Showing posts with label Aspartame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aspartame. Show all posts

Renamed Aspartame Now Being Marketed as a Natural Sweetener




Artificial sweeteners especially aspartame has gotten a bad rap over the years, most likely due to studies showing they cause cancer. But not to worry Ajinomoto the company that makes

Aspartame has changed the name to AminoSweet. It has the same toxic ingredients but a nice new sounding name. And if you or your child happens to be allergic to Aspartame, well don’t take it personally it’s just business.

Despite the evidence gained over the years showing that aspartame is a dangerous toxin, it has remained on the global market . In continues to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things.

Most consumers are oblivious to the fact that Aspartame was invented as a drug but upon discovery of its’ sweet taste was magically transformed from a drug to a food additive. HFA wants to warn our readers to beware of a wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing or in this case Aspartame dressed up as Aminosweet.

Over 25 years ago, aspartame was first introduced into the European food supply. Today, it is an everyday component of most diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and chewing gums in countries worldwide. But the tides have been turning as the general public is waking up to the truth about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the harm they cause to health. The latest aspartame marketing scheme is a desperate effort to indoctrinate the public into accepting the chemical sweetener as natural and safe, despite evidence to the contrary.

Aspartame was an accidental discovery by James Schlatter, a chemist who had been trying to produce an anti-ulcer pharmaceutical drug for G.D. Searle & Company back in 1965. Upon mixing aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two naturally-occurring amino acids, he discovered that the new compound had a sweet taste. The company merely changed its FDA approval application from drug to food additive and, voila, aspartame was born.

G.D. Searle & Company first patented aspartame in 1970. An internal memo released in the same year urged company executives to work on getting the FDA into the “habit of saying yes” and of encouraging a “subconscious spirit of participation” in getting the chemical approved.

G.D. Searle & Company submitted its first petition to the FDA in 1973 and fought for years to gain FDA approval, submitting its own safety studies that many believed were inadequate and deceptive. Despite numerous objections, including one from its own scientists, the company was able to convince the FDA to approve aspartame for commercial use in a few products in 1974, igniting a blaze of controversy.

In 1976, then FDA Commissioner Alexander Schmidt wrote a letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy expressing concern over the “questionable integrity of the basic safety data submitted for aspartame safety”. FDA Chief Counsel Richard Merrill believed that a grand jury should investigate G.D. Searle & Company for lying about the safety of aspartame in its reports and for concealing evidence proving the chemical is unsafe for consumption.

The details of aspartame’s history are lengthy, but the point remains that the carcinogen was illegitimately approved as a food additive through heavy-handed prodding by a powerful corporation with its own interests in mind. Practically all drugs and food additives are approved by the FDA not because science shows they are safe but because companies essentially lobby the FDA with monetary payoffs and complete the agency’s multi-million dollar approval process. Changing aspartame’s name to something that is “appealing and memorable”, in Ajinomoto’s own words, may hoodwink some but hopefully most will reject this clever marketing tactic as nothing more than a desperate attempt to preserve the company’s multi-billion dollar cash cow. Do not be deceived.

Source: http://worldtruth.tv/aspartame-has-been-renamed-and-is-now-being-marketed-as-a-natural-sweetener/

A practical guide to sugar and sweeteners

Derek Henry | Natural News

Image: http://www.naturalsugars.co.nz/
Sugar has definitely become the poster child of all things wrong with our health. Our overconsumption of the sweet white stuff has shouldered the blame for a rise in diabetes, obesity, attention problems, arthritis, cancer and several other diseases. So is ALL sugar bad, and what ‘sweet’ alternatives are our best choices?

Sweeteners guide

The following is a list of common sugars and sweeteners, their glycemic index (GI) and other factors to consider when choosing them:

  • Maltodextrin (150) – With an extremely high glycemic index rating, this sugar is near poison for diabetics. Found in many packaged products.
  • Glucose (Dextrose) (100) - Very high on the glycemic index and equivalent to white bread.
  • Corn syrup (75) – Largely GMO, with little nutrition. HFCS (87) is worse.
  • Refined table sugar (65) - Largely GMO and stripped of any beneficial nutrients, this sugar has a very acidic effect on the body and causes mineral depletion.
  • Honey (50-75) - The kind of honey makes a big difference, with raw (unpasteurized) honey being lower on the glycemic scale and containing more nutrients. Processed honey is often no better than table sugar.
  • Evaporated cane juice (55) – Better than white sugar, but still refined.
  • Blackstrap molasses (55) - Although higher on the glycemic index, this sugar provides many minerals, including iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc, and as a result is more alkalizing to the body.
  • Maple syrup (54) – Collected from the sap of maple trees, it is refined and therefore processed. It is more nutritious than refined table sugar, corn syrups and cane juice but still should be used sparingly.
  • Coconut palm sugar (35) - Acquired from flowers growing on coconut trees, this is a nutrient-rich, low-glycemic sweetener that substitutes well for refined sugar. It is very popular among health enthusiasts and can easily be used in baking.
  • Agave nectar (30) - There has been much controversy around agave, and the jury still seems to be out on its use as a healthy alternative. Use in limited quantities.
  • Xylitol (7) – A sugar alcohol, xylitol is very low on the glycemic index but should be used sparingly due to it being largely GMO, as well as its history of causing intestinal issues.
  • Stevia (0) - 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia comes from the leaves of the stevia plant. Since its glycemic index is less than 1, it does not feed candida or cause any of the other problems related to sugar consumption. This makes it ideal for diabetics, those with gastrointestinal problems and anyone interested in reducing their caloric intake. It goes well in tea, smoothies and tart juices like lemon, lime and cranberry.
  • Artificial Sweeteners (0) (Aspartame, Sucralose) - All artificial sweeteners are toxic, and ironically, the consumption of these sweeteners has shown significant increases in body weight, even when food intake remained the same.

