Aspertame - Addiction Part One

This is the first of a three part series on Aspartame.

More than half of American adults consume products containing aspartame (also known as Nutrasweet or Equal). It is well documented in the scientific literature that aspartame can cause or promote conditions ranging from migraines, and seizures, to diabetes and its complications.

Consuming large amounts of aspartame may also lead to addiction. There are numerous accounts of aspartame consumers experiencing violent and prolonged withdrawal reactions- the hallmark of addiction- when they removed it from their diet. Recovering addicts report that they felt worse after shunning aspartame than alcohol, cigarettes, or amphetamines, and contended that they had swapped one addiction for another. The withdrawal symptoms, including tension, irritability, tremors, nausea, depression and sweating, are reversed when aspartame consumption is resumed.

The routine chewing of gum containing aspartame is especially dangerous. The aspartame amino acid, phenylanine, has the unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and can be absorbed through the oral mucosa directly into the brain. Dramatic addictive symptoms quickly result in those who regularly chew the gum.

Phenylanine, in addition to being able to directly enter the brain, is also converted to dopamine (a brain neurochemical) and its metabolites. As with cocaine, aspartame causes a flood of dopamine over neuron junctions (synapses), creating something of a “high”. Recurring rushes can result in desensitization of the brain to dopamine, requiring higher and higher dosages to achieve the same fix.

The addictive nature of aspartame is attributed to its three components: phenylaline (50%), aspartic adic (40%), and a methyl ester (10%) that promptly becomes free methanol upon ingestion. The free methanol produced when aspartame is ingested is known to cause delayed and irreversible effects on the nervous system, even at low levels. The daily intake of methanol from natural sources is less than 10mg. Aspartame beverages contain 55mg of methanol per liter. The body attempts to detoxify it by oxidizing it to formaldehyde- a deadly neurotoxin and carcinogen. This can lead to suppression of the immune system, nervous system dysfunction, and severe metabolic acidosis (see Wellspring monograph for more information).

Aspartame addiction can cause failing memory, disorientation, moodiness, depression, insomnia, poor concentration, brain tumors, vision deterioration, weight gain, constant thirst, light-headedness, ringing in the ears, nausea, joint pain, dermatis, confusion, headaches, vertigo, and a craving for sweets. In children, aspartame has been reported to interfere with brain development, and to lead to aberrant behavior, cognitive problems, depression, allergies, gastrointestinal problems, anorexia, and weight loss, and amplified sensitivity to monosodium glutamate (MSG).

The FDA knows all of this. Way back in 1987, they were presented with the evidence in a report entitled “Monitoring of adverse reactions to aspartame reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” They have received thousands of complaints since its “approval”. Yet the FDA ignores and discounts its own data. The market is just too huge.

Don’t consume aspartame under the misconception that it is an improvement over natural cane sugar. Our bodies were designed to eat natural, whole, complex and balanced foods, not synthetic materials – even if they were designed to replace something (sugar), which, if consumed in excess, is also health-robbing.