Why isn't Aspartame ....ika Nutrasweet, in the news?

[goforit]

Known to cause seizures in rats.

May cause sudden heart failure in atheletes.

Airline pilots are not to drink diet sodas while flying?

If you want more info...just google aspartame.

This is scarey stuff.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. The same reason chemtrails aren't in the news.

It's pseudoscience clap trap.

Sorry.

[Lex]

15. But I saw it on the internets!

It must be true.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. You know what else is true?

If you give DHMO to laboratory rats they don't get heart disease.

But the pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know about it, since they can't patent DHMO.

[Buzz Clik]

72. and an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Ever read THAT in JAMA?

[ArbustoBuster]

74. Oh, no, I'm drinking DHMO right now! Help! :)

(The key to Bornaginhooligan's joke: DHMO = Dihydrogen Monoxide, H₂O, a.k.a. water.)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

78. also...

Rats don't get CVD.

[moc]

19. Well, I don't know about you, but I've researched the hell out of it,

on the internet, of course. So, damn straight it's true! ;-)

[karlrschneider]

34. Good point. I rarely agree with you but you nailed that one.

...

[Clark2008]

2. Sugar does the same thing.

We start dying the minute we're born.

[leftofthedial]

157. so a bullet to your own brain is just

living in the fast lane

[OhioChick]

3. Doesn't Rummy

have something to do with Aspartame?
If so, then 'nuff said.

[goforit]

6. Yes he does. He was able to pass Aspartame when Reagan was in office even

when the FDA didn't approve it. He was the one in charge of promoting it

It was originally produced under Hitler's regime.

Yes indeed...'nuff said.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Hitler's regime, eh?

Wasn't Hitler in power when penicillin went through clinical trials?

That proves everything.

[jmowreader]

91. Hitler's regime lasted through 1965?

According to http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20030805.htm,

The artificial sweetener aspartame was invented by accident in 1965 when G.D. Searle, Co. chemist James Schlatter was working on an ulcer drug. By 1970 Searle had petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for aspartame's approval as an artificial sweetener.

Apparently this chemist accidentally licked his hand, which had aspartame on it, and found out how sweet it was.

[ProfessorGAC]

71. No. He Had Nothing To Do With It

That's a myth. They hired him to help facilitate the FDA approval, sure. he wasn't qualified to run a company, but was hired for his contacts, sure.

But there is no evidence that the FDA cut any corners to do Searle a favor. That's simply untrue and calls into question the ethics and morality of HUNDREDS of scientists, engineers, and administrative people who invented, developed, and marketed that product.

It's grotesquely unfair to all those people. Rummy had NOTHING to do with the product, and the FDA only sped it up by putting extra resources on it. They cut no corners.
The Professor

[rman]

145. FDA cuts corners all the time

see the Monsanto milk story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axU9ngbTxKw

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

79. He was CEO of Searle, who later sold the rights to Monsanto. eom

[tabasco]

114. Yeah, but CEO's don't know anyhing about what their company is doing!

Just ask Ken Lay, if you can get the location of his ranch in Paraguay.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

130. lol! Is he the one who has that huge spread next to the Bush's? ;) nt

[lancdem]

4. My mother told me aspartame was nasty stuff

a couple years ago, and I avoid it whenever possible.

[karlrschneider]

33. And your mother is an expert in biochemistry..?

:eyes:

[Greyhound]

82. Probably not but there are many biochemists and oncologists,

that do agree with mom.

BTW, it doesn't take an advanced degree in organic chemistry to realize that any substance that metabolizes into formaldehyde and formic acid may not be beneficial to most living organisms. But hey, I think you should drink and eats lots and lots of it every day, nobody's trying to stop you.

[karlrschneider]

96. I've used it every day since it came on the market.

My FAA examiner doctor says I'm healthier than 99% of the population.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

98. While advanced degrees in organic chemistry...

often focus on physical chemistry, or synthetic chemistry, or analytical chemistry...

those that focus on the biological side of organic chemistry will teach the student that many natural compounds are metabolized into formaldehyde and formic acid, to the benefit of most living organisms.

It's a process known as "primary metabolism."

Look it up.

[Joe Chi Minh]

85. You're an expert on aviation, aren't you, karlschneider. What's your

opinion of the video, "Small change"? Still a load of nonsense?

[Joe Chi Minh]

166. Silence came the stern reply.

[Squatch]

5. Absolutely.

I was walking through my house early in the morning last night to get a drink of water. I could have sworn there was a burglar armed with guns in the house, ready to pounce and rend my flesh from the bone, when I saw it was just an Equal packet.

Then I was *really* scared.

[Squatch]

7. Is it just me, or does my reply sound like something a person drunk on box wine

would write?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. box wine?

Sweetened with aspartame, eh?

[Squatch]

12. God, I hope not.

If that were the case, my aspirations to be an airline pilot would be over.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. LOL

[TomInTib]

22. Is that an Astros logo?

If so, you can drink anything you damn well please.

If needed, I will write a note so you can drink at work as well.

[karlrschneider]

36. I don't think that's anything to worry about. These days, to be an airline pilot you must

be only warm, breathing, and willing to be submissive to bean counters and a few idiotic aptitude tests.
The ability to actually fly an aircraft isn't important.

(I am not being coy...it is the truth.)

[benddem]

30. are you? n/t

[RB TexLa]

9. I don't care how scary, no way I give up Diet Coke

[FiveGoodMen]

20. Me, either.

And I've been guzzling the stuff like a lab rat for decades.

Maybe it isn't great for you, but if it was as bad as its detractors say, I'd have been stone dead many years ago.

(I'm talking about a 4+ liter per day habit since the stuff came out!)

[ecstatic]

11. hmmm... scary, since I drink Crystal Lite daily nt

[lovuian]

14. Heres a video on Apartame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZZYENrgQeg

MONSANTO

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Here's another video on the danger of Aspartame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

MENTOS

[EOTE]

61. Hehehe...

Brilliant.

[EOTE]

63. That's not the same David Icke...

that believes that there's a race of reptilian humanoids behind a worldwide conspiracy to control all of humanity, is it? The one who believes that shrub and several other people in power are actually 7' tall blood-drinking reptilians? Oh, it IS that same David Icke? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptilian_humanoid">I'm not making this up btw. Well then, his Youtube video is more than enough proof for me. Fuck diet coke, I'm switching to the real thing, screw the history of diabetes in my family. Diabetes can't be as bad as the horrific things that aspartame has planned for me.

