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The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
#38272 07/04/14 09:37 AM
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Hi,

Harvey mentioned this:
Lots of focus on the recent death on Whitney. There were two other serious events. These two had neurological problems; one had seizures (likely a pre-existing condition), the other had AMS with disorientation (qualifies as HACE),

SARs on Whitney


I replied about how on Mt Dana I was near passing out for about 30 minutes at 12,000' level and after $30,000 hospital bill figured out the common denominator of several events like this was Aspartame use. And that Airline pilots have had seizures as result of Aspartame. Some asked for the sources on this, and found them, the key one being FDA. Will copy in original post below and the medical reports to back it up. The bottom line is Aspartame is bad for you, especially at altitude. Including grand mal seizures.


POST:
Maybe I can be of assistance on this. After getting $30,000 of medical bills as a result (insurance covered 26,000)

I climbed Mt. Dana about 4 years ago. At the 12,000' level I became somewhat dizzy and more important was right on the edge of passing out. My vision darkened on outside. There was no good place to lie down, but I wanted to try that. As soon started lowering down knew for sure would pass out, so stopped.

Tried like 4 times. What worked best was, to keep going head down and forward. This lasted maybe 30-40 minutes. I did summit and felt better up there and made it down no problem. Another symptom was my right arm was not getting enough blood, it was half asleep.

Year later climbed Ruby mountains at 10,000' and same thing with arm, but the passing out part, was not as bad.

Then 6 months later was skiing at 8,000 and was afraid was going to pass out and fall off chair. Told ski buddies that and lowered the bar. After at top and resting a while was talking to one of them at peak and "whited out" Everything turned white, trees everything except dark jacket on who was talking with. Figured it out, my eyes were dilating against my will and was on edge of passing out.

Went to a doctor and he sent me to ER, they thought it was stroke or heart attack, 3 days later had $30k bill and they could find nothing wrong with me after zillion tests. BTW if you every watch your heart beat on sonar thing for 30 minutes it is so darn complicated its a wonder hearts last a week.

I told them it was not a stroke it was lack of blood getting to arm. Figured that out 2 hours after got out, had ski shoulder injury that crushed my rotator cuff tendon, right arm artery runs same place. So at high altitude at extreme exertion the artery gets bigger and pinched by collar bone, which was moved by injury, one issue down.

The near passing out? Figured it out, common denominator is Aspartame. I avoid it but use cough drops at high alt for wet throat. Airline pilots have had seizures at altitude. Aspartame passes the blood brain barrier.

I stopped all Aspartame and this problem has never happened again. After reading your post, thought this could be of value to you and others. Will post it separately with Aspartame in title.

Regards, Darp

FDA Report: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/jan03/012203/02p-0317_emc-000199.txt

There are other clinical reports in the scientific literature of
aspartame-caused toxicity reactions including Blumenthal (1997),
Drake (1986), Johns (1986), Lipton (1989), McCauliffe (1991),
Novick (1985), Watts (1991), Walton (1986, 1988), and Wurtman
(1985).

Many pilots appear to be particularly susceptible to the effects of
aspartame ingestion. They have reported numerous serious toxicity
effects including grand mal seizures in the cockpit (Stoddard 1995).



Another report: http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/fraud.htm

Aspartame Affecting Airline Pilots

Some of the more interesting developments in 1989 surfaced in the Palm Beach Post on October 14th, where an article by Dr. H.J. Robert described several recent aircraft accidents involving confusion and aberrant pilot behavior caused by ingestion of products containing aspartame.[13] Soft drink makers were notified of this problem in 1991.



And it is the most complained about to FDA substance ever: as of 1996 the FDA admitted to something over 10,000 "official" complaints. The FDA has stated that aspartame is the most complained about substance in their history. Dr. Kessler has been credited with saying that fewer than 1 percent of victims actually file a complaint. This balloons those over 10,000 "formal" complaints to over a MILLION victims... who should have filed. http://www.dorway.com/cdctext.txt

Last edited by Darp; 07/04/14 11:10 AM.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38273 07/04/14 03:25 PM
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Crit Rev Toxicol. 2007;37(8):629-727.

