Robert F Kidd re aspartame, re exacerbation of hemochromatosis by
ingestion of milk thistle, by Chris A Whittington, Canadian Family
Physician 2008 Feb.: Murray 2008.03.29

http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Saturday, March 29, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1534
____________________________________________________

http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/content/full/54/2/182

Can Fam Physician
Vol. 54, No. 2, February 2008, p.182
Copyright © 2008 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada
Letters
Exacerbation of hemochromatosis by ingestion of milk thistle
Robert F. Kidd, MD CM
Renfrew, Ont, by e-mail
[ http://www.neuraltherapybook.com/contact.php
175 Argyle St. South
Renfrew, Ontario K7V 1T6  Canada
phone: 613/432-6596  rfkidd@on.aibn.com;
Visit Dr. Kidd's office Web site: www.rfkidd.com ]

A couple of details in the Case Report
"Exacerbation of hemochromatosis by ingestion of milk thistle"
by Dr Whittington 1 caught my eye.

The hepatotoxicity of milk thistle was assumed by the sudden
improvement in the patient's liver function upon discontinuation
of milk thistle ingestion.

Milk thistle, however, was not the only potential toxin removed
from the diet at that time.

As was clearly stated, the patient also stopped taking
"2 extra-strength acetaminophen pills every 2 or 3 days"
and "a can of cola every day."

The type of cola was not identified,
but it seems likely in an obese patient that the cola would
be a diet cola, with aspartame as the sweetener.

Two extra-strength acetaminophen pills (about 1 g)
every 2 or 3 days would seem to be an innocuous dose,
at least in a healthy individual.

And, despite the early fears about aspartame's hepatotoxicity,
there is little strong evidence that it poses a serious risk,
at least by itself.

In certain individuals, however, toxicity can be experienced at
"therapeutic" doses of acetaminophen of less than 4 g/day. 2

And there is some evidence that aspartame can act synergistically
with other food additives to produce neurotoxicity. 3

A substantial portion of my practice involves diagnosis and treatment
of chronic pain.

In my experience, isolated elevations of
{gamma}-glutamyl transpeptidase, or a disproportionate elevation of
{gamma}-glutamyl transpeptidase relative to the other liver enzymes,
is common.

Most of the time it is associated with acetaminophen ingestion
at therapeutic or subtherapeutic doses.

I cannot disagree with Dr Whittington's advice to
"be cautious about ingesting milk thistle
in order to improve liver function,"
but I think this advice could also apply to many other biologically
active substances in patients with borderline liver function.

Because of the coincidental cessation of acetaminophen and
(possibly) aspartame in this case,
blaming the milk thistle might be premature.

References

1. Whittington C.
Exacerbation of hemochromatosis by ingestion of milk thistle.
Can Fam Physician 2007; 53: 1671-3. [Free Full Text]

2. Amar PJ, Schiff ER.
Acetaminophen safety and hepatotoxicity -- where
do we go from here?
Expert Opin Drug Saf 2007; 6(4): 341-55. [Medline]

3. Lau K, McLean WG, Williams DP, Howard CV.
Synergistic interactions between commonly used food additives
in a developmental neurotoxicity test.
Toxic Sci 2006; 90(1): 178-87. Epub 2005 Dec 13.
[Abstract/Free Full Text]
http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/1/178?ijkey=c03e9f208c3
9fdbf40fea11fd18200acfb29a1ed&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
karenlau@liverpool.ac.uk

Response by Chris A Whittington:

Dr Kidd's is a fair comment.
Originally the article title included "possible exacerbation,"
but this was edited.
I see many hemochromatosis patients and this patient was unusual.
She had a dysmetabolic hepatosiderosis
in conjunction with hemochromatosis.
Most hemochromatosis patients
have a low or normal body mass index.
The role of toxins in hemochromatosis has been debated since
Gilbert and Grenet implicated alcohol as the culprit in 1896.
It took 100 years and the cloning of the HFE gene
to dispel the myth ...

http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/content/full/53/10/1671?ijkey=494edeeb6b01642d82e78c7391b5
9132c2b5c5de&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Can Fam Physician
Vol. 53, No. 10, October 2007, pp.1671 - 1673
Copyright © 2007
by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Case Report
Exacerbation of hemochromatosis by ingestion of milk thistle
Chris A. Whittington, MB BS MBA FCFP FACRRM
Clinical Associate Professor of Family Practice
at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver
and a Past President
of the British Columbia College of Family Physicians.
She is in family practice in Abbotsford, BC

Correspondence to: Dr Chris A. Whittington, 100 --
33774 Marshall Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 1L1;
telephone 604 853-2611; fax 604 853-2659;
e-mail cawhittington@shaw.ca;

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herbal product commonly
employed in treatment of liver conditions.

In this case, milk thistle might have been responsible for
exacerbating the clinical and biochemical presentation of C282Y
homozygous hemochromatosis.
Ceasing to ingest the milk thistle and removing only 2 g of iron
by phlebotomy virtually normalized results of liver function tests
and iron studies and eliminated this patient's clinical symptoms.
Patients who have C282Y hemochromatosis should be cautious
about taking milk thistle.

Case description

A 68-year-old Caucasian woman, presented with abnormal
results of liver function tests, a ferritin level of 2118 µg/L
(normal levels are 15 to 225 µg/L),
and transferrin saturation of 98%.

She complained of severe fatigue. Her body mass index was 33.
Comorbid conditions included type 2 diabetes mellitus, asthma,
hypothyroidism, borderline hypertension,
borderline diastolic dysfunction, and a fatty liver diagnosed
on ultrasound. She rarely consumed alcohol.
[ Murray: as a medical layman, I've noticed all these symptoms in
reports by many aspartame reactors. ]

She had been ingesting milk thistle for more than a year
in an attempt to improve her liver function.
She was taking 1 pill a day (200 mg)
of the Health Balance brand of milk thistle.

Nonmedicinal ingredients in the milk thistle preparation
were listed as sunflower oil, gelatin, purified water, glycerin,
monoglycerides, lecithin, yellow beeswax, carob extract,
and titanium dioxide.

She also took a maximum of 2 extra-strength acetaminophen
pills every 2 or 3 days
and drank a can of cola every day.

Her liver function test results showed a
{gamma}-glutamyl transpeptidase (GT)
level of 305 U/L (normal is <35 U/L),
an alanine aminotransferase
level of 56 U/L (normal is <36 U/L),
and an aspartate aminotransferase
level of 49 U/L (normal is <36 U/L).

Results of tests for hepatitis B and C, HIV,
and porphyria cutanea tarda were negative.

Renal function, copper level,
and {alpha}-protein tests were normal.

Her hemoglobin (Hb) A1c was 5.9% (normal is 4.8% to 6.2%).