[rman]

146. Icke is an idiot, but if an idiot says grass is green,

do you then believe grass is not green?

[lovuian]

164. Lol!!! You tell em

Icke has made some important points and this is one

[rman]

170. Anything sensible that Icke says can be had from reputable sources

The only thing 'original' he adds is UFO/alien/shapeshifter/lizard stuff.

He's irrelevant and useless as a source.

[OhioChick]

16. Pharmaceutical Terrorism

<snip>

"The man most responsible for the mess in Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld was hired by the G.D. Searle (the original developer of aspartame) as CEO who then used political muscle instead of safety tests to force approval.

In 1995 the worldwide production of aspartame reached over 13,000 tons, and so far to date since 1981 approximately 800 million pounds have been produced and consumed.

The chief patent holder of the sweetener is the Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis. In 1967, Monsanto entered into a joint venture with I.G. Farbenfabriken, the aforementioned financial core of the Hitler regime and the key supplier of poison gas to the Nazi racial extermination program. In view of Monsanto's Nazi, chemical warfare ties, and the fact that aspartame is a potent stand alone poison, NutraSweet is a can of worms unprecedented in the American food industry and casts an extraordinarily long shadow across the integrity of the FDA and the American Medical Association that should have screamed bloody murder over the issue. The history of the product is laden with flawed and fabricated research findings, basically a barrage of blatant lies provided by a battery of independent medical researchers, all of which were used as the basis of FDA approval.

Aspartame is a deliberate poisoning of the masses."

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_pharmaterror.html

[goforit]

31. Unbelievable. I just feel we are living in a real horror flick. Thanks for the article.

[niyad]

37. and rummy was also set to make a fortune from the bird flu vaccine, since it would be produced by

gilead, in which he has a major investment.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/03/12/041/43370
http://benfrank.net/blog/2005/11/17/tamiflu_facts/
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/110205I.shtml

[Scout1071]

21. I believe it's in most light salad dressings as well.

My cousin is a nutrionist and she refuses to touch it with a 10 ft pole. She had it out with Panera Bakery because they don't list it as part of their salad dressings, but it is there.

[Greyhound]

83. What could she possibly know about it?

After all, we have the 101st fighting keyboardist authorities on everything here to straighten up the poor ignorant simpletons, that question their authority.

[Scout1071]

132. Huh?

[Greyhound]

153. Being sarcastic. Must. Remember.to. Use. Smileys. n/t

[dysfunctional press]

23. i do not eat or drink ANY "diet" products. neither does my wife.

neither one of us can stand the taste of the crap.

and neither one of us is fat.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. Is either one of you diabetic?

Because unlike aspartame, diabetes is a real health risk.

[dysfunctional press]

26. nope.

moderation is the key.

[leftchick]

45. my son is a diabetic

and he does not use any artificial sweeteners. Diabetics count carbs not sugar.

[LynzM]

53. Same here - I'm diabetic, but stay away from it.

:hi:

[Retrograde]

131. I just don't like the taste of aspartame

and will drink plain water - from the tap - in preference to any "diet" anything. I use sugar in iced tea and lemonade, but that's about it. Too much of anything tends to be bad for you.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

68. Sugar is "carb"

"Carb" being short for carbohydrate. A wide variety of compounds, of which simple sugars are members.

[leftchick]

76. no kidding!

It still does not alter the fact that you count carbs not sugar. Any diabetic knows exactly what is going into their mouth in terms of carbs.

:eyes:

[karlrschneider]

75. If your son is relying on you for medical advice, he is in great danger.

Sugar is pure carbohydrate.

[leftchick]

77. duh!

no kidding? When he adjusts his insulin it is according to his carbohydrate intake (psst! that includes sugar!)

:eyes:

Oh, and his Pediatric Endocrinologist told him that, not me. What an insulting post.

[Greyhound]

88. This ass specializes in insulting others from the safety of his anonymity

If we all ignore him maybe he'll go away.

[leftchick]

95. I think I will and...

I LOVE your banner!

:)

[karlrschneider]

97. WTF? I use my real name here, "greyhound"

jesusfuckingchrist
:eyes:

[Squatch]

99. LOL

[Greyhound]

113. You were very rude, but I did confuse you with a couple of others

that seem to delight in annoying other people.

However, the fact remains that you were not the person I had in mind in my initial reply.

[Joe Chi Minh]

86. Not half as much as a pilot who relied on your expert opinion on 9/11.

[karlrschneider]

94. Welcome to the ignore box

FOAD

[ananda]

43. Me either

No processed foods. Period.

No sugar or corn, no potatoes or wheat either.

No grains of any kind, really.

Of course, I backslide a little when traveling,
but never with regard to processed foods or
artificial anything.

My body is very sensitive to bad stuff. It's like
a discomfort or pain barometer, and I suppose
that's a good thing though I do get envious of
people who can eat anything.

[Raine]

127. Me either

I wouldn't drink that crap for anything infact I don't drink soda at all, I can't stand that carbonated garbage.

[gravity]

25. Aspartame is safe

There have been hundreds of studies on it, and its been proven safe.

If it was really so dangerous, there would be a huge epidemic right now since it is in everything.

[KitchenWitch]

47. Then why do I get terrible headaches and abdominal cramps from it?

Safe my ass.

[Miss Chybil]

64. Why don't I get terrible headaches and abdominal cramps from it?

Anecdotal information is not a way to prove scientific fact. If it were, all the diet pills in the world would really, really work and Noni juice would cure diabetes.

[politicat]

129. Possibly this....

If you know anyone who has a blood glucose meter, and can handle a headache in the name of science, here's why you get headaches and cramping from it.... It's because your body is telling you to eat and you're not.

My mother and grandmother both believed they got headaches from diet products, but both also have disorders that require that they limit their sugar intakes, and six years ago when we were getting them re-habbed to no sugar, they weren't willing to give up their soda, either (at the time, neither liked water nor unsweetened tea). What their nutritionist found they were doing when they drank a diet soda was trying to substitute the diet soda for food, and so the headache came mostly from being hungry, and in very small part because their tasting of sweet told their brains to release insulin, causing an even deeper sugar crash. My little sister used this as her senior year science project, testing blood glucose levels before and after drinking a diet soda and it seems to happen with everyone. (Her control group drank 12 ounces of water instead of 12 ounces of soda. Their blood glocose went down about 1%, while the diet soda drinkers went down about 11%, which can be a huge drop.)