When choosing sweeteners, look to stevia and coconut sugar first for their low GI rating and generous mineral content. In contrast, avoid artificial sweeteners, corn sugars, refined white sugar, maltodextrin and dextrose like the plague, as they are toxic, spike blood sugar and contain little to no nutrients.

Finally, use molasses, maple syrup, agave nectar, cane sugar and honey in moderation. Although they do contain beneficial nutrients, they are mostly refined (save raw honey) and are higher on the glycemic index.

Of course, these are just general recommendations, as the state of a person’s intestinal health will largely dictate their acceptable sugar intake. Watch your body’s reaction and adjust accordingly.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Study Links Aspartame To Fast-Paced Decline in Kidney Function



A study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology determined that sugar sweetened soda increases the odds for kidney function decline. You can read the entire study here. 3,318 women participated in the study for a number of years as they consumed diet soda that contained artificial sweeteners, most notably Aspartame. Two or more diet drinks a day led to a double risk in fast-paced kidney decline. The study was conducted by scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.


Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that aspartame is linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia. You can read the full study here, and we also wrote an article on it that you can read here.


The dangers of aspartame, like many other things have been prominent since its inception. If one actually does the research instead of simple believing the marketing, it’s not uncommon to come to the conclusion that at the very least Aspartame provides us no benefit and has great risks attached. There are other options available, so why bother with Aspartame? Below is an excerpt from a previously posted article on Collective Evolution. Similar to fluoride in our water, it’s evident of our lack of public knowledge that we still allow a tremendous amount of harmful additives and toxins into what we choose to consume. It’s clear that aspartame should not be used in foods, and if you’re wondering why it continues to be used, you can find out below.


It all starts in the mid 1960′s with a company called G.D. Searle. One of their chemists accidentally creates aspartame while trying to create a cure for stomach ulcers. Searle decides to put aspartame through a testing process which eventually leads to its approval by the FDA. Not long after, serious health effects begin to arise and G.D. Searle comes under fire for their testing practices. It is revealed that the testing process of Aspartame was among the worst the investigators had ever seen and that in fact the product was unsafe for use. Aspartame triggers the first criminal investigation of a manufacturer put into place by the FDA in 1977. By 1980 the FDA bans aspartame from use after having 3 independent scientists study the sweetener. It was determined that one main health effects was that it had a high chance of inducing brain tumors. At this point it was clear that aspartame was not fit to be used in foods and banned is where it stayed, but not for long.

Early in 1981 Searle Chairman Donald Rumsfeld (who is a former Secretary of Defense.. surprise surprise) vowed to “call in his markers,” to get it approved. January 21, 1981, the day after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, Searle took the steps to re-apply aspartame’s approval for use by the FDA. Ronald Reagans’ new FDA commissioner Arthur Hayes Hull, Jr., appointed a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the board of inquiry’s decision. It did not take long for the panel to decide 3-2 in favor of maintaining the ban of aspartame. Hull then decided to appoint a 6th member to the board, which created a tie in the voting, 3-3. Hull then decided to personally break the tie and approve aspartame for use. Hull later left the FDA under allegations of impropriety, served briefly as Provost at New York Medical College, and then took a position with Burston-Marsteller. Burstone-Marstella is the chief public relations firm for both Monsanto and GD Searle. Since that time he has never spoken publicly about aspartame.

It is clear to this point that if anything the safety of aspartame is incredibly shaky. It has already been through a process of being banned and without the illegitimate un-banning of the product, it would not be being used today. Makes you wonder how much corruption and money was involved with names like Rumsfeld, Reagan and Hull involved so heavily. In 1985, Monsanto decides to purchase the aspartame patent from G.D. Searle. Remember that Arthur Hull now had the connection to Monsanto. Monsanto did not seem too concerned with the past challenges and ugly image aspartame had based on its past. I personally find this comical as Monsanto’s products are banned in many countries and of all companies to buy the product they seem to fit best as they are champions of producing incredibly unsafe and untested products and making sure they stay in the market place.

Since then, aspartame has been under a lot of attack by scientists, doctors, chemists and consumers about it’s safety and neurotoxic properties. Piles of comprehensive studies have been completed that show aspartame is a cause for over 90 serious health problems such as cancer, leukemia, headaches, seizures, fibromyalgia, and epilepsy just to name a few. We have written several articles discussing various affects of aspartame.

Sources:

www.collective-evolution.com
cjasn.asnjournals.org
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.worldtruth.tv