High transferrin saturation often points to mutations in the HFE gene;
HFE is the designation for the gene on the short arm of
chromosome 6 that is associated with certain human leukocyte
antigens and might be instrumental in iron or ferritin overload.

Testing confirmed that the patient was homozygous for the
C282Y mutation.
Based on HFE test results, ferritin level, and transferrin saturation,
she was diagnosed with hemochromatosis.

Phlebotomy therapy was recommended.

At this point, it was suggested that she discontinue the milk thistle,
but she did not.

Deironing of 1 g of iron via 4 venesections
resulted in a rapid fall in ferritin level,
but {gamma}-GT, alanine aminotransferase,
and aspartate aminotransferase levels actually rose (Table 1).
Consideration of a liver biopsy was postponed as her profile
suggested non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

She was once again asked to discontinue the milk thistle.

View this table:

Table 1 Patient's test results

She stopped taking the milk thistle
and the moderate amounts of acetaminophen
and cola she was ingesting.

Her liver function and general well-being improved rapidly.

After a total of 8 venesections of 500 mL
each (equivalent to a total of 2 g of iron)
her ferritin level had fallen to 141 µg/L,
and results of her liver function tests were virtually normal.
The vene-sections were done at approximate weekly intervals.

Discussion

PubMed was searched using the key words
hemochromatosis, milk thistle, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis,
and drug-induced hepatitis.
Relevant articles and the proceedings of the
1st International BioIron Society Meeting in Prague in May 2005
were reviewed.

Milk thistle is held to be a treatment for liver disease,
but this is controversial, and hepatotoxicity is possible. 1,2

No herbal medications have proven efficacy for treatment of C282Y
homozygous hemochromatosis.

The accepted treatment for hemochromatosis is venesection
with the aim of reducing the ferritin level to 25 to 75 µg/L
and maintaining it at that level. 3

{gamma}-Glutamyl transpeptidase is not usually elevated in patients
with C282Y homozygous hemochromatosis.

Elevation of {gamma}-GT suggests coexisting disease.
The patient in this case had borderline diastolic dysfunction
treated with furosemide,
but she did not have congestive heart failure.

Her cardiac status was stable during the treatment period.
She was taking amitriptyline before she had the venesections,
and she remained on the same dosage during treatment.
It is unlikely that the elevated {gamma}-GT
was due to cardiac status or ingestion of antidepressants.

The possibility of NASH causing abnormal results
of liver function tests was entertained.

Diagnosis of NASH is consistent with the fatty liver
seen on ultrasound.

Overweight people and patients with diabetes are
vulnerable to NASH.

Treatment of NASH includes weight reduction, exercise, and
discontinuation of any possible exacerbating medications. 4-6

This patient did not lose any weight during the time
she was venesected of the 2 g of iron.

She was able to begin walking again, but did not participate
in any intensive exercise.

Insulin resistance is associated with NASH,
and uncontrolled diabetes is associated
with elevated liver function results.

This patient's liver dysfunction was unlikely to have been caused
by decompensated diabetes as her HbA1c was normal
before phlebotomy.

The HbA1c level recorded after 8 venesections was also normal,
but these results might have been inaccurate given the altered
lifespan of the red blood cells due to venesection therapy.

Her fasting blood sugar at this time was
8.2 mmol/L (normal is 3.6 to 6.0 mmol/L),
and she reported no deterioration or improvement
in blood sugar levels on home testing.

Clinically, her fatigue improved with venesection therapy
and discontinuation of milk thistle.

A liver biopsy would likely have confirmed the diagnosis,
but was not carried out because she improved substantially
with venesection therapy and stopping the milk thistle.

Drug-induced hepatitis often clears quickly upon withdrawal
of the offending drug.

Resolution of liver injury upon drug withdrawal is
an important clue to etiology. 7,8

This is the first description of a possible exacerbation of clinical
and biochemical symptoms of
C282Y homozygous hemochromatosis in a patient who ingested
milk thistle for more than a year.

Patients with C282Y homozygous hemochromatosis
should be cautious about ingesting milk thistle in order to
improve liver function, as it might have entirely the opposite effect.

EDITOR'S KEY POINTS

* The patient in this case was ingesting 1 pill a day (200 mg)
of the Health Balance brand of milk thistle.
Milk thistle, an herbal product, is held to be a treatment
for liver disease, but this is controversial,
and hepatotoxicity is a possibility.

* Based on hemochromatosis gene testing and assessment
of her ferritin level and transferrin saturation,
this patient was diagnosed with hemochromatosis.

* Ceasing to ingest the milk thistle and removing only 2 g of iron
by phlebotomy virtually normalized results of her liver function tests
and iron studies and eliminated her clinical symptoms.
____________________________________________________

formaldehyde from many sources, including aspartame, is major
cause of Allergic Contact Dermatitis, SE Jacob, T Steele,
G Rodriguez, Skin and Aging 2005 Dec.: Murray 2008.03.27
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1533

Avoiding formaldehyde allergic reactions in children, aspartame,
vitamins, shampoo, conditioners, hair gel, baby wipes,
Sharon E Jacob, MD, Tace Steele, U. Miami, Pediatric Annals
2007 Jan.: eye contact dermatitis, AM Hill, DV Belsito, 2003 Nov.:
Murray 2008.03.27
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1532
____________________________________________________

"It is generally recommended that exposure to products containing
formaldehyde, FRP's, and aspartame (NutraSweet) be avoided
in children."

"Through metabolism, aspartame is converted metabolically
in the liver to methanol,
which is in turn metabolized to formaldehyde. 8"

www.pediatricannalsonline.com/showPdf.asp?rID=21306

Avoiding formaldehyde allergic reactions in children
Pediatric Annals. 2007 Jan.; 36(1): 55-6. PMID: 17269284

Sharon E. Jacob, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Dermatology)
University of California, San Diego 200 W. Arbor Drive #8420
San Diego, CA 92103-8420
Tel: 858-552-8585 ×3504  Fax: 305-675-8317
sjacob@contactderm.net;

Tace Steele, BA

http://www.aad.org/  American Academy of Dermatology
over 16,000 members
____________________________________________________

two detailed critiques of industry affiliations and biased science in
99
page review with 415 references by BA Magnuson, GA Burdock
and 8 more, Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2007 Sept.: Mark D
Gold 13 page: also Rich Murray 2007.09.15: 2008.03.24

http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Monday, March 24, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1531
____________________________________________________

"Nearly every section of the Magnuson (2007) review has research
that is misrepresented
and/or crucial pieces of information are left out.

In addition to the misrepresentation of the research,
readers (including medical professionals) are often not told that
this review was funded by the aspartame manufacturer, Ajinomoto,
and the reviewers had enormous conflicts of interest."