What is going on is the brain is reacting to the sweet taste stimulus and releasing insulin into the blood stream, but without sugar to give the insulin something to do, you end up with a headache. Abdominal cramps may be due to the same process, or the fact that diet sodas are somewhat overcarbonated compared to sugared sodas (something to do with the structure of the molecules but I don't exactly know what). Carbonation can cause gastrointestinal distress.

It's really easy to short circuit the process, though. Gram learned to eat a few vegetables and a couple crackers with her soda, and drink it very cold or over ice. Mom switched first to iced tea, then to water with lemon.

[KitchenWitch]

142. No, it is not that

I get the headaches/abdominal cramps no matter whether I am eating or not when I ingest aspartame.

I am someone who has never really had a weight problem. I used to drink diet sodas before aspartame was in them, and did not have any problems at all. I drank the diet sodas in order to reduce my refined sugar intake, not to lose weight.

[politicat]

144. It doesn't have to be a weight thing.

Aspartame is the only non- caloric sweetener that has the same sort of insulin releasing effect that sugar has. For some reason, none of the others (sorbitol, sucralose, saccharine, dextrose, etc) have the same effect.

Now, if you were my grandmother, I'd pretty much be certain that any food issue you had was either psychosomatic, or because she feels she can't say she dislikes something so instead says she can't have it, or because she gets more attention for not being able to eat X, Y or Z than otherwise (she's the type that we'll know she's not well when she stops complaining....) But you're not her, so I'm sorry you can't deal with the stuff.

As an aside, diet RC uses sucralose, not aspartame.

[demobabe]

147. Thanks for weighing in...

Interesting postings.

I have trouble with both Aspartame and Sucralose. I feel scatterbrained, unfocused, somewhat disoriented, and gradually crappy after drinking or eating anything with them in it.

I noticed it once after a week of drinking an iced tea mix I thought had sugar in it, but they had changed the ingredients (but not the labeling) and snuck Sucralose in there. I just felt horrible for a while, it put my guts out of whack, and after a while of just feeling sick, I read the label and found Sucralose! I couldn't believe it. I contacted the iced tea manufacturer and got my money back.

It's possible I'm reacting for the reasons you described in your posts, but it seems like much more. I would drink the iced tea with meals, so it wasn't just a blood sugar problem alone.

I avoid artificial sweeteners all together, and rarely drink anything besides water anymore.

[KitchenWitch]

156. I love diet RC!

And am glad that someone is using sucralose for their diet sodas.

[Felinity]

49. I notice you don't reference any.

I know the following for a fact:

The University of Texas in Austin was near completion of a study showing blistering negative biological effects from Aspartame. Shortly before it was due to be released, Monsanto or GD Searle, whichever had the patent at the time, made a very substantial contribution to the University. The study was trashed and the scientists who worked on it were gagged, presumably through threats to their careers, and possibly legal threats based upon the ownership rights to the information.

Please research the relative health profile of the USA versus other countries, then tell me that we are not suffering any epidemics. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autism, ADHD, etc. Not all related to Nutrasweet; but please don't argue that we are healthy. Our country, to the best of my memory, is not even in the top 10 among civilized nations.

[gravity]

107. I notice you don't reference either

Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food:
Update on the Safety of Aspartame



The safety issues that have been raised in the past about aspartame have included: (1) the possibility of toxicity from methanol, one of the breakdown products of aspartame; (2) elevations in plasma concentrations of phenylalanine (Phe) and aspartic acid, which could result in increased transport of these amino acids into the brain, altering the brain's neurochemical composition; (3) the possibility of neuroendocrine changes, particularly increased concentrations in the brain, synaptic ganglia and adrenal medulla of catecholamines derived from Phe and its hydroxylation product, tyrosine; and (4) a postulated link with epilepsy and brain tumours. All these areas have been addressed in the pre-1988 literature and in more recent reviews (Meldrum, 1993; Lajtha et al., 1994; Tschanz et al., 1996).

...

The present review updates the previous SCF opinions in the light of new reports on the consumption of aspartame in relation to the onset of brain tumours and seizures, headaches, allergies, and changes in behaviour and cognitive function. Information on the safety of aspartame was available from a variety of sources including scientific papers, conference proceedings, abstracts and magazine articles. This review focuses on papers published in the open scientific literature from 1988 to 2001 and draws on the recent extensive review by the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA, 2002), which covered mutagenic, carcinogenic and neurological effects.

...

Conclusion

The Committee concluded that on the basis of its review of all the data in animals and humans available to date, there is no evidence to suggest that there is a need to revise the outcome of the earlier risk assessment or the ADI previously established for aspartame.

http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out155_en.pdf

[Greyhound]

84. How many epidemics would you like?

We have a plethora of them in our society. Europe, those poor ignorant bastards, have already restricted its use, and The new study released in the European Journal of Oncology by Morando Soffritti, has set off more investigations of it.

[Joe Chi Minh]

87. Let me see if I can predict Felinity's response: "Pass."

[Felinity]

152. I do so appreciate your help?????

But I have no idea what your intention is in your post.

Am I to be insulted that you think I have no credibility on this issue?

Or am I to be complimented that you do not think a response is necessary?

And, BTW, the writer of Post #25 referenced "hundreds of studies" and initially referenced none.
I referenced one study that had been suppressed, and copies destroyed, and offered to privately convey information that will help to confirm it. Obviously it would be hard to link to a copy of a never-seen-the-light-of-day study.

[Joe Chi Minh]

165. My pleasure.

[Felinity]

173. I am not amused.

Please respond to my prior post. If you are going to spurt out pithy ambiguities, you may soon find yourself pissing in the wind.

[cadmium]

124. maybe safe but I get almost no migraines since cutting back on it.

I used to use a lot in coffee. I switched to splenda in coffee. Since the switch migraines have gone from frequent to rare. Could be a coincidence - could be related.