Aspartame: a safety evaluation based on current use levels, regulations, and toxicological and epidemiological studies.
Magnuson BA1, Burdock GA, Doull J, Kroes RM, Marsh GM, Pariza MW, Spencer PS, Waddell WJ, Walker R, Williams GM.


Abstract

Aspartame is a methyl ester of a dipeptide used as a synthetic nonnutritive sweetener in over 90 countries worldwide in over 6000 products. The purpose of this investigation was to review the scientific literature on the absorption and metabolism, the current consumption levels worldwide, the toxicology, and recent epidemiological studies on aspartame. Current use levels of aspartame, even by high users in special subgroups, remains well below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority established acceptable daily intake levels of 50 and 40 mg/kg bw/day, respectively. Consumption of large doses of aspartame in a single bolus dose will have an effect on some biochemical parameters, including plasma amino acid levels and brain neurotransmitter levels. The rise in plasma levels of phenylalanine and aspartic acid following administration of aspartame at doses less than or equal to 50 mg/kg bw do not exceed those observed postprandially. Acute, subacute and chronic toxicity studies with aspartame, and its decomposition products, conducted in mice, rats, hamsters and dogs have consistently found no adverse effect of aspartame with doses up to at least 4000 mg/kg bw/day. Critical review of all carcinogenicity studies conducted on aspartame found no credible evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic. The data from the extensive investigations into the possibility of neurotoxic effects of aspartame, in general, do not support the hypothesis that aspartame in the human diet will affect nervous system function, learning or behavior. Epidemiological studies on aspartame include several case-control studies and one well-conducted prospective epidemiological study with a large cohort, in which the consumption of aspartame was measured. The studies provide no evidence to support an association between aspartame and cancer in any tissue. The weight of existing evidence is that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a nonnutritive sweetener.

=============================

The studies and posts mentioned by the previous poster are very, very old (as science goes), and were all very preliminary, and have pretty much been totally refuted by later and more carefully designed studies.

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Ken #38274 07/04/14 03:27 PM
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Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Apr;35(2 Pt 2):S1-93.

Aspartame: review of safety.

Butchko HH1, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C, Blackburn GL, de Sonneville LM, Geha RS, Hertelendy Z, Koestner A, Leon AS, Liepa GU, McMartin KE, Mendenhall CL, Munro IC, Novotny EJ, Renwick AG, Schiffman SS, Schomer DL, Shaywitz BA, Spiers PA, Tephly TR, Thomas JA, Trefz FK.


Abstract

Over 20 years have elapsed since aspartame was approved by regulatory agencies as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. The safety of aspartame and its metabolic constituents was established through extensive toxicology studies in laboratory animals, using much greater doses than people could possibly consume. Its safety was further confirmed through studies in several human subpopulations, including healthy infants, children, adolescents, and adults; obese individuals; diabetics; lactating women; and individuals heterozygous (PKUH) for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) who have a decreased ability to metabolize the essential amino acid, phenylalanine. Several scientific issues continued to be raised after approval, largely as a concern for theoretical toxicity from its metabolic components--the amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine, and methanol--even though dietary exposure to these components is much greater than from aspartame. Nonetheless, additional research, including evaluations of possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood as well as allergic-type reactions and use by potentially sensitive subpopulations, has continued after approval. These findings are reviewed here. The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Ken #38279 07/04/14 05:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ken
The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.


Thanks for posting that, Ken. I'll celebrate with my 4th Coke Zero of the day - or maybe my 3rd Diet Green Tea . . .

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Ken #38283 07/04/14 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ken
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Apr;35(2 Pt 2):S1-93.

Aspartame: review of safety.

Butchko HH1, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C, Blackburn GL, de Sonneville LM, Geha RS, Hertelendy Z, Koestner A, Leon AS, Liepa GU, McMartin KE, Mendenhall CL, Munro IC, Novotny EJ, Renwick AG, Schiffman SS, Schomer DL, Shaywitz BA, Spiers PA, Tephly TR, Thomas JA, Trefz FK.


