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In this article Mission Possible
Fibromyalgia Arthritis Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Parkinson's Disease Lupus Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) Diabetes and Diabetic Complications Epilepsy Alzheimer's Disease Birth Defects Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Lymphoma Lyme Disease Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Panic Disorder Depression and other Psychological Disorders SWEETENER, BRAIN TUMORS LINKED? From the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener sold most often as Equal or NutraSweet, is a leading suspect in an upsurge of deadly brain tumors in the United States, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have concluded. Their analysis of National Cancer Institute data being published this week in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, found that the number of brain tumors jumped by 10 per cent in l984, a year after the Food and Drug Administration approved the sweetener for widespread use in food and soft drinks. Similar increases in brain tumors occured in Europe, the researchers said. The U.S. increase - about 1,310 cases per year - was marketed by rising diagnoses of the same type of highly malignant tumor found in laboratory rats in an aspartame study in the l970's, the scientists said. Dr. John Olney, lead author of the paper, is a noted neuropathologist and psychiatrist who has challenged aspartame's safety since the l970's. "Compared to other environmental factors, aspartame appears to be a promising candidate for explaining the surge in brain tumors in the mid l980s," the researchers said, emphasizing that they were not aserting a causal link but rather urging further research here and abroad. But the FDA said there are "serious methodological questions about Dr. Olney's conclusions." And the Illinois based NutraSweet Kelco Co., which sells close to $1 billion of aspartame annually, said the researchers" manipulated the data to make their point." End of Atlanta Journal Constitution article. DOES ASPARTAME CAUSE HUMAN BRAIN CANCER? Journal of Advancement in Medicine Volume 4, Number 4, Winter 1991 H. J. Roberts, MD (H.J. Roberts MD is Director, Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research. He is Senior Active Staff, St. Mary’s Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital, West Palm Beach. He is author of six texts and was selected the “The Best Doctors in the U.S.” Addresss correspondence to H. J. Roberts MD, Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research, 300 27th Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. 1991 Human Sciences Press, Inc. ABSTRACT: There has been a statistically significant increase of common primary malignant brain cancers since 1985, and perhaps as early as 1984, according to the National Cancer Institute SEER data. This phenomenon occurred within 1-2 years following licensing of the chemical aspartame for beverages in July 1983. Furthermore, the annual incidence rates of primary brain tumors appear to be increasing. The SEER data also reveal an increased incidence of primary brain lymphoma in 1982-1984. Others have reported a tripling of the incidence of this condition, previously rare. Again, the licensing of aspartame for “dry” use in July 1981 is relevant. The significance of these associations is underscored by the high incidence ofbrain tumors in rats after the experimental administration of aspartame. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists and a Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) strongly recommended delay in licensure pending further investigation, including repetition of the animal studies, to clarify this matter. To the author’s knowledge, these have not been reported. Aspartame containing products are now being consumed by an estimated 200 million persons in over 4,000 products. These data, coupled with an unacceptably large number of aspartame-related seizures reported to the FDA and the writer, appear to warrant an “imminent public health hazard” designation for such products. Introduction The title of this article should disturb seasoned clinicians. It suggests that several major human cancers may be caused or influenced by an additive currently being consumed by more than half the population. Such an assertion obviously requires epidemiologic and statistical validation, as well as the repetition by corporate-neutral investigators of animal and human studies on which the FDA had relied for licensing products containing this synthesized chemical. The Rising Incidence of Primary Brain Cancer The National Cancer Institute’s (USA) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) statistics (1) indicate an impressive increase in the age-adjusted incidence rates of primary brain cancer since 1985, and possibly