Diesen Thread bitte für Nachrichten zum Thema Schädlichkeit von Zucker und künstlichen Süsstoffen freihalten.
Danke!  

http://www.swr.de/odysso/-/id=1046894/nid=1046894/...thr3n/index.html

SWR Fernsehen: Sendung am Donnerstag, 13.12.2007, 22.00 bis 22.30 Uhr

Die großen Lebensmittelkonzerne kennzeichnen ihre Produkte neuerdings mit ausführlichen Nährstoffangaben. Schon auf der Vorderseite der Packung erfährt der Kunde vermeintlich, wie viel Fett oder Zucker eine Portion des jeweiligen Produktes hat. Doch die Angaben führen in die Irre:

So ist zum Beispiel von Kohlenhydraten, Fruktose oder Glukose die Rede. Dass es sich schlicht um Zucker handelt, wird verschwiegen. Eine Flasche Schokomilch kann umgerechnet sechzehn Stück Zucker enthalten, 100 Gramm eines Müsli-Riegels sogar bis zu fünfundzwanzig Stück. Das sind Werte, die den wenigsten Konsumenten klar sein dürften. Odysso zeigt, wie uns die Lebensmittelindustrie mit billigem Zucker mästet.  

Reif für die Anwendung: Stevia-Süßstoff sucht nach Investoren

Diese Pflanze könnte den europäischen Süßstoff-Markt revolutionieren: Stevia rebaudiana liefert Steviosid, einen natürlichen, beinahe kalorienfreien Stoff, der zwei- bis dreihundertmal süßer ist als Zucker. Hohenheimer Wissenschaftler haben das Know-how zum Anbau und eine innovative Extraktionsmethode. Auf einer Fachveranstaltung an der Uni Hohenheim warben Forscher und Wirtschaftsförderer vor Industrievertretern für eine gemeinsame Strategie in Richtung Zulassung und Markteinführung.

Stevia rebaudianaStevia liefert in Südamerika schon seit Jahrhunderten die Süße für Speisen und Getränke, die genaue Ursprungsregion ist das Dreiländereck Paraguay, Brasilien, Argentinien. Von dort aus trat die Staude ihren Siegeszug nach Asien und in die USA an, wo Steviosid als diätisches Nahrungsergänzungsmittel auf dem Markt ist.

Stevia verspricht Geschmack ohne Reue, denn der Genuss der natürlichen Süße ist nicht mit Gewichtszunahme verbunden: Ein Gramm Steviosid enthält nur 0,21 Kilokalorien. Das macht den Stoff interessant für die Diabetes-Prophylaxe, außerdem kann er von Diabetes-Patienten als Zuckerersatzstoff verwendet werden.

Höchste Zeit also, den erfolgreichen Süßstoff auch auf den EU-Markt zu bringen. Tatsächlich stehen asiatische und amerikanische Firmen schon bereit, um nach der europäischen Zulassung den hiesigen Markt zu beliefern. EU-Zulassung angestrebt  "Warum behaupten wir uns nicht selbst auf diesem Markt", fragte folgerichtig Dr. Walter Rogg, Geschäftsführer der WRS (Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart) in seiner Begrüßungsrede zur Hohenheimer Info-Veranstaltung. Der Haken an der Sache: Lebensmittel, mit deren Anbau und Verwendung in Europa keine traditionelle Erfahrung besteht, müssen als "Novel Food" eine strenge Zulassungsprozedur durchlaufen, bevor sie in der EU gehandelt werden dürfen. Das gilt selbst dann, wenn wie im Fall von Stevia aus anderen Ländern entsprechende Erfahrungen vorliegen - aktuell gibt es weltweit mehr als 200 Toxizitätsstudien ohne Berichte über Nebenwirkungen.

Aber nichtsdestotrotz, Europa bietet seinen Verbrauchern ein Höchstmaß an Lebensmittel-Sicherheit und setzt die Zulassungshürden entsprechend hoch. 1999 wurde ein erster Zulassungsantrag für Stevia abgelehnt, da nicht genügend toxikologische Daten vorlagen, die eine Unbedenklichkeit zweifelsfrei bescheinigen. Deshalb fallen nun weitere aufwändige Tests an, die finanziert werden müssen. Süß und gesund  Hohenheimer Stevia-Experte Dr. Udo KienlePrädikat gesundheitlich wertvoll: Der engagierte Hohenheimer Stevia-Experte Dr. Udo Kienle hob die zahlreichen positiven Eigenschaften von Stevia hervor, die den Genuss zusätzlich versüßen. So zeigen Studien, dass Stevia-Produkte bei Hochdruckpatienten den Blutdruck senken, während sie auf gesunde Personen keinen Einfluss haben. Außerdem scheint Stevia einen positiven Einfluss bei Diabetes- mellitus-Typ-2-Patienten zu haben - endgültige klinische Studien stehen aber noch aus. Stevia wirkt außerdem stark antioxidativ und hemmt Karies sowie Parodontose. Technologien stehen bereit  "Technisch gesehen ist Stevia reif für die Markteinführung", so Prof. Dr. Jungbluth, Direktor des Instituts für Agrartechnik an der Uni Hohenheim. In einem mehrjährigen EU-Projekt unter Hohenheimer Leitung wurde der Stevia-Anbau unter südeuropäischen Bedingungen optimiert, es wurden Maßnahmen zur mechanischen Unkrautbekämpfung entwickelt und eine spezielle Vollernte-Maschine.