[ See also:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1453
Souring on fake sugar (aspartame), Jennifer Couzin,
Science 2007.07.06: 4 page letter to FDA from 12 eminent
USA toxicologists re two Ramazzini Foundation cancer studies
2007.06.25: Murray 2007.07.18

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/957
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.01.12 EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1045
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.04 ):
59 pages, 230 references

bias, omissions, incuriosity = opportunity, aspartame safety
evaluation, Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Williams GM, 7 more,
2007 Sept, Ajinomoto funded 98 pages html [ $ 32 pdf ]:
Murray 2007.09.15
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.htm
Saturday, September 15, 2007 ]

"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority, to enjoy
peace, joy, and love by helping to find, quickly share, and positively
act upon evidence about healthy and safe food, drink, and
environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@comcast.net
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://RMForAll.blogspot.com  new primary archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 120 members, 1,534 posts in a public archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages
group with 1,087 members, 22,510 posts in a public archive

Hawaii Senate Health Committee will consider resolution SCR191
by Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, and 10 other of 25 Senators,
to have FDA ban aspartame
and for National Academy of Sciences to review research:
Murray 2008.03.14
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Friday, March 14, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1527

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1525
House Concurrent Resolution #132 for Health Department panel
to decide aspartame ban by early 2010,
Hawaii Rep. Josh Green MD, Health Committee Chair:
Murray 2008.03.12
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
____________________________________________________

Note: many recent aspartame bans.....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats, salt
"nasties" to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1451
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose) and coloring agents
will be banned from use in newly-born and baby foods,
the European Parliament decided: Latvia ban in schools 2006:
Murray 2007.07.12

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1341
Connecticut bans artificial sweeteners in schools, Nancy Barnes,
New Milford Times: Murray 2006.05.25

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1369
Bristol, Connecticut, schools join state program to limit artificial
sweeteners, sugar, fats for 8800 students, Johnny J Burnham,
The Bristol Press: Murray 2006.09.22

bias, omissions, incuriosity = opportunity, aspartame safety
evaluation, Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Williams GM, 7 more,
2007 Sept, Ajinomoto funded 98 pages html [ $ 32 pdf ]:
Murray 2007.09.15
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.htm
Saturday, September 15, 2007

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1491
industry scientists praise aspartame safety and benefits in Paris on
2006.05.30, Herve Nordmann, Andrew G. Renwick,
Carlo La Vecchia, Tommy Visscher, Jaap Seidell, France Bellisle,
Adam Drewnowski, Margaret Ashwell, Anne de la Hunty,
Sigrid A. Gibson, Alan R. Boobis: Murray 2007.11.18

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1070
critique of aspartame review, French Food Safety Agency AFSSA
2002.05.07 aspartamgb.pdf (18 pages, in English), Martin Hirsch:
Murray 2004.04.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/957
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.01.12 EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1045
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.04 ):
59 pages, 230 references

http://www.eatright.org/Nutritive(1).pdf
J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Feb; 104(2): 255-75.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: use of nutritive and
nonnutritive sweeteners. American Dietetic Association.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1068
critique of aspartame review
by American Dietetic Association Feb 2004,
Valerie B. Duffy & Madeleine J. Sigman-Grant: Murray 2004.05.14

http://www.dorway.com/upipart1.txt
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/262
aspartame expose 96K Oct 1987 Part 1/3: Gregory Gordon,
UPI reporter: Murray 2000.07.10

http://www.dorway.com/enclosur.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/53
aspartame history Part 1/4 1964-1976: Gold: Murray 1999.11.06

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/927
Donald Rumsfeld, 1977 head of Searle Corp.,
got aspartame FDA approval: Turner: Murray 2002.12.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1483
Donald Rumsfeld CEO 1977-85 G.D. Searle & Co., got new
President Reagan to prohibit FDA opposition to aspartame
1981.01.25, history by lawyer James S. Turner:
Murray 2007.10.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/928
revolving door, Monsanto, FDA, EPA: NGIN: Murray 2002.12.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/858
Samuels: Strong: Roberts: Gold: flaws in double-blind studies re
aspartame and MSG toxicity: Murray 2002.08.01

"Survey of aspartame studies: correlation of outcome and funding
sources," 1998, unpublished: http://www.dorway.com/peerrev.html
Walton found 166 separate published studies in the peer reviewed
medical literature, which had relevance for questions of human
safety.
The 74 studies funded by industry all (100 %) attested to
aspartame's safety, whereas of the 92 non-industry funded studies,
84 (91 %) identified a problem.
Six of the seven non-industry funded studies
that were favorable to aspartame safety were from the FDA,
which has a public record that shows a strong pro-industry bias.

Ralph G. Walton, MD, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern
Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry,
Youngstown, OH 44501,
Chairman, The Center for Behavioral Medicine,
Northside Medical Center, 500 Gypsy Lane, P.O. Box 240
Youngstown, OH 44501 330-740-3621 rwalton193@aol.com
http://www.neoucom.edu/DEPTS/Psychiatry/walton.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1395
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic
encyclopedia, 72 references (including AspartameNM # 864
and 1173 by Murray, brief fair summary of much more research:
Murray 2007.01.01

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1513
metabolic syndrome is tied to diet soda, PL Lutsey, LM Steffen,
J Stevens, Circulation 2008.01.22: role of formaldehyde and
formic acid from methanol in wines, liquors, or aspartame?:
Murray 2008.02.21

"But the one-third who ate the most fried food increased their risk
by 25 percent, compared with the one-third who ate the least, and
surprisingly, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome was 34
percent higher among those who drank one can of diet soda a day
compared with those who drank none.

"This is interesting," said Lyn M. Steffen, an associate professor of
epidemiology at the University of Minnesota and a co-author of the
paper, which was posted online in the journal Circulation on Jan. 22.
"Why is it happening?  Is it some kind of chemical in the diet soda,
or something about the behavior of diet soda drinkers?""

"The diet soda association was not hypothesized
and deserves further study."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition:
Bouchard M et al, full plain text, 2001:
substantial sources are degradation
of fruit pectins, liquors, aspartame, smoke:
Murray 2005.04.02

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1511
vinyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, or aspartame in womb increases later
cancers in adults with lifetime exposure in many studies, M Soffritti
et al, Ramazzini Foundation, Basic Clin. Pharm. Toxicol. 2008 Feb.:
Rich Murray 2008.02.07

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1016
President Bush & formaldehyde (aspartame) toxicity:
Ramazzini Foundation carcinogenicity results Dec 2002:
Soffritti: Murray 2003.08.03 rmforall

p. 88 "The sweetening agent aspartame hydrolyzes in the
gastrointestinal tract to become free methyl alcohol,
which is metabolized in the liver
to formaldehyde, formic acid, and CO2. (11)"
Medinsky MA & Dorman DC. 1994;
Assessing risks of low-level methanol exposure.
CIIT Act. 14: 1-7.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1453
Souring on fake sugar (aspartame), Jennifer Couzin,
Science 2007.07.06: 4 page letter to FDA from 12 eminent
USA toxicologists re two Ramazzini Foundation cancer studies
2007.06.25: Murray 2007.07.18