[stillcool]

27. I don't use it ...

but my choices have little to do with evidence. I consider the FDA a useful tool for advertising, but little more. The 'studies' put out by the 'foundations' that are funded by the industry they are critiquing, don't ruffle my feathers either. Every time there is a 'scare' about some food product.....I think it's a competing industry dumping money into the right pockets. Nobody plays fair. That said, there is no doubt that these same industries have no problem poisoning people and the planet in the name of profit. My motto is when possible consider the source..everything else is a crap shoot.

[Lex]

28. What should really be on the news is High Fructose Corn Syrup.

It's in everything. From the Washington Post:

Sweet but Not So Innocent?
High-Fructose Corn Syrup May Act More Like Fat Than Sugar in the Body

From fruit-flavored drinks to energy bars, a huge array of sweetened foods and beverages crowds grocery shelves, vending machines, restaurant menus, school lunches and kitchens. According to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), consumption of various sweeteners, often in calorie-dense foods and drinks, has risen in the United States from an estimated 113 pounds per person in 1966 to 147 pounds in 2001.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limiting intake of added sugars found in food and drink to no more than 10 percent of daily calories, a step the WHO said could help stop the worldwide rise in obesity that is fueling the growth of such chronic diseases as type 2 diabetes. The WHO recommendation is far stricter than any that U.S. groups have produced.

But increasingly, it's not just the growing consumption of foods with added sugars that concerns some nutrition experts. What has also changed during the past four decades, the USDA figures show, is the type of sweeteners consumed -- a trend that some studies suggest may help to undermine appetite control and possibly play a role in weight gain.

In 1966, refined sugar, also known as sucrose, held the No. 1 slot, accounting for 86 percent of sweeteners used, according to the USDA. Today, sweeteners made from corn are the leader, racking up $4.5 billion in annual sales and accounting for 55 percent of the sweetener market. That switch largely reflects the steady growth of high-fructose corn syrup, which climbed from zero consumption in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8003-2003Mar10?language=printer

[gravity]

32. Isn't that good though

Simple carbs like sugars are now considered to be worst than fats, so wouldn't high fructose syrup be healthier and won't spike your blood sugar as much.

[tandot]

54. Just do a search on Google Scholar and you'll find published studies

about that. I DON'T buy ANYTHING that has high fructose corn syrup listed on the ingredient list. I stick with the brands I know don't have it. For anything else, I'll check the ingredient list first.

go to http://scholar.google.com/

and type in "high fructose corn syrup"

[Dora]

55. HFCS is a simple carb, and its nutritional worth is not proven.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup


Personally, I've eliminated it from my house and diet. My SIL developed an allergy to HFCS, and more and more people in the U.S. population are doing the same. It's almost impossible to find factory-produced foods that do not contain some amount of HFCS. It's not natural and it contributes nothing to our health and well-being.

It's cheaper than sugar, and its different formulations can be either less, equally, or more sweet than refined cane or beet sugar. It's used in factory baking enterprises because it ensures consistency of product and even browning. I've seen some research that claims our bodies do not process HFCS in the same way it processes cane sugar, and others claim that there is a correlation between the introduction of HFCS to the American diet and the rocketing rise of obesity.

[gravity]

108. But its not any worst than cane sugar

Cane sugar doesn't contribute anything to your health just like fructose. I have yet seen evidence for it being worst than cane sugar, other than it matabolizes differently which can be a good or bad thing.

Correlation between HFCS and obesity does not mean that it is the cause. Lots of other things correlate with obesity too, physical activity, TV watching, portion sizes, and computer processing power to name a few.

[Dora]

154. Food choices are part of the big picture, yes. But we're burning down the house.

It's pretty clear to me that the correlation between our physical condition and the changes that have occurred in our collective diet over the past 30-50 years can no longer be discounted. I am in complete agreement with you that there are additional/other causative agents, and HFCS is but part of the destructive synergy. If you have a fire, how do we put it out? We remove what factors we can that are contributing to the fire - cut off oxygen, remove combustible fuel.

We live in our bodies, and for each of us, our body is a house. Your house, and my house, all our houses are on fire. This fire is the result of consuming created, modified, and processed food products and a "cultural" shift to sedentarism. "Hey, if I can't do it from my La-Z-Boy, then I don't want to."

My job demands that I sit on my ass 8 hours a day. You couldn't pay me to top off my sedentary job by eating dairy substitutes, lab-made sugars or sugar substitutes, hydrogenated fats, unnatural flavor agents and food dyes.

Saying there's no evidence that HFCS is bad for us is one thing, but there's also no evidence that it's beneficial.

Until it has been proven to me that HFCS is actually good for me and my family, I won't eat it, buy it, or feed it to people I love. You can be a guinea pig for the food industry if you so choose. I choose differently.

[tandot]

51. Exactly. And you can find that anywhere, even in "healthy" food

like whole wheat breads, whole wheat tortillas, cereals, granola bars, juices, yogurts. Just look at the ingredient lists of the food you have in your fridge and pantry. You will be surprised.

I threw away a whole box of Nature Valley granola bars because I discovered that they have high fructose corn syrup in them. Their label says "The Energy Bar Nature Intended" ... yeah right...

[roseBudd]

125. Mexican Coke is till made with sugar and it reportedly tastes better

[SheilaT]

29. I decided many years ago

to avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds.

I also drink maybe one regular (sugar/high fructose corn syrup) soft drink a week. Normally I order water with a meal.

I'm not sure if it's aspartame specifically, or artificial sweeteners in general, but I've read that they tend to leach calcium from bones. There's a near-epidemic of osteoporosis in this country, and it's only going to get worse as so many women who have consumed "diet" soft drinks in large quantities hit middle age and elder-hood. Men, of course, are also affected, but not quite as much as women, who have a lower bone mass to begin with.

[CountAllVotes]

35. It is toxic shit

The Weight Watcher's Diet used to be packed full of the crap sold in their foods at the store.

I was on their diet many years ago. I also got extremely sick and the problem has never gone away. I blame it on the Aspartame laced foods I ate.

:kick:

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[niyad]

39. I won't eat or drink anything that has the word "diet" in it--highly sensitive to all that crap, and

aspartame makes me quite ill--cannot eat or drink anything with aspartame in it, my heart starts pounding, I have trouble breathing, and become very dizzy.

[truedelphi]

171. Me too. I avoid the "Diet"products at all times

Even the ones that do not have aspartame have loads of MSG in them or else extra salt, in order to make the product palatable.