Abstract

Over 20 years have elapsed since aspartame was approved by regulatory agencies as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. The safety of aspartame and its metabolic constituents was established through extensive toxicology studies in laboratory animals, using much greater doses than people could possibly consume. Its safety was further confirmed through studies in several human subpopulations, including healthy infants, children, adolescents, and adults; obese individuals; diabetics; lactating women; and individuals heterozygous (PKUH) for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) who have a decreased ability to metabolize the essential amino acid, phenylalanine. Several scientific issues continued to be raised after approval, largely as a concern for theoretical toxicity from its metabolic components--the amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine, and methanol--even though dietary exposure to these components is much greater than from aspartame. Nonetheless, additional research, including evaluations of possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood as well as allergic-type reactions and use by potentially sensitive subpopulations, has continued after approval. These findings are reviewed here. The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.


There is a great deal of investment in Aspartame, billions. Think just how hard it would be today to admit that it has been harmful all along. They used to have studies that said tobacco was good for you, and in 1950s doctors recommended it in TV ads (and tended to be big smokers).

Besides being the #1 substance generating FDA complaints, if you want a newer study, here is one 2014:

A decade-long study of 60,000 women has confirmed that drinking diet soda sweetened with aspartame is linked with a 30 percent increase in heart attack risk and a 50 percent increase in death risk.

The findings, presented at the American College of Cardiology(1), have already been partially swept under the rug with the false explanation that diet drinks don't necessarily cause these risks but are instead merely correlated with them. "Women who toss back too many diet sodas may be trying to make up for unhealthy habits," claims an article on CNBC,(2) while citing no evidence whatsoever to support the claim. Keep in mind that any time a synthetic vitamin is correlated with increased mortality, the entire scientific community immediately describes those synthetic vitamins as "causing" death. Correlation is causation only when industry-funded scientists say it is.

Aspartame is a neurotoxin
What some scientists refuse to explore -- even when the data clearly show a strong death risk association -- is that aspartame is a neurotoxin. The reason why women who drink diet soda have a 50 percent increased death risk is, of course, far more likely to be caused by what's in the diet soda rather than some lifestyle choice.

Aspartame, after all, is made from the feces of genetically engineered bacteria. It is not a natural sugar but rather a chemical compound created in an industrial lab. Used in diet sodas, it breaks down into a number of chemical compounds including formaldehyde and methanol. During digestion, the formaldehyde is oxidized into formic acid, a chemical known to cause toxicity in mammalian biology. Formic acid is also secreted by ants as part of their "chemical weapons" arsenal.

Here is the study: From the American College of Cardiology website:

[A] study led by Ankur Vyas, MD, of the University of Iowa found that postmenopausal women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were 30 percent more likely to experience a cardiovascular event and 50 percent more likely to die from related cardiovascular disease than women who never, or only rarely, consumed diet drinks. The analysis of 59,614 participants in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study showed the difference persisted when researchers adjusted for other cardiovascular risk factors and co-morbidities.

http://www.cardiosource.org/en/News-Medi...CV-Disease.aspx



Last edited by Darp; 07/04/14 06:54 PM.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38287 07/05/14 12:06 AM
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> women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were 30 percent more likely to experience a cardiovascular event and 50 percent more likely to die from related cardiovascular disease than women who never, or only rarely, consumed diet drinks.

Yes, I'll believe that. Drinking two or more soft drinks a day is NOT a healthy diet, regardless of whether it is diet or full on sugar.

I wonder how women who consumed two or more non-diet soft drinks fared.

Beyond that, the study is using ANY diet drink. How does that incriminate Aspartame? I am not defending Aspartame, but this sort of crusade reminds me of the anti-vaccination people. Get enough people to believe in something, and it becomes a Holy Grail.

Darp, I can believe you personally need to stay clear of anything with Aspartame in it, because it seems to bring on some strange symptoms. However, most of the other 999 out of a thousand people can hike and never worry about sensitivity to a sugar substitute. Even though it affects you adversely, I don't see the point of trying to convince everyone else to avoid it.

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Steve C #38289 07/05/14 12:25 AM
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Originally Posted By: Steve C
> Even though it affects you adversely, I don't see the point of trying to convince everyone else to avoid it.