30 female pet store rats drinking lifelong 13.5 mg aspartame,
1/3 packet of Equal, had 33% with obvious tumors -- also bulging,
sick, and missing eyes, paralysis, obesity, skin sores -- agrees with
Ramazzini Foundation results, Victoria Inness-Brown:
Murray 2008.02.15
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Friday, February 15, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1521

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1490
details on 6 epidemiological studies since 2004 on diet soda (mainly
aspartame) correlations, as well as 14 other mainstream studies
on aspartame toxicity since summer 2005: Murray 2007.11.27

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1340
aspartame groups and books:
updated research review of 2004.07.16: Murray 2006.05.11

old tiger roars -- Woodrow C Monte, PhD -- aspartame causes
many breast cancers, as ADH enzyme in breasts makes methanol
from diet soda into carcinogenic formaldehyde -- same in dark
wines and liquors, Fitness Life 2008 Jan.: Murray 2008.02.11
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Monday, February 11, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1517

"Alcohol dehydrogenase ADH is required for the conversion of
methanol to formaldehyde (112).

ADH is not a common enzyme in the human body -- not many cells
in the human body contain this enzyme.

The human breast is one of the few organs in the body with a high
concentration of ADH (190b), and it is found there exclusively in the
mammary epithelial cells, the very cells known to transform into
adenocarcinoma (190c) (breast cancer).

The most recent breast cancer scientific literature implicates ADH
as perhaps having a pivotal role in the formation of breast cancer,
indicating a greater incidence of the disease in those
with higher levels of ADH activity in their breasts (190a)."

role of formaldehyde, made by body from methanol from foods
and aspartame, in steep increases in fetal alcohol syndrome, autism,
multiple sclerosis, lupus, teen suicide, breast cancer, Nutrition
Prof. Woodrow C. Monte, retired, Arizona State U., two reviews,
190 references supplied, Fitness Life, New Zealand
2007 Nov, Dec: Murray 2007.12.26
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, December 26 2007
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1498

Since no adequate data has ever been published on the
exact disposition of toxic metabolites in specific tissues in humans
of the 11 % methanol component of aspartame,
the many studies on morning-after hangover from the methanol
impurity in alcohol drinks are the main available resource to date.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1469
highly toxic formaldehyde, the cause of alcohol hangovers, is
made by the body from 100 mg doses of methanol from
dark wines and liquors, dimethyl dicarbonate, and aspartame:
Murray 2007.08.31

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1052
DMDC: Dimethyl dicarbonate 200mg/L in drinks adds methanol 98 mg/L
( becomes formaldehyde in body ): EU Scientific Committee on Foods
2001.07.12: Murray 2004.01.22

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out96_en.pdf

"...DMDC was evaluated by the SCF in 1990 and considered
acceptable for the cold sterilization of soft drinks and fruit juices
at levels of addition up to 250 mg/L (1)
...DMDC decomposes primarily to CO2 and methanol ...

[ Note: Sterilization of bacteria and fungi is a toxic process,
probably due to the inevitable conversion in the body of methanol
into highly toxic formaldehyde and then formic acid. ]

The use of 200 mg DMDC per liter would add 98 mg/L
of methanol to wine which
already contains an average of about 140 mg/L from natural sources.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid) are main cause
of alcohol hangover symptoms [same as from similar amounts of
methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]: YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec:
Murray 2006.01.20

Addict Biol. 2005 Dec;10(4): 351-5.
Concentration changes of methanol in blood samples during
an experimentally induced alcohol hangover state.
Woo YS, Yoon SJ, Lee HK, Lee CU, Chae JH, Lee CT, Kim DJ.
Chuncheon National Hospital, Department of Psychiatry,
The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
http://www.cuk.ac.kr/eng/ sysop@catholic.ac.kr
Songsin Campus: 02-740-9714 Songsim Campus: 02-2164-4116
Songeui Campus: 02-2164-4114
http://www.cuk.ac.kr/eng/sub055.htm eight hospitals

[ Han-Kyu Lee ]

A hangover is characterized by the unpleasant physical and mental
symptoms that occur between 8 and 16 hours after drinking alcohol.

After inducing experimental hangover in normal individuals,
we measured the methanol concentration prior to
and after alcohol consumption
and we assessed the association between the hangover condition
and the blood methanol level.

A total of 18 normal adult males participated in this study.

They did not have any previous histories of psychiatric
or medical disorders.

The blood ethanol concentration prior to the alcohol intake
(2.26+/-2.08) was not significantly different from that
13 hours after the alcohol consumption (3.12+/-2.38).

However, the difference of methanol concentration
between the day of experiment (prior to the alcohol intake)
and the next day (13 hours after the alcohol intake)
was significant (2.62+/-1.33/l vs. 3.88+/-2.10/l, respectively).

A significant positive correlation was observed
between the changes of blood methanol concentration
and hangover subjective scale score increment when covarying
for the changes of blood ethanol level (r=0.498, p<0.05).

This result suggests the possible correlation of methanol
as well as its toxic metabolite to hangover. PMID: 16318957

[ The toxic metabolite of methanol is formaldehyde, which in turn
partially becomes formic acid -- both potent cumulative toxins
that are the actual cause of the toxicity of methanol.]

This study by Jones AW (1987) found next-morning hangover
from red wine with 100 to 150 mg methanol
(9.5 % w/v ethanol, 100 mg/l methanol, 0.01 %).
Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol --
1,120 mg aspartame in 2 L diet soda,
almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol).

Pharmacol Toxicol. 1987 Mar; 60(3): 217-20.
Elimination half-life of methanol during hangover.
Jones AW. wayne.jones@RMV.se
Department of Forensic Toxicology,
University Hospital, SE-581 85 Linkoping, Sweden.