[OnionPatch]

40. What's to worry?

Surely the food companies wouldn't feed us anything that would harm us? Especially not one with Donald Rumsfeld as the CEO!

:sarcasm:

[Qanisqineq]

41. I can tell right away if a food has aspartame in it.

After I swallow one or two bites I get a headache and extremely nauseous. That crap is nasty. I don't eat very many sugary foods anymore (and it's painful!) and I try to avoid buying any foods with high fructose corn syrup in it. But if I found out I was diabetic and had to switch any sugary foods I do eat to foods with aspartame in it -- ack, I don't know what I'd do. I can't eat it without becoming very ill.

[Blackhatjack]

42. Just an anecdotal observation ... it gives me a headache, and is not always disclosed...

It shows up in many ingredients used to make other items, and is never disclosed on the labelling.

I can tell it is present, because I get a headache after ingesting it. In many ways the symptoms are similar to MSG intolerance, which is very real but not experienced by everyone in the consuming population. Plus, no one knows the long-term health effects of aspartame since the FDA approved it based on the company's own 'inhouse' clinical studies. You don't think that the company proposing approval would manipulate their own research do you? So if that is true, there really is no need for the FDA approval process.

Here is a useful experiment--since many people have never been exposed to soft drinks made with cane sugar(not high fructose corn syrup). Go to a local hispanic market and purchase a 7up soft drink that has been bottled in Mexico. You will see the difference immediately as compared to US bottled 7up. It is a 'cleaner' taste, and you will immediately realize what high fructose corn syrup does to the taste of items to which it is added.

High fructose corn syrup is a serious problem in this country, and may very well have links to the diabetes epidemic we are suffering today.

[rexcat]

44. I am sure glad I am not a rat.

Nothing like pseudoscience to keep things lively!

[demrabble]

46. Money. Corporations. Do The Math.

The reason is very simple:

Nutrasweet generates millions -- perhaps even billions -- of dollars every year for the corporation that mnaufactures it.

It also allows people to drink and eat more -- thus further addicting people to food.

Corporations are all about getting people addicted to the products they manufacture.

It's all about money.

[rateyes]

48. The problem with aspartame is that...

when the product that contains it reaches a temperature above something like 84 degrees F. the aspartame becomes formaldehyde (imbalming fluid), which is a neurotoxin. Taken in enough quantity in a short period of time, this can cause symptoms that mimic Parkinson's, Alzheimers, and a number of other problems.

Many feel that those who came back from the war in Iraq the first time, experiencing unexplained illness, were a victim of such "aspartame poisoning" seeing as how there were huge shipments of diet sodas to the troops who downed them like they were candy because of the extreme heat....even though the drinks were poured over ice...they were not stored in refigerators. The heat of the desert turned the aspartame to formaldehyde and the soldiers drank enough neurotoxin to cause the syndrome.

That's just a theory.

Also, one reason for the "turning a blind eye" is that the company is (or was at the time of aspartame's approval) owned by Donald Rumsfeld.

[snappyturtle]

67. Just think of all we have to be thankful for that Monsanto has

given us:

1) Major supplier of Agent Orange
2) Dioxin
3) PCBs
4)`In the 1940's Monsanto operated Oak Ridge National Laboratory for Manhattan Project.
5) Monsanto merger with Upjohn and Pharmacia (Celebrex)
6) Former Monsanto employee Clarence Thomas
7) Lawsuits over their genetically modified seeds blowing into the fields of Canadian and U.S.
farmers......
8) Bovine growth hormone

My ex worked for Monsanto for twelve years until one day he came home with a pink slip as did many,many employees in Monsanto's plasticizer division. Basically, at the time, about '80 or '81 Monsanto had acquired the patent for Aspartame and needed to get as much out of it as possible before the patent expired thus closed one division of the company. If my memory serves me right this was a few years before Monsanto acquired G.D. Searle. Aspartame was not approved by the FDA UNTIL Rummy left Searle (Pres. or CEO) for the government and proceeded to twist a few arms.

I can't see why anyone would view Monsanto in a favorable light. They make some nasty chemicals--I used to teach at Cahokia H.S. Dist. 187 not far from the Queeney Plant on the Illinois side of St.Louis....we went to the area after college and my MBA husband worked his first job at the Queeny Plant. Had another friend who sold their food color additives....food dyes! None of this stuff is for the good of mankind....think about it....like someone else said, it's all for money. Do I use aspartame.....what do you think?

[eallen]

50. Let's clear up the airline pilot myth.

There are no rules against airline pilots drinking diet beverages with aspartame, and I suspect these are among the most commonly consumed beverages in flight. Here's an article on the myth surrounding aspartame and piloting:

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/editorial/articledetail.lasso?-token.key=8738&-token.src=column&-nothing

:hippie:

[pepperbear]

52. fuck nutrasweet...how about splenda? n/t

[Lethe]

62. splenda is chlorinated sugar

mmmmmm tasty chlorine :)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

73. That's alright.

Salt is chlorinated sodium.

Mmmmm, delicious sodium.

[Lethe]

101. salt is a naturally occuring substance

splenda isn't.

why are people so quick to defend chemicals which haven't had any credible long-term studies to determine if they are safe or not?

:shrug:

[Johonny]

106. So

All naturally occuring substances are good for me?

Why are people so quick to add pointless non-information labels like natural to a chemical?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

109. Sugar is a natural substance.

Yet it causes diabetes.

Splenda, a substitute for sugar, does not.

Why are people under the impression that because it's natural, it's safe; and if it's synthetic that it's not?

Also, why are people under the impression that compounds that have been around for years have not been subject of long-term safety studies?

Sheesh.

[Greyhound]

115. More lies, Sugar is a "natural substance" in the same way that cocaine is

a natural substance. It is a refined and concentrated version of what is found in nature, the process of manufacturing it changes it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

116. Sugar isn't a natural substance?

My goodness.

Better inform the people behind photosynthesis.

[Greyhound]

117. You do have a comprehension problem.

I'm sorry but the "tubes" don't let me speak any more slowly, so maybe you can get an adult to read the previous reply and explain it to you.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

119. Not me.

Sugar is a perfectly natural substance.

So is cocaine, if you want to get right down to it.

[noonwitch]

56. Aspartame gave diet pop a good flavor

Remember Tab? Ick.