And if you must continue the crusade, take it somewhere else, because this is a hiking board, not a consumer advocacy soapbox.


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38293 07/05/14 07:26 AM
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study led by Ankur Vyas, MD, of the University of Iowa found that postmenopausal women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were 30 percent more likely to experience a cardiovascular event and 50 percent more likely to die from related cardiovascular disease than women who never, or only rarely, consumed diet drinks. The analysis of 59,614 participants in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study showed the difference persisted when researchers adjusted for other cardiovascular risk factors and co-morbidities.
-----------------------------------------------

This is exactly what I mean when I say that there is confusion between cause, and association.

One might consider WHY a person might be consuming multiple diet drinks a day, or at all? Might it not be that they are obese? Is not obesity a well known cause of cardiovascular events?

I'll bet that those people wear pants that are larger than those of athletic people. Would it be reasonable to say that large pants are the cause of heart attacks?

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Ken #38299 07/05/14 07:57 AM
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How bizarre. I have another post in which Vyas contradicts our local poster, but it will not go up????

Last edited by Ken; 07/05/14 07:59 AM.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Ken #38301 07/05/14 09:25 AM
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Ken, the hosting service upgraded their software, and it caused a problem when copying and pasting articles. The problem is caused whenever there is a "curly quote", those apostrophes and double-quotes that have a left or right slant. Other characters: those with diacritical marks, bullets, etc. will cause the problem, too.

When a post does not display, use the browser's back button, and go back and replace the apostrophes and double quotes with the character your keyboard creates, and then retry. That should clear up the trouble.

We're working on patching the software to get past this.

Here are what the problem characters look like (I'm using special code to get them to work here):
‘curly apostrophe’   “curly quotes”

One last note: if you post it and it shows up blank (and you leave it there), I can probably work some magic and make it display.

Last edited by Steve C; 07/05/14 02:47 PM.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38322 07/06/14 10:33 AM
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I have never hiked Mt Whitney, although that would be fun. I write this, because I have to comment about this outdated post concerning aspartame.

No matter the scientific evidence in opposition (as presented in two papers cited below DASRP's post), the fact is that this sweetener, like caffeine, is still a drug. Every drug has side effects and has people who are sensitive to it. This goes for aspartame too, but sensitivity (no matter the outdated list in DARP below) by no means indicates aspartame is unsafe for the majority of people, just as meat, milk, and peanuts are safe for the majority of people.

The question in the case of aspartame is why are some people sensitive to it, while the vast majority are not. The answer most likely comes from how aspartame is processed. Just as digestion breaks food constituents into their basic components, aspartame is converted into its two amino acid components (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) and methanol. All three of these components are present in virtually all the foods we eat, quite often at higher concentrations.

Nevertheless some people show sensitivity to certain of these components. People with phenylketonuria cannot handle the phenylalanine component. But these people have been told about this personal sensitivity early in life and a warning to this effect is provided on the label. Critics suggested there were issues with such intakes of phenylalanine based on an early report by Wurtman (which DARP cites). But Wurtman himself completely refuted his own earlier, but still widely cited allegation, that phenylalanine or aspartate caused any problem with their conclusion: (Quote) Large daily doses of aspartame had no effect on neuropsychologic, neurophysiologic, or behavioral functioning in healthy young adults (Unquote), see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9734727. The aspartic acid (aspartate) component of aspartame presents no recognizable issue.

And while methanol at the concentrations encountered in foods also presents no problem to most people, some people have insufficient vitamin (folate, B12) nutrition or have personal genetic issues that impair their ability to properly utilize the methanol metabolites. This was first realized clearly in the late 1980's and early to mid-1990's culminating in the 1998 mandated fortification of grain products with folate. That mandate was consequent to discovery of birth defects in children of deficient mothers (more here, http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo/His...y/ucm091883.htm). The problem existed in men, albeit with less dramatic impact.

