Reply-to: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU (Ceramic Arts Discussion List)
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Pam and friends
>
> This location and the "information" about Aspartame (Equal) is one of the
> more fragrant lies perpetuated on the net by messages like this.
>
> There have been several nationally published notes and articles about this
> scam. There has been a strong effort to find the origin, with no luck, the
> last I heard.
>
> The myth about formaldehyde from Aspartame is just that- a myth. Someone
> has started and spread a "scare" scenario, with out any basis in fact. Dont
> fall for it.
>
> Bill
> -
> Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill
> Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
> (in the N.E. corner of the State)
> W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr
> baycock@HiWAAY.net
D. Kim Lindaberry on fri 18 jun 99
>
> Rodale went on to explain that although the FDA says
> aspartame is ok, it failed to mention that the testing that was done was
> funded by the company that makes Nutrasweet!
People shouldn't be surprised that the FDA makes decisions on products based on
data gathered by the companies that make those products. THAT is the way the FDA
works. Companies that want their products, drugs, etc., are required by law to r
test and gather data on those products. This data is then submitted to the FDA
with their proposal for approval. The gathering of that data is done by strict
guideline established by the FDA, but they require the companies foot the bill.
Otherwise the taxpayers would have to foot the bill so companies could make thei
profits....People might be interested to know that there are natural products
consumed in the US everyday that can't pass the FDA standards, but were
grandfathered in for use and won't ever be banned by the FDA. Regular salt can
cause cancer in the lab mice used for testing carcinogens. So what does that te
you about the guideline standards?
just my observations
Kim
----
D. Kim Lindaberry
Longview Community College
500 SW Longview Road
Art Department
Lee's Summit, MO 64108
USA
to visit my web site go to:
http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/humanities/art/kiml/
to send e-mail to me use: mailto:kiml@kcmetro.cc.mo.us
Ditmar/Gayle on fri 18 jun 99
Many years ago, I too drank aspartame sweetened sodas. Splitting headaches
that wouldn't go away...went to sleep with them and woke up with them.
Stopped the sweetener and in a day the headaches vanished.
But then of course that's only anecdotal. I didn't have the money or the
inclination to do a controlled study of myself.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.........well guess WHAT,
it's probably a duck, even though there weren't controlled studies.
For all the "true believers" out there, that still trust Nutrasweet,
Monsanto, and Searle, ( as well as the FDA ) I recommend the following
books.
Aspartame ( Nutrasweet ) Is It Safe ? H.J. Roberts
ISBN 0914783580
Deadly Deception : Story of Aspartame Mary Nash Stoddard
ISBN 1884363148
The nationally published articles Bill refers to were no doubt sponsored by
Nutrasweet and Monsanto, as damage control to their billion dollar
baby....aspartame.
Why were studies (done by the manufacturer) showing aspartame's link to
brain tumors and seizures made public AFTER it was approved ????
Methanol IS a by-product of aspartame's metabolism. Methanol has a direct
effect on the eyes.
If you suffer joint and other pains that interfere with your throwing or
other clay handling and manipulation, AND you use aspartame, just give it
up for a while. If the pain goes away.......well, it's probably a duck.
Check labels CLOSELY, it's in a lot of things. Gum, cereal, toothpaste,
cake mixes, Jell-O, drinks, medicines, breath fresheners etc.
From Alohaland, Ditmar.
P.S. Why should everyone be lying in the www.dorway.com site ?
The USAF even warns it's pilots about aspartame. Get ALL the facts before
calling something a scam.
Joyce Lee on fri 18 jun 99
Thank you, dear Bill, for saying it so succinctly! I have friends who
feel that I'm betraying them every time I tell them that extensive and
recent research says that the aspartame stuff is a myth ... a myth about
which they feel great passion, apparently. A friend recently brought me
some other new substitute for sugar that she "knows" is safe because her
"health food store people said so." Frankly, I prefer what to my mind
are "natural" products, so do often use sugar more often than I use
aspartame ... but I've often wondered just what chemicals are used to
break that sugar cane down into refined or granulated sugar??? The last
time I researched Equal on the net, I found lots of posts ... all from
guys with only first names or signed anonymous. And even these (may be
the fault of my search engines) were not first person accounts. Blast
away ... I love all of you. I'll go hide out in Bill's fort on Persimmon
Hill.
Joyce
In the Mojave
Bobbi Bassett on fri 18 jun 99
In a message dated 6/17/99 5:39:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
baycock@hiwaay.net writes:
> ---------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Pam and friends
>
> This location and the "information" about Aspartame (Equal) is one of the
> more fragrant lies perpetuated on the net by messages like this.
>
Even Arthritis Today magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation says
there is NO TRUTH to the aspertame rumor. Perhaps the people who have felt
relief from discontinued use had some individual reaction to it.
Bobbi in PA
leaving in minutes for one of those "craft fairs"
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