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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1232
great problems are opportunities for service -- aspartame (methanol,
formaldehyde) toxicity: Rawlings: Murray 2005.10.10

October 10, 2005

Dear Ms Kimberly Rawlings,

As a spokesperson for the FDA ( 301-436-2288 ),
you mentioned the 4-2 vote by the New Mexico
Environmental Improvement Board on October 4 to hold 5 days of
public hearings on the evidence for aspartame toxicity in July, 2006.

The Christ centered, Bible based churches are the only organizations on our
Earth that have spoken clearly and honestly for years about this tragic,
needless problem.

As a medical layman, I have volunteered since January 1999 to offer
conscientiously accurate, balanced, civil information, based on mainstream
medical research and media, about the very real problems of aspartame
toxicity.

The last year, inexorably accelerating research has resulted in many studies
being published by fully reputable scientists that impugn aspartame.

As an inevitable result, many influential circles in the world are shifting
towards a rapid correction, including scientists, physicians, lawyers,
bureaucrats, public servants, media, business, and, increasingly, citizens
of our one world.

I am concerned that the public, especially vulnerable groups, usually female
persons, often socially disadvantaged, be very quickly informed about the
dangers of formaldehyde, the most serious of the toxins resulting in
alarming doses from long-term use of over 6 cans, 2 L, of diet sodas daily.

The eminent Ramazzini Foundation reported in two lengthly studies in
December 2002 Annals of the New York Academy of Science that both methanol
and formaldehyde are carcinogenic in rats fed various lifetime doses.

Their July 2005 results confirm that aspartame, in which the 11% methanol
component is quickly and largely turned into formaldehyde, cause cancers for
lifetime low level exposure: lymphomas, leukemias, kidney, and peripheral
nerves in the head.  Bear in mind that these toxins are about twenty times
more harmful to people than to rats and other animals.

As is well known, formaldehyde is used to preserve bodies, since it
powerfully and permanently  affects every cell and tissue.  The official EPA
safety limit for formaldehyde in daily drinking water is only 2 mg for 2 L,
so that a person who uses 6 cans diet soda, 2 L, with 1,120 mg aspartame,
releasing 123 mg methanol, so that if only 30% becomes formaldehyde in the
body, 37 mg, thus suffers an exposure 18.5 times the EPA limit.

Inevitably, there is toxicity, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and
carcinogenicity.
Female people and their children are at increased risk of infertility,
miscarriages
( "spontaneous" abortions ), premature births, low birth weight, birth
defects,
increased infant mortality, autism, diabetes, allergies, ADHD, retardation,
increased susceptibility to infections, and more.

Even a mere 1% increase in these problems since 1981, a level of harm
virtually impossible to prove, would have to be regarded as totally
unacceptible.

The same policies, especially widespread, accurate, and persistent public
education, used to limit the harm from tobacco and alcohol, clearly are
mandatory on the basis of evidence already long established.

I am also concerned that great corporations, which in so many ways have
served and unified the peoples of Earth, will suffer pointlessly through
their natural temptation to use strategies of disinformation to manage an
uncontrolable crisis, the result of world public opinion, informed by the
Net about widely available, incontrovertible evidence.

How can these huge businesses be led to quickly participate in supporting
urgently needed remedies, ranging from discontinuing toxic products to well
funded  research to find the actual extent of the problems, along with the
same
substantial funds commited to meet the needs of victims, as shown by the
precedent established in the case of tobacco?

Perhaps you may have a role to play.  We can only pray to be guided each day
how to best speak and act as instuments for God's peace and healing to be
brought to all.

In mutual service,  Rich Murray
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From: "Rich Murray" <rmforall@earthlink.net>
To: <aspartame@yahoogroups.com>; <aspartameNM@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RTM: 700.club.com: CBN: Totheroh & Robertson: aspartame expose
2.13.2 rmforall
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2002 12:40 AM

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/802
700.club.com, CBN, Totheroh & Robertson, aspartame expose:
Murray 2002.02.13

[ Comments by Rich Murray:  I happened to turn on my satellite TV for
the first time in months, and within an half-hour, found myself
watching, shortly after 9 PM MST, for over 20 minutes,
the following news show,
followed by a detailed discussion between Totheroh  (a tall, thin,
intense young man with a quick smile, brown hair, blue eyes and glasses)
and the very genial, articulate Pat Robertson.

They unequivocably, firmly, pointedly warned the public about aspartame
toxicity, and even mentioned that Donald Rumsfeld, now Secretary of
Defense, had been hired by Searle from his previous work
in Washington, DC for a salary of $ 1.2 million to get
aspartame approved decades ago.