as early as 1984. This phenomenon has been documented in the categories covering all races and both genders. Disturbing statistically-significant rises in the Estimated Annual Percent Change (EAPC) for brain cancer also were noted in the 1983-1987 period - 1987 being the last year for which complete data are available. For example, SEER Table II-34 contains the five-year trends for all races. The EAPC rose from 2.1 to 8.7 in males, and from 2.1 to 11.7 in females for the time periods 1975-1979 and 1983-1987, respectively. Although such increases might be attributed to more accurate diagnosis by modern scanning and other diagnostic procedures, three considerations seem to rebut this explanation. First, adequate brain scanning devices were widely available at least one decade ago. Second, the rise in primary brain tumors has been quantitative, and not attributable to changes in nosology. Third, the incidence rates for cancer involving most other systems either remained stable or declined during the 1983-1987 period. The search for nonoccupational etiologic factors of glioblastoma in adults has proved frustrating (2). Hochberg, Toniolo and Cole (3) were unable to document any significant association with a family history of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies or other neurologic conditions. Exposure to pets, a farm environment, head irradiation, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, the intake of cured or smoked meat or fish, or the use of various drugs did not appear to correlate. The Rising Incidence of Primary Brain Lymphoma The increasing frequency of primary brain lymphoma of B cell derivation - including reticulum cell sarcoma, microglioma and histiocytic lymphoma - also requires explanation because this subset was previously rare. Eby et al (4) reported a nearly threefold rise in its incidence among immunologically normal persons in the 1982-1984 SEER data, which they could not explain. Specifically, the rate increased from 2.7 to 7.5 cases per ten million population (p=0.001) in the time periods 1973-1975 and 1982-1984, respectively. The age-adjusted rise was more striking among women which increased from 4.9 per ten million in 1979-1981 to 8.9 per ten million in 1982-1984. Hochberg and Miller (5) reported a tripling of incidence of this tumor in non-immunosuppressed persons during the 5-year interval between 1980 and 1984. Moreover, there was a decrease in the median age of onset by 3.5 years. They projected that the tumor could be the most common neurological neoplasm by 1991 because of its increase both sporadically and in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) population. Hardwidge et al (6) noted the increased incidence of primary cerebral lymphoma encountered since 1987 in their neuropathology center in England. They suggested the importance of epidemiological studies to determine any environmental factors that might be implicated. This phenomenon coincides with two other events: (a) the formal licensing of aspartame in July 1981, and (b) the 3:1 preponderance of women with adverse reactions to aspartame products (7,8). Eby et al (4) suggested other noninfectious environmental exposures as a possible explanation. Although primary brain lymphomas might have a long latency period and result from occupational exposure or other chemical exposures, these investigators regarded occupational exposure to be an unlikely cause in view of the similar increases in incidence among both men and women, particularly in older persons. Aspartame Consumption Any attempt to explain this increase in incidence of primary brain cancers must seriously consider the widespread consumption of aspartame products. Aspartame (NutraSweet) was licensed for use as an additive in the Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) category by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), first as a tabletop sweetener in July 1981, and then for “wet” use in beverages in July 1983. Long-term clinical studies in humans were not reported, to our knowledge, before such licensure. Currently, more than 4,000 products containing aspartame are being consumed by over 200 million persons, often in prodigious amounts (7). Experimental Aspartame-Associated Brain Tumors An unexpectedly high incidence of primary brain tumors was found in rats experimentally exposed to aspartame during the 1970s (7). Although FDA scientists and others expressed considerable concern, the statutes of limitation on such studies were allowed to expire before regulatory action could be taken. The details were published in the Congressional Record-Senate hearings of May 7 (9) and August 1, 1985 (10), and in a recent text (7). Park, a Staff Science Advisor for the Office of Health Affairs of the Department of Health and Human Services, concluded an analysis of aspartame safety by a special PBOI relative to brain