This paper reports the elimination half-life of methanol in human
volunteers.
Experiments were made during the morning after the subjects had
consumed 1000-1500 ml red wine
(9.5 % w/v ethanol, 100 mg/l methanol)
the previous evening. [ 100 to 150 mg methanol ]
The washout of methanol from the body
coincided with the onset of hangover.
The concentrations of ethanol and methanol in blood were
determined indirectly by analysis of end-expired alveolar air.
In the morning when blood-ethanol dropped
below the Km of liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)
of about 100 mg/l (2.2 mM),
the disappearance half-life of ethanol was 21, 22, 18 and 15 min.
in 4 test subjects respectively.
The corresponding elimination half-lives of methanol
were 213, 110, 133 and 142 min. in these same individuals.
The experimental design outlined in this paper can be used
to obtain useful data on elimination kinetics of methanol
in human volunteers without undue ethical limitations.
Circumstantial evidence is presented to link methanol
or its toxic metabolic products, formaldehyde and formic acid,
with the pathogenesis of hangover. PMID: 3588516

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1047
Avoiding Hangover Hell 2003.12.31 Mark Sherman, AP writer:
Robert Swift, MD [ formaldehyde from methanol in aspartame ]:
Murray 2004.01.16

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1048
hangovers from formaldehyde from methanol (aspartame?):
Schwarcz: Linsley: Murray 2004.01.18

Thrasher (2001): "The major difference is that the Japanese
demonstrated the incorporation of FA and its metabolites
into the placenta and fetus.
The quantity of radioactivity remaining in maternal and fetal tissues
at 48 hours was 26.9 % of the administered dose." [ Ref. 14-16 ]

Arch Environ Health 2001 Jul-Aug; 56(4): 300-11.
Embryo toxicity and teratogenicity of formaldehyde. [100 references]
Thrasher JD, Kilburn KH. toxicology@drthrasher.org
Sam-1 Trust, Alto, New Mexico, USA.
www.drthrasher.org/formaldehyde_embryo_toxicity.html full text

http://www.drthrasher.org/formaldehyde_1990.html full text
Jack Dwayne Thrasher, Alan Broughton, Roberta Madison.
Immune activation and autoantibodies in humans
with long-term inhalation exposure to formaldehyde.
Archives of Environmental Health. 1990; 45: 217-223.
"Immune activation, autoantibodies, and anti-HCHO-HSA antibodies
are associated with long-term formaldehyde inhalation."
PMID: 2400243

formaldehyde in FEMA trailers and other sources (aspartame,
dark wines and liquors, tobacco smoke): Murray 2008.01.30
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1508

The FEMA trailers give about the same amount of formaldehyde
daily as from a quart of dark wine or liquor, or two quarts
(6 12-oz cans) of aspartame diet soda, from their over 1 tenth gram
methanol impurity (one part in 10,000),
which the body quickly makes into formaldehyde -- enough
to be the major cause of "morning after" alcohol hangovers.

Methanol and formaldehyde also result from many fruits and
vegetables, tobacco and wood smoke, heater and vehicle exhaust,
household chemicals and cleaners, cosmetics, and new cars, drapes,
carpets, furniture, particleboard, mobile homes, buildings,
leather ...
so all these sources add up and interact
with many other toxic chemicals.

BN Ames and LS Gold, 1998, have presented detailed information
that there is no increase in recent decades for most cancers,
and that common carcinogens do not result in significant exposures
to the average human population.

However, individuals are not average -- each person has a unique
genetic makeup, resulting in a huge range of variation of
vulnerability
to specific chemicals, as is well evidenced in the case of methanol,
formaldehyde, and formic acid, especially with regard
to behavioral effects.

Each is subject to very wide ranges of exposure levels.

Many are in especially vulnerable groups, depending on diet, obesity,
sex, exercise, life stress, age from conception to very old, unusually
severe toxic exposures, injuries, and diseases.

It is clear that a variety of multiple chemical sensitivity syndromes
do
exist, often with remarkable hypersensitivity.

Methanol, formaldehyde, and formic acid toxicity are unusual, in that
humans are far more vulnerable than any other mammal, as much as
ten to sixty-fold, which complicates the utility of animal data.

The unusually long human life span also increases the role of long-
term
chronic low-level exposure.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1455
FEMA slow to safety test Katrina toxic trailers, Charles Babington,
Associated Press -- 1 ppm formaldehyde in air is about half the daily
dose from 3 cans aspartame diet soda and ten times the 1999 EPA
alarm level for drinking water: Murray 2007.07.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
50% UK baby food is now organic - aspartame or MSG
with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.01.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and
brilliant blue, harms nerve cells, eminent
C. Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk,
Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1373
aspartame rat brain toxicity re cytochrome P450 enzymes,
especially CYP2E1, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ et al,
2006 Aug, Hum Exp Toxicol: relevant abstracts re formaldehyde
from methanol in alcohol drinks: Murray 2006.09.29

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1463
Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain,
Humphries P, Pretorius E, Naude H, U. Pretoria, South Africa,
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug 8: Murray 2007.08.12

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1452
phenylalanine and aspartic acid from low dose aspartame
in rabbits interfere with blood coagulation,
Pretorius E and Humphries P, U. of Pretoria,
Ultrastruct Pathol 2007 March: Murray 2007.07.14

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1459
third study by expert Greek team of neurotoxicity in infant rats by
aspartame (or its parts, methanol, phenylalanine, aspartic acid), KH
Schulpis et al, Food Chem Toxicol 2007.06.16: Murray 2007.08.05

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1447
second study by expert Greek team of neurotoxicity in infant rats by
aspartame (or its parts, methanol, phenylalanine, aspartic acid), KH
Schulpis et al, Toxicology 2007.05.18: Murray 2007.07.04

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1444
expert Greek group finds aspartame (or its parts, methanol,
phenylalanine, aspartic acid) harm infant rat brain enzyme activity,
KH Schulpis et al, Pharmacol. Res. 2007.05.13: Murray 2007.06.23

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/939
aspartame (aspartic acid, phenylalanine) binding to DNA:
Karikas July 1998: Murray 2003.01.05 rmforall
Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Reclos GJ, Kokotos G
Measurement of molecular interaction of aspartame and
its metabolites with DNA. Clin Biochem 1998 Jul; 31(5): 405-7.
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Athens, Greece
http://www.chem.uoa.gr gkokotos@atlas.uoa.gr
K.H. Schulpis inchildh@otenet.gr ; G.J. Reclos reklos@otenet.gr

5 recent aspartame reports by S Tsakiris, KH Schulpis, I Simintzi,
with responses to critiques by AG Renwick and
by EB Abegaz, RG Bursey, 2005-2008 2008.03.05

Pharmacological Research 57 (2008) 89-90
Letter to the Editor
Answer to Letter sent to the Editor by
Drs. E. Abegaz and R. Bursey
(Ajinomoto Corporate Services LLC, Washington, USA)
related to Simintzi et al. report published in
Pharmacol Res 2007; 56: 155-9
Letter to the Editor / Pharmacological Research 57 (2008) 89-90

Stylianos Tsakiris a,?  stsakir@cc.uoa.gr;
Kleopatra H. Schulpis b inchildh@otenet.gr;
a Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School,
Athens University, P.O. Box 65257, GR-15401 Athens, Greece

b Inborn Errors of Metabolism Department, Institute of Child
Health, Research Center, Greece
? Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses:
S. Tsakiris  stsakir@cc.uoa.gr;
K.H. Schulpis  inchildh@otenet.gr;

Pharmacological Research 57 (2008) 87-88
Response to "The effect of aspartame on the acetylcholinesterase
activity in hippocampal homogenates of suckling rats"
by Simintzi et al.