Some of the topics discussed:
Fraud in aspartame tests on rats was described
the FDA condemnation and eventual reinstatement of saccharin
the still continuing FDA condemnation of cyclamates (approved in Canada)
the many types of stevia products
a fruit flavored liquid sweetener
Diet Rite soda with its "no aspartame" label (they didn't mention that
  this is from the makers of Royal Crown sodas)
Pat Robinson's own memory problems from aspartame
other CBN staff members having memory and other problems
repeated listing of the many symptoms, memory loss, IQ reduced 10-15%,
  aches and pains, seizures, death
twice gave the FDA hotline number for toxicity complaints: 888-463-3633
  and  http//www.fda.gov
emphasized that only 6 grams of methanol (wood alcohol, as in old-time
  illicit "White Lightning" liquor) could kill an adult
many sources of aspartame in a day could provide hundreds of milligrams
 of methanol, a cumulative poison, eventually creating illnesses
the FDA, having committed itself to approval of this terrible drug, was
  resisting admitting its mistake about a billion-dollar product.

The role of the Net was not mentioned, except that Mary Nash Stoddard
was shown at her computer, very serious, with long black hair and blue
eyes, and her web page was shown.

CBN Main Switchboard (757) 226-7000
http://web.cbn.org/cc/contact/feedback-cbnonline.asp  contact editors
http://web.cbn.org/cc/contact/feedback-700club.asp   contact 700 Club
The Christian Broadcasting Network
977 Centerville Turnpike Virginia Beach, VA 23463

CBA Canada
680 Progress Avenue - Unit #2  Scarborough, ON M1H3A5  Canada

http://www.patrobertson.com/
Pat's Life Verse:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
(Philippians 4:13)

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/staff/gailon_totheroh.asp
gailon.totheroh@cbn.org
************************************************************

http://www.700club.com/cbnnews/
http://www.700club.com/cbnnews/news/020213a.asp
HEALTH:   The Bitter Truth About Aspartame
By Gailon Totheroh   Science & Medical Reporter  February 13, 2002

The controversial sweetener called
aspartame, also known as NutraSweet, has become the subject of a
decades-long safety controversy.

CBN.com - The American public's long love affair with sweets has not
been good for our health. From obesity to diabetes, sugar has left its
mark. In response, Americans came up with artificial sweeteners without
all the calories, and a bitter diet of public health safety battles then
ensued.

The controversial sweetener called aspartame, also known as
NutraSweet, has become the subject of a decades-long safety
controversy. It is a war that pits consumer groups and scientists
against the food industry and their experts.

The fuel of the aspartame controversy has been the thousands of
consumers complaining of mild to serious health problems they attribute
to the artificial sweetener.

One of them is Mary Stoddard. She suffered from suicidal depression, a
painful blood disease, nerve damage, and a traumatized daughter. "After
many months of migraine headaches, heart attack symptoms, I finally
was carried in from a school field trip after a grand mal seizure,"
Stoddard said.

CBN News contacted two major industry groups which advocate
aspartame's safety. The International Food Information Council and the
Calorie Control Council were unable to find an available expert by our
deadline.

They, along with the NutraSweet Company, the major producer of the
sweetener, do provide their side of the story on the Internet.

For over 15 years, Stoddard has been fighting aspartame with her
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, asking dozens of government and
elected officials to listen, "To listen seriously to what we have to
say and the tens of thousands of reports we have in our files,"
she explained.

While the government may not be listening, some companies appear to
the getting the message. [ image of Diet Rite soda (from makers of
Royal Crown sodas) can with "no aspartame" label ]

Soddard says everyone should listen to the brain problems her group has
logged: Headaches, seizures, hallucinations, ringing in the ears, memory
problems, aggravation of brain diseases like multiple sclerosis
and even brain tumors have been reported.

The NutraSweet Company calls those who attack aspartame alarmists
using "scare tactics" that have "distorted" public perception.

But whose side is science on?

The industry generally claims over 200 research articles supporting the
safety of aspartame. In other words, their research claims
it is safe to consume aspartame at will.

Noted psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Walton analyzed the relevant research
articles and had a rather different story to tell.
"What I found was 100 percent of the industry-sponsored research
attested to the safety of the product whereas 92 percent of the studies
that had independent funding identified some type of problem," he explained.

Walton's chart of industry-funded research shows 74 articles, and every
single one supports safety, while other apparently more objective
researchers found adverse reactions in 85 studies. To some, this sounds
like corporate tampering with science to deceive the public.

"We need a better process with regards to medical research, that people
doing the research should not have a vested interest in the outcome of
that research. Unfortunately, with NutraSweet we do have that
situation," Walton said.