I love my Diet Coke, I always will. I just think some people are sensitive to aspartame, like anything else. Those people shouldn't consume it.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

57. Donald Rumsfeld was involved with the company that developed it, and sold the rights to Monsanto.

Ironically, I just wrote to someone today about aspartane.

I stopped using it a year ago or so.

[Chulanowa]

58. It tastes like fingernail filings

With a pinch of agricultural lime for zest.

This is pretty much all I need to know. If you're avoiding sugar, go for the good stuff - stevia. Totally natural, tastes sweet without the "fake" flavor, and you can grow it at home.

[demrabble]

59. I Prefer Honey

from local bee-keepers.

[demobabe]

148. Honey is the best!

Very sweet, mixes in warm drinks well, and is 60 calories for a whole tablespoon. :9

[sakabatou]

60. I don't drink diet sodas because...

they taste like crap. x(

[tammywammy]

122. I agree

I don't get the appeal of "diet" soda.

But then, I only have a soda like once a week, so I go with a delicious Cherry Coke or Dr Pepper. :) If I'm only having soda once a week, then there's no way I'm going with the artifical sugars.

[Johonny]

65. OMG

That poor girl died from Drinking water the other week. Why the heck isn't there more done to prevent companies from putting water in our food!

[Frank Cannon]

69. Dihydrogen monoxide is also a major component of acid rain

It's also a solvent that is used in many cleaning products.

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Help get the word out about dihydrogen monoxide. The MSM certainly won't.

[nashville_brook]

66. i only drink Brawndo

[Buzz Clik]

70. Don't forget the raging flatulence.

[northzax]

80. my god, I did! and you are totally right!

every single peer reviewed article says that there is an acceptable risk associated with aspartame ('acceptable risk, by the way, is a technical term, usually meaning a lower than 1:1,000,000 increase in risk based on exposure at a certain level)

of course, the real scientists, the ones running geocities websites, they know the truth. Aspartame money influences every peer reviewed journal, but those brave souls in the wilderness, not them. no-siree-bob.

[Greyhound]

89. Another misleading pile of crap from the authority of northzax.

Most recent example is from the European Journal of Oncology.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

93. What's the volume and page number?

[Greyhound]

100. Why don't you go look it up yourself?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

102. Because you're using it as a reference.

So give a proper reference, or retract the statement.

[northzax]

104. psst: it's here

Soffritti et al. "Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukaemias in rats" Eur. J. Oncol., vol. 10, n. 2, pp. 107-116, 2005

available here: http://www.fsc.go.jp/senmon/tenkabutu/t-dai28/tenkabutu28-toujituhaifusiryou.pdf

[Greyhound]

112. Here you go, check this out, make up your own mind and then go away.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=256549&mesg_id=262692

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

123. In rats.

Have you got any evidence in humans?

:rofl:

[Cerridwen]

137. Yet, the studies done to "prove" aspartame "safe" were done on...rats.

Yet you appear to take those studies' results as "gospel".

And you believe something to be safe because it's been in use for decades? Like asbestos? Lead in paint?

[northzax]

103. you are referring, I suppose

to the Soffritti, et al paper? from 2005? Just read it, interesting. even they admit they are the first study to find and correlation, in 40 years of studies. It certainly is worth doing more research, but one outlying study, in the face of all others, does not prove the point.

the reason the Soffritti article hasn't been picked up more by US based researchers, as you surely know, is that in US Cancer Risk Assessment studies involving rats, the guidelines call for termination of the study, and necropsy of the subjects, at 104 weeks. THis study went on for the natural lifespan of the rats, as long as 149 weeks, almost another year. the problem comes from the fact that the baseline studies of control effects used are almost all for 104 week studies. Obviously there is increased cancer after 104 weeks. so it's an interesting study, but outside the guidelines generally accepted in the US for such studies. I'd like to see it replicated, before stressing about it further.

[Greyhound]

111. Absolutely, positively my last reply to the inexplicable attempt to defend

corrupt practices that lead to introduction of tons of toxins into our diet. If you're truly open to learning you will see in the report you claim to "debunk" although, apparently, did not bother to actually read beyond the abstract.

Although all of the aforementioned studies were considered negative with respect to the carcinogenicity of APM, in our opinion, http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8711/8711.html#resu">these studies did not comply with today's basic requirements for testing the carcinogenic potential of a physical or chemical agent, in particular concerning the number of animals for each experimental group and the duration of the experiment until 110 weeks of age of the animals.

For these reasons, and in light of the ever-increasing diffusion of APM in the diet of industrialized countries (particularly in products consumed by young children and pregnant women), we considered it important to perform a mega-experiment following today's internationally recognized good laboratory practices for carcinogenicity bioassays and, more specifically, the life-span carcinogenicity bioassay design followed for many years at the CMCRC and described in previous publications (Soffritti et al. 1999, 2002c)

Compared with untreated control groups, the increased incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in treated females was statistically significant at doses...

The most frequent histocytotypes observed in the experiment were lymphoimmunoblastic lymphomas, mainly involving lung and mediastinal/peripheral nodes, and histiocytic sarcomas, involving mainly lung, liver, spleen, and nodes.

The differential diagnoses were based on the morphologic criteria followed in our laboratory for several decades and are in line with the guidelines of the International Classification of Rodent Tumors .

Preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the renal pelvis and ureter.

Malignant schwannomas of peripheral nerves.

Preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the olfactory epithelium.

Malignant brain tumors.

Other malignant tumors.

In addition to the doubt this, http://www.aspartame.ca/page_a14.html">and previous studies, cast upon the safety of aspartame itself, http://www.dorway.com/bressler.txt">the Bressler Report dealt with the actual process of the testing that Searle used in reaching the conclusions they submitted to the FDA.

The report clearly shows that not only was the process flawed, but that there are strong indications that the was deliberate manipulation of the data to hide potentially damaging findings.

Now, I have provided a small sample (but much more than anybody not in the field or without an axe to grind wants to wade through) that, at the very least, casts a great deal of doubt on the neutrality of the "science" used to get this through to the amerikan sheeple.

The use of aspartame is already restricted in the EU and Canadians are re-examining their acceptance of the stuff, that was based largely on the "evidence" of US studies.

Please look through the data and tables, read the whole report and pass this on to Bornagainhooligan, since you two seem to share the goal of spreading corporate propaganda through this board.