Eyassu G. Abegaz ?
Robert G. Bursey
Ajinomoto Corporate Services LLC,
Scientific & Regulatory Affairs,
1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20036,
United States

? Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 202 457 0284;
fax: +1 202 457 0107.
E-mail addresses: abegazee@ajiusa.com; (E.G. Abegaz),
burseyb@ajiusa.com; (R.G. Bursey)

Keywords:
Aspartame; Aspartate; Phenylalanine; Methanol; AChE activity

Tsakiris S, Schulpis KH.
Answer to letter sent by Professor A.G. Renwick
(University of Southampton, UK)
related to Simintzi et al. report published in Food and Chemical
Toxicology 2007; 45(12): 2397-401.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Mar; 46(3): 1208-9.
Epub 2007 Oct 25. No abstract available. PMID: 18054419
doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.10.016
Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Renwick AG.
The effect of aspartame metabolites on the suckling rat frontal cortex
acetylcholinesterase. An in vitro study. By I. Simintzi, K.H.
Schulpis,
P. Angelogianni, C. Liapi and S. Tsakiris.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Mar; 46(3): 1206-7.
Epub 2007 Oct 26. No abstract available. PMID: 18061330

1: Simintzi I, Schulpis KH, Angelogianni P, Liapi C, Tsakiris S.
The effect of aspartame metabolites on the suckling rat frontal cortex
acetylcholinesterase. An in vitro study.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Dec;45(12):2397-401.
Epub 2007 Jun 16. PMID: 17673349

2: Simintzi I, Schulpis KH, Angelogianni P, Liapi C, Tsakiris S.
L-Cysteine and glutathione restore the reduction of rat
hippocampal Na+, K+-ATPase activity
induced by aspartame metabolites.
Toxicology. 2007 Jul 31;237(1-3):177-83.
Epub 2007 May 18. PMID: 17602817

3: Simintzi I, Schulpis KH, Angelogianni P, Liapi C, Tsakiris S.
The effect of aspartame on acetylcholinesterase activity in
hippocampal homogenates of suckling rats.
Pharmacol Res. 2007 Aug;56(2):155-9.
Epub 2007 May 13. PMID: 17580119

4: Schulpis KH, Papassotiriou I, Parthimos T, Tsakiris T, Tsakiris S.
The effect of L-cysteine and glutathione
on inhibition of Na+, K+-ATPase activity by aspartame metabolites
in human erythrocyte membrane.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 May;60(5):593-7. PMID: 16391576

5: Tsakiris S, Giannoulia-Karantana A, Simintzi I, Schulpis KH.
The effect of aspartame metabolites on human erythrocyte membrane
acetylcholinesterase activity.
Pharmacol Res. 2006 Jan;53(1):1-5.
Epub 2005 Aug 29. PMID: 16129618

C. Trocho (1998):
"In all, the rats retained, 6 hours after administration, about 5 % of
the
label, half of it in the liver."

They used a very low level of aspartame ingestion, 10 mg/kg, for rats,
which have a much greater tolerance for aspartame than humans.
So, the corresponding level for humans would be
about 1 or 2 mg/kg.
Many headache studies in humans used doses of
about 30 mg/kg daily.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/925
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 1/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 1998.06.26: Murray 2002.12.22

http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html full text
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame
binds to tissue components in vivo.
Life Sci June 26 1998; 63(5): 337-49.
Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular,
Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
http://www.bq.ub.es/cindex.html Línies de Recerca: Toxicitat de
l'aspartame http://www.bq.ub.es/grupno/grup-no.html
Sra. Carme Trocho, Sra. Rosario Pardo, Dra. Immaculada Rafecas,
Sr. Jordi Virgili, Dr. Xavier Remesar, Dr. Jose Antonio
Fernandez-Lopez, Dr. Marià Alemany [male]
Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021521, FAX: (93)4021559
Sra. Carme Trocho "Trok-ho" Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021544,
FAX: (93)4021559 alemany@porthos.bio.ub.es;
bioq@sun.bq.ub.es

Abstract:
Adult male rats were given an oral dose of 10 mg/kg aspartame,
14C-labeled in the methanol carbon.
At timed intervals of up to 6 hours, the radioactivity in plasma
and several organs was investigated.
Most of the radioactivity found (>98 % in plasma, >75 % in liver)
was bound to protein.
Label present in liver, plasma and kidney was in the range
of 1-2 % of total radioactivity administered per g or mL,
changing little with time.
Other organs (brown and white adipose tissues, muscle, brain,
cornea and retina) contained levels of label
in the range of 1/12th to 1/10th of that of liver.
In all, the rats retained, 6 hours after administration,
about 5 % of the label, half of it in the liver.

The specific radioactivity of tissue protein, RNA and DNA
was quite uniform.
The protein label was concentrated in amino acids,
different from methionine, and largely coincident
with the result of protein exposure to labeled formaldehyde.
DNA radioactivity was essentially in a single different adduct base,
different from the normal bases present in DNA.
The nature of the tissue label accumulated was, thus,
a direct consequence of formaldehyde binding to tissue structures.

The administration of labeled aspartame to a group of cirrhotic rats
resulted in comparable label retention by tissue components,
which suggests that liver function (or its defect) has little effect
on formaldehyde formation from aspartame
and binding to biological components.

The chronic treatment of a series of rats with 200 mg/kg of
non-labeled aspartame during 10 days results in the accumulation
of even more label when given the radioactive bolus,
suggesting that the amount of formaldehyde adducts
coming from aspartame in tissue proteins and nucleic acids
may be cumulative.

It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute
a hazard because of its contribution
to the formation of formaldehyde adducts. PMID: 9714421

[ Extracts ]
"The high label presence in plasma and liver is in agreement with the
carriage of the label from the intestine to the liver via the portal
vein.
The high label levels in kidney and, to a minor extent, in brown
adipose tissue and brain are probably a consequence
of their high blood flows (45).
Even in white adipose tissue, the levels of radioactivity found 6
hours
after oral administration were 1/25th those of liver.
Cornea and retina, both tissues known to metabolize actively
methanol (21,28) showed low levels of retained label.
In any case, the binding of methanol-derived carbon to tissue proteins
was widespread, affecting all systems,
fully reaching even sensitive targets such as the brain and retina....

The amount of label recovered in tissue components was quite high
in all the groups, but especially in the NA rats.
In them, the liver alone retained, for a long time, more than 2 % of
the methanol carbon given in a single oral dose of aspartame,
and the rest of the body stored an additional 2 % or more.
These are indeed extremely high levels for adducts of formaldehyde,
a substance responsible of chronic deleterious effects (33),
that has also been considered carcinogenic (34,47).
The repeated occurrence of claims that aspartame
produces headache and other neurological and psychological
secondary effects --
more often than not challenged by careful analysis --
(5, 9, 10, 15, 48)
may eventually find at least a partial explanation in the permanence
of the formaldehyde label,
since formaldehyde intoxication can induce similar effects (49).

