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The study showed a large increase in serious symptoms for per- ' by an independent scientist, Dr Harry: Waisman. He studied the sons taking aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so seri- effects of aspartame on infant primates. Out of the seven infant “ ous, the Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three monkeys, one died after 300 days and five others had grand mal of the participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by _ seizures. Of course, these negative findings were not submitted to aspartame, the FDA during the approval process. Walton concludes that: .. individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to WHY DON' T WE HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS? this artificial Sweetener; its use in this population should be dis- The reasons many people do not hear about serious reactions to _couraged.™ aspartame are twofold: ’ Aware that the experiment could not be repeated because of the 1) Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame- danger to the test subjects, Walton was recently quoted as saying: caused diseases are not reported in the newspapers like plane I know it causes seizures. I'm con- crashes. This is because these incidents .vinced also that it definitely causes occur one at a time in thousands of dif- behavioural changes. I'm very angry that ferent locations across the US. . this substance is on the market. I person- 2) Most people do not associate their ally question the reliability and validity of symptoms with the long-term use of any studies funded by The NutraSweet aspartame. For the people who have Company." killed a significant percentage of brain There are numerous reported cases of cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, low brain serotonin levels, depression and there is no way that they would normally other emotional disorders that have been associate such an illness with aspartame linked to aspartame and often are relieved consumption. How ‘aspartame was . by stopping the intake of aspartame. approved is a lesson in how chemical and Researchers have pointed out that an pharmaceutical companies can manipu- increase in phenylalanine levels in the late government agencies such as the brain, which can and does occur in per- FDA, ‘bribe’ organisations such as the sons without PKU, leads to a decreased American Dietetic Association, and flood level of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, the scientific community with flawed and which leads to a variety of emotional dis- fraudulent industry-sponsored studies orders. Dr William M. Pardridge of funded by the makers of aspartame. UCLA testified before the US Senate that Erik Millstone, a researcher at the a youth drinking four 16-ounce bottles of Science Policy Research Unit. of Sussex diet soda per day would have an enor- University, UK, has compiled thousands mous increase in phenylalanine levels. of pages of evidence, some of which has been obtained using the Freedom of Information Act,* showing: _ Epilepsy/Seizures 1) Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed. With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspar- 2) Tumours were removed from animals, and animals that had tame, it is sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the died were ‘restored to life’ in laboratory records. ‘safety’ of aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, . 3) False and misleading statements were made to the FDA. 80 people were surveyed who had suffered seizures after ingesting 4) The two US attorneys given the task of bringing fraud aspartame. Community Nutrition Institute concluded the follow- charges against the aspartame manufacturer took positions with ing about the survey: the manufacturer's law firm, letting the statute of limitations run These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent out. hazard to the public health, which requires the FDA to expedi- 5) The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of tiously remove a product from the market. the FDA's own scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that deci- Both the US Air Force's magazine, Flying Safety, and the __ sion, he took a position. with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge Navy's magazine, Navy Physiology, published articles warning __ of public relations for G. D. Searle. _ about the many dangers of aspartame including the cumulative A Public Board of Inquiry (PBoI) was conducted in 1980. ’ deleterious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood of birth © There were three scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame can _ and Turner to the approval of aspartame. They voted unanimously make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo.” against aspartame’s approval. The FDA Commissioner, Dr Arthur Articles sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while fly- Hull Hayes, Jr, then created a five-person Scientific Commission ing have also appeared in the National Business Aircraft to review,the PBol findings. After it became clear that the Association Digest (1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The | Commission would uphold the PBol's decision by a vote of 3 to 2, Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General Aviation News another person was added to the Commission, creating a dead- (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General Aviation News (1989), locked vote. This allowed the FDA Commissioner to break the Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane & Pilot (1990), and a deadlock and approve aspartame for dry goods in 1981. paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the Senior Scientist in an FDA Bureau of Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney, 1986). Foods review team created in August 1977 to review the Bressler Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute _ Report (a report that detailed G. D. Searle's abuses during the pre- reactions to aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported ‘approval testing), said: symptoms, including some who have reported suffering grand mal It was pretty obvious that, somewhere along the line, the bureau seizures in the cockpit due to aspartame.” officials were working up to a whitewash. One of the original studies on aspartamie was performed in 1969 In 1987, Verrett testified before the US Senate, stating that the 32 © NEXUS : . 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