[SidDithers]

135. Your last reply?...we can only hope...nt

Sid

[Greyhound]

162. Your only contribution to the entire thread, and that's all you got?

:eyes::dunce:

[SidDithers]

167. For your unintelligible posts, it was all that was needed...nt

Sid

[Greyhound]

169. I'm sorry if my writing is over your head, fortunately the other denizens of DU are able

to comprehend complex issues and polysyllabic wording. feh.

[karlrschneider]

141. The subject that were given the equivalent of TWENTY FIVE POUNDS

for an 80 kg. person had, according to the chart you posted barely 30% more malignancies than the
group that got ZERO (which still had a significant number of them) and those that got 80 ppm had
FEWER than those that got none. There are lies, damned lies, statistics, and this 'study'...

[northzax]

143. interesting

it shows a 'significant trend'. fine. that's a: not the article you originally sent me to, that I was citing (you will notice that you sent me to the European Journal of Oncology (no really, read your post above sending me there) and this article is in Environmental Health Perspectives) but no matter. This is, once again, one study that shows No substantial difference in survival was observed among the groups (Figure 1D,E)..

sure, it begs the question of doing another study. Yes, you actually need to replicate a study before undoing three decades of science. Especially a study that, if you look at it seriously, points out that yes, Aspartame may kill you, but it doesn't, in fact, kill you any faster that not having aspartame kills you. The only conclusion you can draw from this study is that tumors and leukemia only being to appear in a statistically significant way in females over about the human age of 70 who have consumed high doses of the substance, every day, for their entire lives. It has no significant effect on the male population, under the rules of such studies.

for future reference, you might be taken more seriously if you don't call the people you are talking to corporate whores and 'amerikan sheeple' (spell check comes in real handy I find for that purpose) I have not once insulted you, but you cannot seem to write a post without insulting me. Who, exactly, is unhinged?

[Greyhound]

161. I'm sorry did you say something?

[northzax]

163. Senator Douglas? Is that really you?

I still think you got jobbed against that whippersnapper in the tall hat and beard, I gotta say.

[karlrschneider]

121. Figures 7 and 8 in that paper show no difference in life span between

the ones given aspartame and the control group which got zero.

[Cerridwen]

138. Wow, where did you find figures 7 and 8?

What report are you reading?

[karlrschneider]

140. This is the URL that northzax posted

it's a fairly big pdf document, the figures are a ways down

http://www.fsc.go.jp/senmon/tenkabutu/t-dai28/tenkabutu28-toujituhaifusiryou.pdf

[Cerridwen]

158. Thanks. For some reason, northjax's edit with link hadn't

shown up here yet. Too weird.

[Cerridwen]

159. As they should be in order for the results to be valid.

The figures to which you refer are presented as proof that each group of rats was devoid of physiological anomalies which might have distorted and thereby invalidated the results. In other words, the control group was not a healthier breed nor was the test group afflicted with disease which would have accounted for the increased incidences of lymphomas and leukemias reported in the test group.

edit: wrong words. Argh!

[BluePatriot]

81. My comment.

I used to roll my eyes at stuff like this. Then, because of a health problem, I decided to improve my diet/save $ by cutting out all diet drinks and switching completely to water.

Wow.

I never expected the changes to my health/appearance I got. Ladies, I swear artificial sweetener causes cellulite. I even lost weight and stopped craving sweet foods.

While I still take some of the aspartame hysteria with a grain of salt, cutting it out of your diet and eating simple, unprocessed food is really a step in the right direction. YMMV.

[nashville_brook]

90. amen -- the fluids we put in our body determine the quality of toxic elimination

if you don't put in enough clean, pure water you are hanicapping your whole body chemistry.

it follows that, if the only fluid you put into your body is toxic, then you are doubly handicapping your body -- like putting out a fire with gasoline.

i've also got some chronic conditions that make me real sensitive to what i eat.

i didn't drink soda for most of my adult life and then for some idiotic reason me and the ex-husband started drinking Fresca during the low-carb hoohaw. i'm a borderline diabetic so a low-carb diet makes me feel fantastic. when we started with soda i immediately noticed that my skin took on a grey pall and that i was having some kidney-like trouble that i won't go into. only because i'm cheap, i stopped buying the Fresca for a while and totally noticed the my skin got brighter and the pain let up in my kidney area.

it's a FWIW thing -- i have no proof of causation. i did notice Fresca to be associated with health issues that i'd rather avoid. it could be spurious, but still, i look and feel better when i drink only water.

[AZBlue]

92. It's HORRIBLE stuff. I'm very sensitive to it, so I've known of it's dangers since 1987.

And I always encourage those that I know to avoid it at all costs.

[dropkickpa]

105. I cannot handle anything with aspartame

if I ingest something with it, I get a near instant migraine, so there is something about it that I am allergic to (my migraines are triggered solely by exposure to something I am allergic to). Plus, it tastes nasty.

[undergroundpanther]

110. Because being overweight you are a social pariah

People smoke to"stay thin" and they'll drink diet soda to"stay thin"

In our culture to have a big belly or butt is far worse crime than being mean.

People will do anything to not be singled out,and they will do anything to not be socially invisible*(social death sentence)

Are you Normal Enough(Snog)

Normal people suffocate you till your last breath
They clutter footpaths, clutter highways with their living death

Are you normal enough?
Are you normal enough?

Normal people stare at you wherever you may go
Normal people despise difference to the normal people show

Are you normal enough?
Are you normal enough?

Normal people stay inside, stay in the normal zone
You shed a tear at the zoo, but you chew flesh and bone

Are you normal enough?
To take the shit that they dish out?
Are you normal enough?
To breath it in, breath it out?

Proud to be a consumer, proud to be a drone
Proud to believe 'Sixty Minutes' from the safety of your home
Proud to swallow every lie, proud to give a cheer
As you witness another murder from the enemy of the year

Are you normal enough?
To be just the same?
Are you normal enough?
To be in the normal game?
Are you normal enough?

[jus_the_facts]

118. Russell L. Blaylock, MD , has written Excitoxins: The Taste that Kills....

http://www.nutrition4health.org/NOHAnews/NNW95Excitoxins.htm

...in which he explains that certain amino acids when overly abundant in the brain can cause neurons to die. Many biochemicals can act as neurotransmitters in the brain—some excite our neurons; others calm them. In particular, glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine are three amino acids that excite our neurons and can be called "excitotoxins." They are now added in large amounts to our food supply.