The cumulative effects derived from the incorporation of label in the
chronic administration model suggests that regular intake of
aspartame may result in the progressive accumulation
of formaldehyde adducts.
It may be further speculated that the formation of adducts can help to
explain the chronic effects aspartame consumption may induce on
sensitive tissues such as brain (6, 9, 19, 50).
In any case, the possible negative effects that the accumulation of
formaldehyde adducts can induce is, obviously, long-term.
The alteration of protein integrity and function may needs some time
to induce substantial effects.
The damage to nucleic acids, mainly to DNA,
may eventually induce cell death and/or mutations.
The results presented suggest that the conversion of aspartame
methanol into formaldehyde adducts in significant amounts in vivo
should to be taken into account because of the widespread utilization
of this sweetener.
Further epidemiological and long-term studies are needed to
determine the extent of the hazard that aspartame consumption
poses for humans."

Many scientific studies and case histories report: * headaches
* many body and joint pains (or burning, tingling, tremors, twitching,
spasms, cramps, stiffness, numbness, difficulty swallowing)
* fever, fatigue, swollen glands * "mind fog", "feel unreal",
poor memory, confusion, anxiety, irritability, depression, mania,
insomnia, dizziness, slurred speech, sexual problems,
poor vision, hearing (deafness, tinnitus), or taste
* red face, itching, rashes, allergic dermatitis, hair loss,
burning eyes or throat, dry eyes or mouth, mouth sores,
burning tongue * obesity, bloating, edema, anorexia,
poor appetite or excessive hunger or thirst
* breathing problems, shortness of breath
* nausea, diarrhea or constipation * coldness * sweating
* racing heart, low or high blood pressure, erratic blood sugar levels
* hypothryroidism or hyperthyroidism * seizures * birth defects
* brain cancers * addiction * aggrivates diabetes, autism, allergies,
lupus, ADHD, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome,
multiple chemical sensitivity, multiple sclerosis, pseudotumor cerebri
and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/870
Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Interest 1984: Monte:
Murray 2002.09.23 rmforall

Dr. Woodrow C. Monte Aspartame: methanol, and the public health.
Journal of Applied Nutrition 1984; 36 (1): 42-54.
(62 references) Professsor of Food Science [retired 1992]
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287
woodymonte@xtra.co.nz; woodymonte@canyoncountry.net;
The methanol from 2 L of diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/can, is
112 mg, 10% of the aspartame.
The EPA limit for water is 7.8 mg daily for methanol (wood alcohol),
a deadly cumulative poison.
Many users drink 1-2 L daily.
The reported symptoms are entirely consistent with chronic methanol
toxicity. (Fresh orange juice has 34 mg/L, but, like all juices, has
16
times more ethanol, which strongly protects against methanol.)

"The greater toxicity of methanol to man is deeply rooted in the
limited biochemical pathways available to humans for detoxification.
The loss of uricase (EC 1.7.3.3.),
formyl-tetrahydrofolate synthetase (EC 6.3.4.3.) (42)
and other enzymes (18) during evolution sets man apart from all
laboratory animals including the monkey (42).

There is no generally accepted animal model
for methanol toxicity (42, 59).

Humans suffer "toxic syndrome" (54) at a minimum lethal dose
of <1 gm/kg, much less than that of monkeys, 3-6 g/kg (42, 59).

The minimum lethal dose of methanol
in the rat, rabbit, and dog is 9.5, 7.0 , and 8.0 g/kg, respectively
(43);
ethyl alcohol is more toxic than methanol to these test animals (43)."

Recent research [see links at end of post] supports his focus on the
methanol to formaldehyde toxic process:

"The United States Environmental Protection Agency in their
Multimedia Environmental Goals for Environmental Assessment
recommends a minimum acute toxicity concentration
of methanol in drinking water at 3.9 parts per million,
with a recommended limit of consumption below 7.8 mg/day (8).

This report clearly indicates that methanol:

"...is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion
once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde
and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." (8)...

Recently the toxic role of formaldehyde (in methanol toxicity) has
been
questioned (34).
No skeptic can overlook the fact that, metabolically, formaldehyde
must be formed as an intermediate to formic acid production (54).

Formaldehyde has a high reactivity which may be why it has not been
found in humans or other primates during methanol poisoning (59)....

If formaldehyde is produced from methanol and does have a
reasonable half life within certain cells in the poisoned organism
he chronic toxicological ramifications could be grave.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (57) producing squanous-cell
carcinomas by inhalation exposure in experimental animals (22).
The available epidemiological studies do not provide adequate data
for assessing the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde in man (22, 24, 57).

However, reaction of formaldehyde with deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) has resulted in irreversible denaturation that could interfere
with DNA replication and result in mutation (37)..."

It is certain that high levels of aspartame use,
above 2 liters daily for months and years,
must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid toxicity.

Fully 11 % of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda, almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg methanol
(wood alcohol). The methanol is immediately released
into the body after drinking .
Within hours, the liver turns much of the methanol into formaldehyde,
and then much of that into formic acid, both of which in time
are partially eliminated as carbon dioxide and water.

However, about 30 % of the methanol remains in the body
as cumulative durable toxic metabolites of formaldehyde
and formic acid -- 37 mg daily,
a gram every month, accumulating in and affecting every tissue.

If only 10 % of the methanol is retained daily as formaldehyde,
that would give 12 mg daily formaldehyde accumulation -- about
60 times more than the 0.2 mg from 10 % retention
of the 2 mg EPA daily limit for formaldehyde in drinking water.

Bear in mind that the EPA limit for formaldehyde in drinking water is
1 ppm, or 2 mg daily for a typical daily consumption of 2 L of water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999:
Murray 2002.05.30

This long-term low-level chronic toxic exposure leads to typical
patterns of increasingly severe complex symptoms,
starting with headache, fatigue, joint pain, irritability, memory
loss,
rashes, and leading to vision and eye problems, and even seizures.
In many cases there is addiction. Probably there are immune system
disorders, with a hypersensitivity to these toxins and other
chemicals.

J. Nutrition 1973 Oct; 103(10): 1454-1459.
Metabolism of aspartame in monkeys.
Oppermann JA, Muldoon E, Ranney RE.
Dept. of Biochemistry, Searle Laboratories,
Division of G.D. Searle and Co. Box 5110, Chicago, IL 60680
They found that about 70 % of the radioactive methanol in aspartame
put into the stomachs of 3 to 7 kg monkeys
was eliminated within 8 hours, with little additional elimination,
as carbon dioxide in exhaled air and as water in the urine.
They did not mention that this meant that about 30 % of the methanol
must transform into formaldehyde and then into formic acid,
both of which must remain as toxic products in all parts of the body.
They did not report any studies on the distribution of radioactivity
in body tissues, except that blood plasma proteins after 4 days
held 4 % of the initial methanol.
This study did not monitor long-term use of aspartame.