tumors in aspartame-treated rats (11). He stated that aspartame had not been shown to be safe for the proposed food additive uses. The PBOI accordingly recommended that aspartame should not be approved until additional studies were performed using proper experimental designs. These studies were never reported, to our knowledge, even though producers of aspartame continue to tout it as “the most thoroughly tested additive in history”. If mutagenic, it could be due to the molecule itself, one or more of its three components (phenylalanine, aspartic acid, methyl alcohol), or their breakdown products. The latter include steroisomers of the amino acids and/or multiple metabolites, especially the diketopiperazine derivative (DKP). It is noteworthy that these breakdown products increase during the prolonged storage and exposure to heat to which many aspartame products are exposed (7). Next Aspartame Makes you Fatter! Position Statement from Sandra Cabot, M.D., I have been a medical doctor for 23 years and have clinical and research interests in the liver and metabolism. I have authored several best selling health books including the "Liver Cleansing Diet", "The Body Shaping Diet", "Don't Let Your Hormones Ruin Your Life", "Women's Health", "Menopause and Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy" and I lecture internationally on these subjects. I have been consulted by thousands of patients with weight problems, hormonal imbalances, fatty liver, sluggish metabolism and chronic ill health. I have been an advocate and practitioner of nutritional methods of healing for 30 years. I regularly appear on national television and broadcast on many radio stations to educate people about the importance of a healthy liver in achieving good health and weight control! In the interests of public health I am making a position statement concerning the use of the artificial sweetener called aspartame and sold most commonly under the names of NutraSweet and Equal. One must ask, "why do millions of people ingest a toxic chemical like aspartame everyday"? To me it appears ridiculous and I believe that it is because people have been brainwashed into thinking aspartame will keep their weight down and is good for health. It also shows me that we have lost touch with our own natural senses and instincts. After having been consulted by thousands of overweight people suffering with problems concerning the liver and/or metabolism I can assure you that aspartame will not help you in any way, indeed it will help you to gain unwanted weight. This has been my experience, and there are logical reasons to explain the fattening and bloating effects of aspartame. When you ingest the toxic chemical aspartame it is absorbed from the intestines and passes immediately to the LIVER where it is taken inside the liver via the liver filter. The liver then breaks down or metabolizes aspartame to its toxic components - phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. This process requires a lot of energy from the liver which means there will be less energy remaining in the liver cells. This means the liver cells will have less energy for fat burning and metabolism, which will result in fat storing. Excess fat may build up inside the liver cells causing "fatty liver" and when this starts to occur it is extremely difficult to lose weight. In my vast experience any time that you overload the liver you will increase the tendency to gain weight easily. Aspartame also causes weight gain by other mechanisms --- Causes unstable blood sugar levels, which increases the appetite and causes cravings for sweets/sugar. Thus it is particularly toxic for those with diabetes or epilepsy. Causes fluid retention giving the body a puffy and bloated appearance. This makes people look fatter than they are and increases cellulite. To discover more about the liver look up my web site - liverdoctor.com, and to learn more about natural sugars that are better for the liver and weight, read my books "The Liver Cleansing Diet" and "Boost Your Energy". To order see your book store, or call Ten Speed Press or call 1 888-75-Liver. (USA only) This press release is being provided by Betty Martini, founder of Mission Possible International (770 242-2599). For press receiving this release who wish to interview Dr. Cabot they can contact Donna Medoff at 602 -860-0456. She will only be in the US a few days longer and then she will be back in Australia. Donna's email address is listed under CC. This grants permission for those who wish to publish this statement or put it on web. We ask that it be also put in news groups to educate the public, and spread on other lists. Dr. Cabot's books are also on the DORway web site below my signature. Thank you, Dr. Cabot. As we have often said, "If you want to get fat, NutraSweet is where its at!" JOINT PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ASPARTAME