This underlying problem causes inadequate availability of methionine (methylhomocysteine) or other methylated substances (thymine from uracil). It is now known to be responsible for cancer, many diseases or related issues that critics wrongly attributed to aspartame. That the underlying issue is unrelated to accrual of methanol metabolites formaldehyde or formate, which critics argue exert some type of toxicity, is very clear. This is, because these cancers, diseases, and related issues far more documentably stem from accrual of homocysteine (unmethylated methylhomocysteine called methionine), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homocysteine or from polymorphisms (altered enzymes) of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylenetetrahydrofolate_reductase) or methionine synthase (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methionine_synthase). For more visit PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez, and type homocysteine or these other issues above into the search line.

To make this point consider aspartame's most widely reported issue--migraine headaches. Migraines have been linked directly to the MTHFR (MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase) C677T folate polymorphism, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylenetetrahydrofolate_reductase and specifically http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11121176). Two other papers deal with this issue, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19619240 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19384265). Taken together these reports indicate complete resolution of migraines with added folate alone. While these investigations revealed that more than the normal daily recommended amounts are needed (2-5 mg), in these papers increased folate doses ALONE solved the migraine problem [and aspartame was not even involved]. That alone suggests a human sub-population that is even more deficient in folate for which resolution of their symptoms requires even more folate. And that is confirmed by science; up to 40% of some populations have these genetic folate polymorphisms that require added folate; most don't even know it. For more read http://download.cell.com/AJHG/pdf/PIIS0002929707614001.pdf?intermediate=true.

So in summary I have documented above why aspartame is perfectly safe used as directed in people without some pre-existing health issue.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38327 07/06/14 11:39 AM
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Darp, earlier today I responded to your outdated post with documentation as to why aspartame is perfectly safe used as directed in people without some pre-existing health issue.

Before beginning I have to comment on your misunderstanding of toxicology and your mislabeling of toxins. A substance is only toxic when the concentration is achieved at which its effect is achieved. Thus botulinum toxin--one of the most toxic substances-may present an issue from food contamination, but not from the far lower concentrations used in cosmetic surgery applications (Botox). Similarly cyanide is only toxic when ingested at high concentrations, even though it exists at lower concentrations in foods we eat daily. In fact just for that we have an enzyme rhodanase that detoxifies cyanide, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodanase. Similarly you must understand that aspartame can only be a toxin when its concentration reaches that where consequences are apparent and those concentrations that show an effect are far, far higher than any food application.

Next I respond to your Ankur Vyas paper post claiming: (Quote) A decade-long study of 60,000 women has confirmed that drinking diet soda sweetened with aspartame is linked with a 30 percent increase in heart attack risk and a 50 percent increase in death risk (Unquote).

First, here is a better short summary,
http://now.uiowa.edu/2014/03/ui-study-finds-diet-drinks-associated-heart-trouble-older-women

Second, I have a simple question for him, for you or for anyone thinking this study has risk-assessment relevance at all. The link I provided above notes that (Quote): The association persisted even after researchers adjusted the data to account for demographic characteristics and other cardiovascular risk factors, including body mass index, smoking, hormone therapy use, physical activity, energy intake, salt intake, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake. On average, women who consumed two or more diet drinks a day were younger, more likely to be smokers, and had a higher prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure, and higher body mass index (Unquote).

But with all these controls, my question is where is any control for the long-known issues of folate or B12 adequacy and/or where is any documentation of the homocysteine or methylation enzyme polymorphism status in these women? Starting about 38 years ago (before aspartame) Tephly et al demonstrated this issue, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=tephly%2Cmethanol%2Cfolate.

My point is that there may have been 60,000 women in this study and the author's may have tried to control some factors, but nothing about this study used the correct or even relevant controls. This paper for all its effort, represents but another of the many failed efforts made to explore the correct variables. In retrospect instead this study simply documents that its large group of women have some pre-existing health issue, but the scope of it further documents how widespread the issues of folate, B12, homocysteine, and related enzyme issues really are in our society.

Let me summarize the seriousness of this matter with a conclusion from an Australian group Beetstra et al: (Quote) The results of this study suggest that moderate folate deficiency has a stronger effect on chromosomal instability than BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations found in breast cancer families, (Unquote), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16162645.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Bee #38352 07/07/14 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted By: Bee
Originally Posted By: Steve C
> Even though it affects you adversely, I don't see the point of trying to convince everyone else to avoid it.