The low oral dose of aspartame and for methanol
was 0.068 mmol/kg, about 1 part per million [ppm]
of the acute toxicity level of 2,000 mg/kg, 67,000
mmol/kg, used by McMartin (1979).
Two L daily use of diet soda provides 123 mg methanol,
2 mg/kg for a 60 kg person, a dose of 67 mmole/kg,
a thousand times more than the dose in this study.
By eight hours excretion of the dose in air and urine had leveled off
at
67.1 +-2.1 % as CO2 in the exhaled air
and 1.57+-0.32 % in the urine, so 68.7 % was excreted,
and 31.3 % was retained.
This data is the average of 4 monkeys.
"...the 14C in the feces was negligible."

"That fraction not so excreted (about 31%) was converted to body
constituents through the one-carbon metabolic pool."
"All radioactivity measurements were counted to +-1 % accuracy..."
This indicates that the results could not be claimed to have a
precision of
a tenth of a percent. OK, so this is a nit-pick -- but I believe
espousing
spurious accuracy is a sign of scientific insecurity.

The abstract ends, "It was concluded that aspartame was digested to
its three constituents that were then absorbed
as natural constituents of the diet.
Thus, the concept is very subtly insinuated that methanol, as a
constituent of aspartame, is absorbed as a natural constituent
of the diet.
Nowhere in this report are mentioned the dread words,
"formaldehyde" and "formic acid".

Of course, methanol and formaldehyde toxicity studies are highly
relevant to the issue of aspartame toxicity.
[ Aspartame has to be turned into its toxic products,
formaldehyde and formic acid, in the body, before it is toxic,
so some pro-aspartame reseach studies test aspartame outside the
body, and then proclaim that they have proved that it is not toxic. ]

http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html 5-page review
Roberts HJ Aspartame (NutraSweet) addiction.
Townsend Letter 2000 Jan; HJRobertsMD@aol.com
http://www.sunsentpress.com/ sunsentpress@aol.com
Sunshine Sentinel Press P.O.Box 17799
West Palm Beach, FL 33416
800-814-9800 561-588-7628 561-547-8008 fax

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/669
1038-page medical text "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic"
published May 30 2001 $ 60.00 postpaid data from 1200 cases
available at http://www.amazon.com
over 600 references from standard medical research

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/790
Moseley: review Roberts "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic":
Murray 2002.02.07 rmforall

Roberts, Hyman J., 1924- ,
Useful insights for diagnosis, treatment and public heath: an updated
anthology of original research, 2002, 798 pages,
aspartame disease, pages 627-685, 778-780

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/859
Roberts: the life work of a brilliant clinician: aspartame toxicity:
Murray 2002.08.02 rmforall

Russell L. Blaylock, MD 601-982-1175 Madison, Mississippi
"Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills", 1977, 298 p., 493 references.
"Health and Nutrition Secrets that can save your life", 2002, 459 p.,
558 + 30 references, $ 30 http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1090
aspartame, MSG, excitotoxins, NMDA glutamate receptors,
multiple sclerosis: Blaylock: Murray 2004.06.09

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/97
Lancet website aspartame letter 1999.07.29:
Excitotoxins 1999 Part 1/3 Blaylock: Murray 2000.01.14
The Medical Sentinel Journal 1999 Fall; (95 references)
http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/935
Comet assay finds DNA damage from sucralose, cyclamate,
saccharin in mice: Sasaki YF & Tsuda S Aug 2002:
Murray 2003.01.01
[ Also borderline evidence, in this pilot study of 39 food additives,
using test groups of 4 mice, for DNA damage from for stomach,
colon, liver, bladder, and lung 3 hr after oral dose of 2000 mg/kg
aspartame -- a very high dose. Methanol is the only component of
aspartame that can lead to DNA damage. ]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/961
genotoxins, Comet assay in mice: Ace-K, stevia fine;
aspartame poor; sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin bad:
Y.F. Sasaki Aug 2002: Murray 2003.01.27
[A detailed look at the data] ]

MSG and Aspartame -- A Personal Story, TV health reporter
Dick Allgire (vegetarian) healed of migraines and panic attacks:
Murray 2008.02.12
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1520

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages
group with 1,080 members, 22,439 posts in a public archive
E. Bryant Holman bryanth@presidiotex.com
Carol Guilford CarolGuilford@sbcglobal.net
http://www.presidiotex.com/aspartame/
aspartame@presidiotex.com
http://www.presidiotex.com/aspartame/Links/links.html

http://www.HolisticMed.com/aspartame mgold@holisticmed.com
Aspartame Toxicity Information Center Mark D. Gold
12 East Side Drive #2-18 Concord, NH 03301 603-225-2100
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/methanol.html
"Scientific Abuse in Aspartame Research"

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids/  excellent group
Gluten Free Casein Free Kids
This list is unmoderated and unrestricted.
The principle aim of this list is to provide a discussion forum for
parents of children on the autism spectrum who are avoiding gluten
and casein and other substances in their children's diets.
9,108 members, 234,968 posts in public archive since Dec. 1998
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids/links

A very detailed, highly credible account of the dubious approval
process for aspartame in July, 1981 is part of the just released
two-hour documentary "Sweet Misery, A Poisoned World:
An Industry Case Study of a Food Supply In Crisis"
by Cori Brackett:  cori@soundandfuryproductions.com
http://www.soundandfuryproductions.com/ 520-624-9710
2301 East Broadway, Suite 111 Tucson, AZ 85719

Mary Nash Stoddard
Toxicology Sourcebook: "Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame"
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline
[since 1987]
P.O. Box 2001 Frisco, Texas 75034 U.S. [ North of Dallas ]
Phone/FAX: 214.387.4001
marystod@airmail.net http://www.aspartamesafety.com
http://www.aspartamesafety.com/en_espanol.htm

http://www.sweetpoison.com/ http://www.issplendasafe.com/
http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html
Dr. Janet Starr Hull, PhD, CN jshull@sweetpoison.com
Splenda®: Is It Safe Or Not?

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ Truth in Labeling Campaign [MSG]
Adrienne Samuels, PhD The toxicity/safety of processed
free glutamic acid (MSG): a study in suppression of information.
Accountability in Research 1999; 6: 259-310. 52-page review
P.O. Box 2532 Darien, Illinois 60561
858-481-9333 adandjack@aol.com

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/ an excellent group
These web pages provide:
independent information about the effects of food on behaviour,
health and learning ability in both children and adults.
support for families using a low-chemical elimination diet free of
additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers
(FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems.
Food Intolerance Network, Sue Dengate sdengate@ozemail.com.au;
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/biodata.htm
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