USE by H. J. Roberts, M.D. West Palm Beach, Florida from the Townsend Letter for Doctors May 1991 Summary: Joint pain requiring analgesics was experienced by 58 patients who consumed moderate to large amounts of aspartame, a popular sweetener. This association seems convincing in light of (1) the prompt improvement of both these pains and other aspartame-associated complaints after abstinence from aspartame, and (2) their prompt recurrence following aspartame rechallenge, known or inadvertent. Clinicians should inquired about aspartame use in all patients who present with unexplained join pain or the exacerbations of rheumatologicdisorders. A therapeutic trial of aspartame avoidance is warranted before ordering expensive studies, consultations and potent drugs. An impressive, but unexpected, finding in an analysis of complaints associated with aspartame, a sweetener currently being consumed by over 100 million persons in the United States, was troublesome joint pain. Accordingly, this symptom was incorporated in both the routine questioning of apparent aspartame reactors and a computerized nine-page nationwide survey of such individuals. Methods Data was obtained from 551 persons having apparent systemic reactions to aspartame. They consisted of 160 private patients and individuals who were personally interviewed, and 391 persons who described their adverse side effects in a questionnaire - including observations after rechallenge. The names of the latter group were supply by Aspartame Victims and Their Friends (courtesy of Mrs. Shannon Roth), the Community Nutrition Institute (courtesy of Mr. Rod Leonard), and Dr. Woodrow Monte of Arizona State University. The completed questionnaires were analyzed with assistance of the Management Information System staff at the Good Samaritan Hospital, West Palm Beach. Results: Joint pain was a major complaint in 58 (10.5%) of 551 aspartame reactors. Its convincing association with aspartame is derived from the following clinical evidence: Case 1. A 55-year old secretary developed “arthritis” and aching of the lower extremities one week after she began drinking an aspartame-flavored tea mix. Concomitant symptoms included memory loss, severe dizziness and depression. These features subsided within one week after stopping the aspartame product. After each of several rechallenges, “my whole body ached from my toes to the neck. I felt as though I had arthritis in my whole body and it hurt to move an arm or even my hand....Since that time, I have not touched anything sweetened with aspartame, and have experienced no unusual aches, memory loss or dizziness. Case 2. A 45-year old technician consumed two packets of an aspartame tabletop sweetener daily for three weeks. He became markedly impaired because of “severe joint irritation” and “less that 1/4 my normal strength.” These complaints improved within one day after avoiding aspartame. The joint symptoms recurred within one day after retesting himself with this product on three separate trials. Case 3. A 62-year old supervisor complained that “all my joints ached all the time” while consuming aspartame. He used eight packets of an aspartame tabletop sweetener in his coffee, one glass of aspartame hot chocolate, and two services of aspartame puddings or gelatins daily. Other aspartame-associated symptoms included loss of vision in one eye, marked sensitivity to noise in both ears, intense headache, severe drowsiness, paresthesias of the limbs, atypical facial pains, extreme irritability, and a paradoxic weight gain of 30 pounds. His joint pains and other complaints regressed within five weeks after stopping aspartame. All recurred within eight hours during two rechallenges. Discussion Experienced clinicians understandably will balk at the suggestion that a correlation exists between joint pain and consumption of a popular RDA-approved sweetener for several reasons. First, they have not heard or reach of such an association. Second, the frequency of rheumatologic complaints in the general population is likely to be superimposed upon the use of any drug, food or additive. Third, this pilot investigation lacks “controls” and objective quantifiable measurements during prospective double-blind studies. Fourth, the proposition that foods and additives can induce joint symptoms in not novel. On the other hand, the occurrence of joint pain, generalized or focal, in 58 individuals so closely associated with aspartame use ought not be dismissed as “anecdotal” or “idiosyncratic.” The prompt regression of such complaints after abstinence from this chemical, and their prompt and predictable precipitation on rechallenge seems convincing. In effect, such patients served as their own controls. These observations offer intriguing insights concerning various rheumatologic disorders. A case in point was the occurrence of transient “dry eyes” in 46 (8.3%) of 551 reactors while taking aspartame. The frequent occurrence of arthropathy in the Sjogren syndrome is recognized. Other interesting rheumatologic associations were encountered in aspartame reactors. Some patients emphasized the prompt exacerbation of their long-standing arthropathies after using aspartame, and improvement within several days after stopping it. Correspondence to: H. J. Roberts, M.D. 300-27th St. West Palm Beach, FL 33407 The information on this page was provided by Mission Possible. References 1. National Cancer Institutes. Cancer Statistics Review 1973-87. Bethesda, NIH Publication No. 89-2789. 