Walton's analysis finds support from Dr. Woodrow Monte of Arizona State
University. Monte was wary of aspartame from the beginning because it
contains a toxic alcohol also known as wood alcohol or methanol.

"This never, never, ever should have been approved," Monte said.
"It has done tremendous damage to the population and is doing more
damage. I am one hundred percent behind stopping it from being consumed,
especially by women that are pregnant and children. Or anyone really.
There's nothing good about it, absolutely positively nothing good about
NutraSweet."

But industry defenders correctly state that fruits also contain this
same alcohol, and fruit is safe.

Walton explained why he disagrees.
"In fruit you have the antidote along with it. And also the methanol
component is bound to something called pectin, in fruit. We humans don't
have the enzyme to split methanol off from pectin. So, in fruit it's
perfectly harmless, but that's not the case in aspartame," he said.

Yet groups from the World Health Organization to the American Medical
Association say there is no problem consuming even large quantities.

Walton compares the sweetener to how the medical field used to treat
tobacco. "Physicians would indeed urge patients to smoke, so it took
quite a long time for there to be, first, medical awareness,
then public awareness of the hazards of smoking," he said.
"I think we're in an analogous situation with aspartame."

For consumers, there are a couple of straightforward questions to
consider: Who is the most credible on the safety issue? If unsafe, how
unsafe? And what are the alternatives? How good are they? All these
questions may require a lot more personal thought and investigation,
even if the truth is hard to swallow.
*************************************************************

http://www.700club.com/about/
Today CBN is a multifaceted institution that comprises several national
and international  broadcasting entities, a 24-hour telephone prayer
line, and a hotel and conference center. Chief among CBN's broadcasting
components is The 700 Club, a daily television program featuring Pat
Robertson. On the air continuously since 1966, The 700 Club is one of
the longest-running  programs in broadcast history. The show's
news/magazine format presents a lively mix of  information, interviews, and
inspiration to an average daily audience of more than 1,000,000 viewers.

An international edition of The 700 Club and other CBN television and
radio programs air in more  than 90 countries in 46 languages from
Chile to Iceland and from the West Indies to the Far East.
*************************************************************

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/staff/gailon_totheroh.asp
Gailon Totheroh   Medical Reporter   gailon.totheroh@cbn.org

Over the years, CBN viewers have come to recognize
reporter Gailon Totheroh as a valuable authority on current
health and science issues. Among his most recent stories were his
in-depth reports on cancer and arthritis; each multi-part series
focused on prevention, nutrition, and alternative treatments.

                 He has also done several investigative reports on such
controversial medical and moral issues as the development of
"designer" embryos and the use of such excitotoxins as MSG and aspartame.

                 Before working for CBN News, Totheroh served in
various areas throughout the Christian Broadcasting Network. As a
graduate student, he was hired by CBN's human resources department in
1984. He later worked as a specialist in the media and public relations
departments  for four years. In 1988, he joined the news department as
a field producer, and shortly thereafter was promoted to reporter.
His emphasis on science and medicine earned him the
official title of medical reporter in 1996. His work has earned him
CBN's President's Award for Excellence in 1990 and 1997.

                 When he arrived at CBN, Totheroh brought experience
in a variety of fields, including business management, education, and
journalism. While living in Phoenix, Arizona, he worked as an employment
manager for Manpower Services,
a researcher for The Trilateral Observer, an employment specialist for
Coca-Cola, and an apartment manager for the Royal Suites Hotels. He also
obtained his teacher certification in 1981, and traveled to the Soviet
Union for a study tour.

                 A native of Arizona, Totheroh earned an A.A. in
chemistry from Phoenix College in 1972 and a B.A. in German from the
University of Arizona two years later. In 1988, he earned an M.A. in
Public Affairs Journalism from Regent University.

                 According to Totheroh, whose favorite scriptures
include Psalm 19 and Revelation 21:1-4, his  greatest asset as a
journalist is "the sovereign and loving Lord who has given me the
support of a wonderful wife and great children."
************************************************************

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline [1987-2001]
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder & President
P.O. Box 780634 Dallas, TX 75378 .
214-352-4268 marystod@airmail.net
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/index.html
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/espanol.htm
Toxicology Sourcebook: "Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame"
Mary Nash Stoddard, author [Odenwald Press 1998]

[ present addresses:
http://www.aspartamesafety.com    marystod@airmail.net
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline [1987-2004]
P.O. Box 2001  Frisco, TX 75034   1-214-387-4001   [ 25 miles N of Dallas ]

http://www.sweetpoison.com/ Janet Starr Hull, PhD, CN
shull@sweetpoison.com  ]
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[ More..... ]