Ok, let's jump right in here to the aspartame scenario again.
Yesterday I told you that the sugar lobby is laughing all the way to the bank every time there is a big fuss about aspartame or any other artificial sweetener for that matter.
I also told you and remind you that I am not defending aspartame, I am just pointing out the facts.
Speaking of facts, here are a few more for your consideration:
1) Stevia, the darling of the Alternative medicine community and a sweetener I do use more frequently, is the least scientifically tested of all of the sugar substitutes.
Its use and safety are presumed by a long history of use in South America and Japan but very few studies of any kind have been done.
2) The use of artificial sweeteners continues to rise at a very high rate and will continue to do so. This includes aspartame.
It's fine to say; avoid all sweeteners but the American public is just not going to do that.
3) #2 has led to a "sugar shortage" here in the U.S. which has led to, you guessed it; a price increase in sugar.
Can you hear the laughter in the background? I wonder which companies sell both artificial and sugar products.
The last time I checked, using less of something usually leads to a glut and a price drop. But if there is one thing American industry learned from the gas crisis of the 70's and beyond, it's how to manufacture a shortage to ensure profitability no matter what the demand.
Now, finally, here is the part you've been waiting for.
In a new study conducted by the National Toxicology Program no link was found between NutraSweet and cancer.
The reason?
The same ones I pointed out months ago. Poor testing procedures used to draw an erroneous conclusion.
For example: The test animals used have been inbred leading to a very high underlying cancer rate to begin with and were inappropriate test subjects.
In addition, this new study was done more carefully and longer with much higher doses of aspartame than people would be likely to consume unless they were mentally ill.
Result: no link to cancer.
This nation consumes over 8,000 tons (16 million pounds) of aspartame a year. Assuming a 38mg dose per packet and a 5 packet a day use average (this is probably way too high) that means that each pound supplies 13 packets.
13 x 16 million is a whole lot of packets (208 million per year) or about 41 million people a year at a 5 pack a day assumed consumption rate.
Since 1988 there have been 4,000 complaints of neurological or related disturbances. Let's assume that this is underreported by a factor of ten and that there have actually been 40,000 problems but some people just didn't report them.
That is an average of 2,222 people per year having a neurological problem of some undefined nature (numbness, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, MS, etc, etc. as all were considered).
If you use reported data, it is 222 people a year.
That gives any one person about a 0.000054 chance of having a problem assuming that this is actually related to aspartame.
Again, if you use the actual reported number that number is even tinier: 0.00000054
I promise you that either number is infinitesimally smaller than your chance of having a side effect from most over the counter drugs.
It's probably lower than your chance of getting sick at a local restaurant and certainly much lower than your chance of getting diabetes, heart disease or tooth decay from eating too much sugar.
Let's look at a few more claims found on the internet.
1) Aspartame causes cancer.
Well who really knows, right? I mean, no one has done a population-based study on it that I know of and frankly, no matter what it showed, people who believe it's bad already don't care what that study would show.
After all, it's all a conspiracy to kill you by the food industry so you can stop consuming their products and make them rich right.
I hope you see the disconnect.
Now would I believe that there is suppressed information due to money changing hands, authority or personal favors? It’s happened before, hasn't it?
Several times in the past year, apparently.
Bottom line, we don't have any evidence that aspartame causes cancer but in a kind of ‘sea monsteresque’ way (see previous blog posted below "Of Supplements and Sea Monsters"), we don't have any evidence that it doesn't.
Other than the fact that the overall cancer rate is not rising even though 42 million people a year are gobbling NutraSweet like it was nirvana.
We also don't have any evidence that breathing doesn't cause cancer, especially in today's polluted environment.
2) Aspartame makes you fat.
No it doesn't.
Eating too much and lying around makes you fat and eating sugar makes you fatter.
If you stop eating sugar, you'll lose weight I promise you. But we don't have any evidence to say that aspartame helps you get thin either as you can still eat to your hearts content no matter how much aspartame you consume.
3) Aspartame upsets your brain.
There is one article published by a "maverick" doctor that did not get picked up by any medical journal that I know of, that suggests this. That one article is the whole basis for every other article written on the internet.
That maverick MD is now selling fish oil!
What? No antidote for aspartame?
4) There is formaldehyde in aspartame and that is what caused Gulf War syndrome.
The amount of formic acid (the forerunner of formaldehyde) in one pack of NutraSweet is about 1/40 the amount in a steak.
You do the math.
By now there are many people scribbling me an "I know my body" email.
I will get several "I was cured when I stopped NutraSweet" emails.
By all means, if you feel poorly on NutraSweet, avoid it.
But don't stop looking for the cause of your problems if you are chronically ill.
Many illnesses attributed to aspartame like MS and chronic fatigue have no known cause and are waxing and waning by nature. Many may only ever cause one episode and then disappear, hopefully for good.
When I started this rant I told you I didn't give a crap about NutraSweet. If they took it off the market because it was unsafe tomorrow I would not put flowers on its grave.
I would, however, write to you and tell you I was very wrong if there were any real evidence.
As a matter of fact I will film myself drinking my own urine and post it on the internet if there is ever any real solid evidence of the disease claims and aspartame in average human consumption doses.
What we have is lots of people who feel that getting it out of their lives was a very good thing and made them healthier. To quote a friend of mine, "No matter what the studies say, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the stuff must be bad for you!"
Well I am no rocket scientist but I agree, if you feel better off it, stay off it.
So why did I bother to write this?
It's my job to tell you the facts no matter how unpopular. And I do so love to kick sand in the face of some of the big wigs in the Alternative medicine field, especially when they gave up taking a stand on things a long time ago and just parrot back what you already expect them to say.
And I honestly believe that sugar is the real danger to us and that sugar can hide behind the controversy of aspartame and slide under the radar.
I think the gurus who fall for this and command such wide audiences are doing a big disservice to the American Public by not focusing on sugar's dangers.
I also think they are playing right into the hands of a very big business named sugar.
My final words; Get as much sugar out of your life as you can and I am 1,000% sure you feel better and be healthier.
For more on the damages sugar can cause go to:
Beating the Sugar Rap
Wimpy, Blimpy, Blind and Weak
Dr Dave saves coke fiends life
Oh yeah, while I am at it, sunscreens don't cause cancer, you can't alkalinize your body, chronic yeast is a myth for most people (if you really have it, get on Immune Boost and Instant Endurance to activate your T cells) and eating enough fish to get the amount of fish oil you need for superior health will dump pollutants into your body.
All the best from the King of controversy Dr Dave
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