2. Black, P. McL: Brain tumors, New Engl. J. Med 1991: 324:1471-1476. 3. Hochberg F. Toniolo P, Cole P: Nonoccupational risk indicators of glioblasoma in adults, J Neuro-Oncol 1990; 8:55-60. 4. Eby NL, Grufferman S. Flannelly CM. et al: Increasing incidence of primary brain lymphoma in the US. Cancer 1988; 62:22461-22465. 5. Hochberg FH, Miller DC: Primary central nervous system lymphoma. J Neurogurg 1988: 68:835-853. 6. Hardwidge C, Diengdoh JV, Husfaud D. Nash JRG: Review: Primary cerebral lymphoma - a clinico-pathological study. Clin Neuropath 1990; 9:217-223. 7. Roberts HJ. Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe? Philadelphia The Charles Press, 1989. 8. Roberts HJ. Reactions attributed to aspartame-containing products: 551 cases. J Appl Nutr 1988: 59:85-94 9. Congressional Recond-Senate. Saccharin Study and Labeling Act Amendments of 1985. May 7, 1985, pp.S5489-5516. 10. Congressional Record-Senate. Aspartame Safety Act of 1985. August 1, 1985, pp.S10820-10847. 11. U.S. Government Printing Office. Aspartame; Availability of Board of Inquiry Decision. Fed Reg 1980; 45:69558. 12. Community Nutrition Institute, et al. v. Dr. Mark Novitch, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 84-1153 and No.84-5253 (D.C. Civil Action No. 83-03846, decided September 24, 1985). 13. Ishu H.: Incidence of brain tumors in rats fed aspartame. Toxicol Letters 1981: 7:433-437 14. Altschule MD: Hypothesis in medicine. Med Sci 1966; 17:94 15. Salcman M: The morbidity and mortality of brain tumors, Neurol Clin 1985; 3:229-257. 16. Cole GC, Wilkins PR, West RR: An epidemiological survey of primary tumors of the brain and spinal cordin South East Wales. Br J Neurogurg 1989; 3:487-493. 17. Roberts HJ: Pentachlorophenol-associated aplastic anemia, red cell aplasis, leukemia and other blood disorders. J Florida M A 1990; 77:86-90. 18. Krinke G. Naylor DC. Schnid S. Frohlich E. Schnider K: The incidence of naturally-occurring primary brain tumors in the laboratory rat. J Comp Path 1985; 95:175-192. 19. Huff J. Haseman J. Rall D: Scientific concepts, value, and significance of chemical carcinogenesis studies. Ann Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 1991; 31:621-652. 20. Preston-Martin S: Descriptie epidemiology of primary tumors of the brain, crainial nerves and cranial meninges in Los Angeles County. Neuropidem 1989; 8:283-295. 21. Roberts HJ: Aspartame, tryptophan, and other amino acids as potential hazardous experiments. South M J 1990; 83:1110-1111. 22. Roelvink NCA. Kamphort W, van Alphen, HAM. Rao BR: Pregnancy-related primary brain and spinal tumors. Arch Neurol 1987: 44:209-215. 23. Caldecott R: Cited by Sc Newsletter 1961: November 18. 24. Hoi Sang U. Kelley PY, Hatton JE, Shew JY: Proto-oncogene abnormalities and their relationship to tumorigenicity in some human gliblastomas. J Neurosurg 1989: 71:83-90. 25. Kaplan DR, et al: The trk proto-onogeny product: A signal transducing receptor for nerve growth factor. Science 1991:252-554-558. 26. Roberts HJ: An inquiry into the pathogenesis, rational treatment and prevention of multiple sclerosis, with emphasis upon the combined role of diabetogenic hyper-insulinism and recurrent edema. J Am Geriat Soc 1964; 12:926-976. 27. Roberts HJ: The syndrome of narcolepsy and diabetognenic (“function”) hyperinsulinism, with special reference to obesity, diabetes, idiopathic edema, cerebral dysrhythmias and multiple sclerosis (200 patients), J Am Geriat Soc 1964; 12:926-976. 28. Roberts HJ: Migraine and related vascular headaches due to diabetogenic hyperinsulinism: Observations of pathogenesis and rational treatment in 421 patients. Headache 1967; 7:41-62. 29. Roberts HJ: Pathogenesis of prostatic hyperlasia and neoplasia. Geriat 1967; 22:85-92. 30. Floyd JC Jr., Fajans S. Conn JW, Knopf RF, and Rull J: Stimulation of insulin secretion by amino acids. J Clin Invest 45:1487-1502. 31. Floyd JC Fajans SS, Pek S. et al: Synergistic effect of certain amino acid pairs upon insulin secretion in man. Diabetes 1970; 19:102-108. 32. Reitano G. Distefano G. Viro R. et al: Effect of priming of amino acids on insulin and growth hormone respone in the premature infant. Diabetes 1978. 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