Avoiding Excitotoxins
In summary, Dr. Blaylock recommends first and foremost that we avoid the dietary excitotoxins so prevalent in prepared foods—the MSG and the aspartame ("NutraSweet®"). He also mentions that the excitotoxin "cysteine can easily penetrate the intact blood-brain barrier and that hydrolyzed vegetable protein contains cysteine. . . . also being added to some bread dough." We need to concentrate on whole, unprocessed food. Dr. Blaylock gives us:

a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cysteine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require no labeling at all.

Additives that always contain MSG:

Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Additives that frequently contain MSG:
Malt extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon Broth
Stock Flavoring
Natural Flavoring
Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning Spices
Additives that may contain MSG and/or other excitotoxins:

Carrageeenan Enzymes (Protease enzymes from various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.)
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate Whey
Protein Concentrate.



NOHA Board Member Adrienne Samuels, PhD, has carefully studied the research on "glutamic acid (found in all hydrolyzed protein products), aspartic acid (found in aspartame), and L-cysteine (currently used as a dough conditioner and proposed for use as a color preservative for fresh fruit). . . . There are . . . double-blind studies suggesting that these amino acids are safe. A review of studies relevant to the safety and toxicity of glutamic acid, however, suggest that many of them are flawed."1 For example, "in the case of MSG toxicology studies, the placebo used to test the excitotoxin glutamate is NutraSweet®, which contains the excitotoxin aspartate. It has been clearly shown in a multitude of studies that aspartate produces the identical destructive reactions on the nervous system as MSG. It would seem obvious even to the layman that you would not use a control substance to compare to a known toxin if the control contained the same class of chemical toxin. But that is exactly what is being done."2

___________
1Samuels, Adrienne, "Excitatory Amino Acids in Neurologic Disorders," The New England Journal of Medicine, 331(4): 274-5, July 28, 1994.
2Blaylock, Russel L., Excitoxins: The Taste that Kills, Health Press, P.O. Box 1388, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 1994, p. 200.


MORE @ link...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

128. THE Dr. Russell L. Blaylock?!

:spray:

http://www.newsmax.com/blaylock/23a.cfm

[HannibalBarca]

120. LOL

I've a got a degree in Analytical Chemistry and nearly finished a pharmacy degree and I still (occasionally) eat junk food etc. There does seem to be a tendency to over analyse and be overly cautious when it is not necessary (though vigilance is always advisable). As a general rule the worst legal products on the market are cigarettes and (large quantities of) alcohol. Junk Food is bad for you (shock) but I would rather eat it every day then smoke 40 a day and drink a bottle of vodka/whiskey daily.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

133. Tell Me: Which Do More Die From, Heart Disease Or Lung Cancer?

With all due respect, eating too much unhealthy food is far worse for you than cigarettes and far more likely to cause your demise. Surprised you wouldn't know that with your degrees and all...

[Quixote1818]

136. How much of Heart Disease is caused by genetics though?

Sure, a lot more people die of Heart Disease than cancer but humans are more susceptible to Heart Disease than deadly forms of Cancer. My 99 year old grandma died from heart disease. She also had numerous skin cancers removed over the years and she also loved junk foods.

I heard on NPR that the difference of eating good and not eating good might have an impact of 1% on life expectancy if heart disease does not run in your family. So, eating good might add 9 months to a year of extra life. However, if heart disease runs in your family you probably should stay away from junk foods as much as possible.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

139. Doesn't Matter. I'd Still Bet That Junk Food And Eating Habits Contribute Directly To More Early

death than cigs do. That's all I'm sayin. (since the poster, with degrees and all, seemed to make such a glaring statement somewhat implying that it's better to eat junkfood every day than smoke cigarettes, which is something that can easily be dismissed by someone in grade school, let alone someone with degrees)

[demobabe]

149. Um, cigarettes are a major contributor to heart disease

From WebMD:

Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease for men and women?

About 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease.

A person's risk of heart attack greatly increases with the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. Smokers continue to increase their risk of heart attack the longer they smoke. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than non-smokers. Women who smoke and also take birth control pills increase several times their risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

150. Ahem.... 80% > 20%

I know full well the health risks of cigarettes and their danger in contribution to heart disease. Not the point at all. The point, obviously, is that to make a statement in such a way as the poster had implying that it would be far less risk to eat junk food everyday than to smoke, is really really silly. The point is, that even after all the causes of death from smoking are totaled, those UNRELATED to smoking due but related to eating unhealthy crap still outnumber the former. The statement was ridiculous.

[demobabe]

151. Facts?

That's 20% of heart disease is from smoking.

Then there's lung and other cancers.

There is no way you can quantify that junk food is worse than smoking.

While I'm sure a large amount of heart disease is diet related, I don't see any numerical facts (and it would be pretty hard to come up with a number anyway) because there are other things that cause heart disease such as genetics and lack of exercise. Drug use. Stress factors and mental health. Birth defects. Physiology.

[HannibalBarca]

155. Thanks, thats the point I was making...

...it seems to have flown over the head of some people. The chemicals contained in cigarettes are mind bogglingly bad and given the large absorbing surface of the lungs it's a recipe for disaster.

[Raine]

126. Nasty stuff

is what aspartame is but since they are major advertisers of TV programing you won't hear anything bad about it on the 'news'.

[suston96]

134. Heard this from Farmer Brown....

Pour aspertame on a stubborn ant colony and they all starve to death.

[kestrel91316]

160. jesus wept. I hate magical thinking. Where the hell is Carl Sagan when

you really need him?

[NoPasaran]

168. Nothing but rainwater and pure grain alcohol for me!

[Terri S]

172. won't touch it

When it first came out I tried something with Aspertame in it. Got wierd flashing lights in my eyes and rash on the palms of my hands. Haven't touched it since. I've since read people who have claimed blindness because of it. Can't prove it, but my ex-boss, a man that was the healthiest man I ever met ended up dying from brain cancer..he lived on health and natural foods...all but that endless coffee with nurtrasweet. You'll never convince me the aspertame wasn't a contributing factor. Be careful... very, very careful with this stuff.