[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/11/2006: Lee from NY: "ASPARTAME SIDE EFFECTS: Thank you for your wonderful website. I am a 52 y.o. male and started having strange symptoms about 4 months ago. It is very difficult to explain except to say that I had a sensation of a heavy head. This was accompanied by a low grade headache, dizziness and occasional nervousness and anxiety. After I suffered with these symptoms for about 2 months I went to a doctor and scheduled a CT scan. Meanwhile, I tried to research my symptoms on the Internet but had a hard time finding anything for a "heavy head." If I didn't think I was dying of a brain tumor or had something seriously wrong with me, it would have been funny. The scan came back normal and I was relieved that I wasn't dying. It had to be something else. Then I stumbled across information on aspartame and it finally dawned on me -- everything made sense. I had started drinking about 2-3 bottles a day of Diet Snapple several months ago. My symptoms gradually crept up on me and I didn't pay much attention. But when the lingering headaches never went away and I was plagued with dizziness and anxiety, I knew there had to be something in my system. I studied and researched more and discovered a tremendous amount of evidence linking aspartame with nervous disorders and the exact symptoms I was experiencing. Well, I stopped ingesting aspartame immediately. From what I read, it would take a long 2 months for it to leave my system. I could feel my body trying to expel it through my nose when I felt intense pressure there, similar to a sinus infection (which by the way, I was checked for and was found to be normal.) Anyway, it's been several weeks after I stopped taking aspartame I am completely well. I've learned several things from this experience, including it is very difficult for a person make a connection between their symptoms and aspartame -- who would ever think that the Diet Coke in front of them is causing their headache or all sorts of other problems? Secondly, doctors, though well intentioned, are not asking the very first question they should ask patients who are complaining of these mental symptoms. The question out of their mouths in the examining room should be, "Are you consuming any diet beverages or foods?" Third, the next time I complain of a heavy head feeling, I won't have to listen to my wife say, "Maybe you need stronger neck muscles." Haha Again, thank you for your website and the wonderful forum you provide for people to share their experiences."

03/18/2011: Mark from Decatur, Ilinois replies: "If you want to read up on the "Nancy Markel" scheme then it traces back to Betty Martini. It seems as if Betty Martini has an agenda to brainwash people about the "dangers" of aspartame. I'm almost certain she is associated with the sugar industry.

Betty Martini is a regular visitor to many "anti-aspartame" websites always suggesting unsubstantiated claims about aspartames side effects.

If you want the opinion of an actual expert with a background in this area(toxicology)then search what John Garst has to say. If you would like to research this better and not

believe all the anti-aspartame hype then check pubmed.gov

Research things like aspartame and diabetes.

Note the amount of studies that come back. Then research sugar and diabetes then note the much larger amount of studies. Blindness and aspartame a WHOPPING(chuckle) 2 studies come back. Now blindness and sugar.. Figure it out. What is more dangerous to society.

Remember a couple of things:

1)Despite Betty Martini's biggest argument about rats getting cancer from aspartame it is NOT been even remotely established to be true in humans.
Here's a shocker for the layperson: RATS GET CANCER!!! Why? In the longetivity newsgroups they first of all "know their stuff" because many have backgrounds in longetivity research suggest that rats getting cancer is merely a way to control overpopulation.NO BIG DEAL."

03/19/2011: Carmen from Canada replies: "I, being your average lay-person am able to do my research. I, without a doubt beleive there is a danger to consuming aspertame. I'm not saying it is poison to everybody but is most certianly is nothing but poison to some, myself included. I will listen to my body and the experiences of others on such sites as this. Thanks but no thanks, my children will be educated on the dangers of aspertame, sugar, gmo's, factory farms, microwave ovens, floride, over processing ETC, ETC, ETC. The choice will be theirs to make but they will not easily swallow a line like yours stating that aspertame is less dangerous than sugar. "

03/19/2011: Bess from Calgary, Alberta, Canada replies: "I'm with Carmen on this one! Sorry, but in no way, shape or form is aspartame "safe" to ingest. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, it's a neurotoxin made up of three chemicals discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G. D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.

"Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain."

The fact that it was approved by the FDA means nothing. They also approved so many drugs that had to be withdrawn after patients were killed using them (the cure was worse than the disease).

I agree that sugar isn't healthy. However, I would drink or eat something containing sugar, while I would never do so with aspartame. Something to note: I have found that since drinking green smoothies (an acquired taste for sure), my craving for cane sugar has dropped dramatically."

03/19/2011: Mojo from London, Uk replies: "My response is directed to "Mark from Decatur, Ilinois".

I read your post with a mixture of surprise and pity. Surprise because you believe Aspartame to be safe. Pity because you've not yet been affected by this sweet but deadly poison, assuming you ingest it. When you do, you'll know about it.

I consider myself a fairly healthy person, I was last off work sick about 4 years ago. I attribute this good health to Earth clinic, to Ted and to all the feedbacks posters have kindly provided.

I oil pull in the morning 5 times a week, after which I drink a glass of warm water with a teaspoon of ACV and 2 shakes of cayenne pepper.

My only real issues are mild sinus congestion and ... Tinnitus. Tinnitus began about a year ago when I consumed several packets of sugar free gum a day plus used the sweetner Splenda. Symptoms: heavy head, deep tiredness, unclear eyesight, ringing ears, dripping nose, forgetfulness, sugar craving, aching limbs, blocked nose at night, too many other issues to mention.

Strangely enough, my doctor could find nothing wrong. I assumed it was just old age catching up with me.

2 weeks after giving up all sweeteners, only using Stevia, all symptoms, apart from the Tinnitus, has gone.

Aspartame, and all its derivatives, is toxic to humans. Some people are not affected but most are. The debilitating effects (worse than what I experienced) creep up on a person over a very long period of time, so it can be hard to pinpoint the cause(s).

Anyone who advocates artificial sweeteners as "safe" needs to re-educate themselves before more innocent people are damaged."

05/02/2012: Darla from Flint, Mi replies: "Regarding falsified letters "proving" the opposite of the letter is true, did you know some people will deliberately write these and the same group will prove them wrong to make people believe everything it says is wrong? Its a tactic to try to brainwash people. Like the letter might say its a fact that nutrasweet has caused 1000 cases of brain cancer. Fact is no it hsan't but that doesn't mean it's good for you but the group that puts that letter out will be the same group using different names that will come out and refute it and thus try to get you to believe it's perfectly safe. It's just a big ugly scam."

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