And if you must continue the crusade, take it somewhere else, because this is a hiking board, not a consumer advocacy soapbox.


+1

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
DocJEG #38354 07/07/14 08:46 AM
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From DocJEG's recommended "better short summary":

Quote:
But Vyas says the association between diet drinks and cardiovascular problems raises more questions than it answers, and should stimulate further research.

"We only found an association, so we can't say that diet drinks cause these problems," Vyas says, adding that there may be other factors about people who drink more diet drinks that could explain the connection.

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Steve C #38356 07/07/14 08:53 AM
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...and so we come full circle of not knowing anything for sure, and we come to a closure on the topic (please).

(it is an embarrassment to this board that we should be supporting the use of obscure, outdated information in hopes of advocating a particular stance on a particular substance that none of us -- except the Doc, Ph.D. -- knows enough about to be crusading this way or that way. Let's get back to the topics that we can at least pretend to know something about.)


The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
DocJEG #38359 07/07/14 02:14 PM
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Hi John,

Thanks for the info you posted. For my case have known about folate and made sure have had enough for 20 years, so not a factor.

As to the study group. maybe the 2 a day crowd did have less folate, but just as likely they might have more. You are a MD so you would know more about how folate works.

For me it is pretty simple. The short history of Aspartame pasted in below form Yahoo Health is more than enough info to avoid Aspartame. There are over 3,000 additives the FDA tracks, and just one creates 75% of complaints, wow. That is 9,000 more than the average additive. And the Dr. Ralph G. Walton study showing the conclusions on Aspartame studies are primarily driven by whether they are independent of paid for by the Aspartame industry. If Aspartame did something really beneficial like remove artery plaque in a month, then the side effects would be worth it. But Aspartame does not do anything big on positive side and there are many alternatives.

Best Regards, Darp


Aspartame's Controversial History


Aspartame, best known as NutraSweet and Equal commonly used to sweeten everything from diet sodas to yogurt, is no stranger to controversy.

The FDA approved this sugar substitute for limited food uses in 1981. By 1995 the FDA's Epidemiology Branch chief reported aspartame complaints constituted 75 percent of all FDA reports concerning adverse reactions to food, according to Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D. in Get the Sugar Out.

In 1996 it gained approval as a general sweetener, but that same year 60 Minutes reported criticisms of the approval process stating, "aspartame's approval was one of the most contested in FDA history."

That report used research published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology showing possible links between drinking diet soda and developing brain tumors.

In an analysis of peer-reviewed medical literature Dr. Ralph G. Walton, a professor at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, found that all industry-funded studies said aspartame was safe, according to a 2006 New York Times article. In independent studies, 92 percent identified one or more problems with aspartame, Walton reported.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/aspartame-study-fuels-continued-debate

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Darp #38364 07/07/14 04:02 PM
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Enough, already. If I promise to switch back to sugar-sweetened beverages, will that be enough to make this thread die? Becoming diabetically obese is preferable to reading another word on this soapboxed topic.

Darp, you're batting a cool .000 here convincing anyone. At what point do you realize it's a lost cause?

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Bulldog34 #38368 07/07/14 04:18 PM
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This odd theory about Aspartame is of the same category as the one that says airline high-altitude contrails are actually mind altering drugs being sprayed on the unsuspecting populace by the government. Ooops, sorry, I hope this doesn't start another bizarre thread.

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
Bob West #38373 07/07/14 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bob West
This odd theory about Aspartame is of the same category as the one that says airline high-altitude contrails are actually mind altering drugs being sprayed on the unsuspecting populace by the government.


Wait - they're not??? What a relief! Now I can return to searching for Bigfoot . . .

Re: The Dangers of Aspartame at High Altitude+FDAMedical Reports
DocJEG #38377 07/07/14 05:48 PM
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All argumentation aside, Doctor Garst, those ware some fabulous articles. Really interesting, I enjoyed the reading very much!

And Bulldog, we can collaborate to find ourselves a 'Squatch.


@jjoshuagregory (Instagram) for mainly landscape and mountain pics
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