"Auf chemische Spritzmittel kann völlig verzichtet werden, und die Pflanze ist so widerstandsfähig, dass Pilze und Insekten keinen wirtschaftlichen Schaden anrichten", sagt Kienle und ergänzt, dass in und für Hohenheim keine gentechnisch veränderten Stevia-Pflanzen angebaut oder benutzt werden. Prof. Dr. Thomas JungbluthWeltweit sind verschiedene Methoden im Einsatz, um den Süßstoff zu extrahieren. Dabei kommen sowohl in Asien als auch in Brasilien toxische Alkohole zum Einsatz. Kienle verzichtet völlig darauf und hat ein rein physikalisches Extraktions-Verfahren auf Wasserbasis entwickelt. Das Hohenheimer Verfahren bietet auch den großen Vorteil, dass dem Süßstoff der in Europa unerwünschte Lakritzgeschmack ausgetrieben wird. Kienle liefert einen geschmacklich überzeugenden Süßstoff, der dem normalen Zuckergeschmack sehr nahe kommt.

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kroyer, Kienles Netzwerkpartner von der TU Wien, untersucht die Stabilität des Süßstoffes in Verbindung mit anderen Nahrungsbestandteilen wie Vitaminen (die durch Steviosid sogar geschützt werden) und Säuren. Bis jetzt wurden keine störenden Wechselwirkungen festgestellt. Wenn sich diese Ergebnisse auf breiter Basis bestätigen, kann der Stoff überall eingesetzt werden, wo Süße gefragt ist - von Backwaren, Desserts und Süßigkeiten über Saucen, Obst- und Gemüsekonserven bis zu Getränken. Gunst der Stunde nutzen!  Die Chancen für den Stevia-Anbau in den geeigneten südeuropäischen Regionen (Griechenland, Italien, Spanien, Portugal) stehen zurzeit besonders günstig. Stevia eignet sich hervorragend, um dort den nur noch bis 2010 von der EU subventionierten Tabakanbau zu ersetzen. "Stevia kann das Nettobetriebseinkommen von Tabakbauern um bis zu 400 Prozent verbessern und zwar ohne Subvention", bekräftigt Prof. Dr. Thomas Jungbluth. Was ist zu tun?  Im Namen der Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS) appellierte Gisela Bopp bei der Hohenheimer Veranstaltung an die Industrie, in Kooperation mit der Uni Hohenheim die Zulassung voranzutreiben und gleichzeitig die eigene Produktion für Stevia fit zu machen. Denn jetzt müssen die Weichen gestellt werden, damit nicht außereuropäische Unternehmen in ein paar Jahren das Feld dominieren. Konkret heißt das für die Lebensmittelindustrie, dass sie in die Produktentwicklung investieren muss. Die richtigen Dosierungen und Zusammensetzungen sind zu finden und es müssen geeignete Produktionsverfahren her.

Zur finanziellen Unterstützung ist eine Stiftung angedacht, an der sich Unternehmen, Organisationen, aber auch engagierte Privatpersonen beteiligen können. Sie soll es möglich machen, dass die Toxizitätstests zügig durchgeführt werden, um die Zulassung zu forcieren und dann mit EU-eigener Unternehmenskraft den Markt zu erobern.

leh Weitere Informationen...

...zur Forschung:
Universität Hohenheim
Institut für Agrartechnik
Dr. Udo Kienle
Garbenstr. 9
70599 Stuttgart (Hohenheim)
Telefon: 0711 459-2845
Fax: 0711 459-2519
E-Mail: u-kienle@uni-hohenheim.de


...zur industriellen Nutzung:
WRS - Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH
Gisela Bopp
Friedrichstr. 10
70174 Stuttgart
Telefon: 0711 3275-8786
Fax: 0711 3275-9965
E-Mail: gisela.bopp@bopp-konzepte.de

 

http://www.newstarget.com/022504.html

A Review of Sugar Shock by Connie Bennett
by Patty Donovan

(NewsTarget) SUGAR SHOCK! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life, written by journalist Connie Bennett with Stephen Sinatra MD, is not just another low-carb diet book. In the book, Ms. Bennett explains the addictive nature of sugar and discusses the profound effects this can have on your health. She uses sometimes humorous, sometimes scary anecdotes of how sugar affected her own life to get the point across, but follows these up with scientific explanations that most lay people can understand and quotes from numerous scientists, doctors and other experts. To a person hearing about the evils of sugar for the first time, SUGAR SHOCK! can be frightening but is a real eye-opener. It should make anyone think twice before grabbing that cup of fancy coffee loaded with sugar or the early-afternoon candy bar and soda for a so-called "pick me up".

A self described "sugar-shrew", Ms. Bennett tells you what her life was like with sugar and about the revelations which led her to kick the sugar habit. A journalist by trade, Connie Bennett began investigating sugar after being diagnosed with "reactive hypoglycemia," or low blood sugar, a condition in which the blood sugar rises rapidly after ingestion of simple sugars, then plummets just as rapidly a short time later. In the first chapter, Ms Bennett is able to tie a huge number of seemingly unrelated symptoms to what she has termed "SUGAR SHOCK". She lists 44 debilitating emotional and physical effects of sugar ranging from mood swings and temper tantrums to thoughts of suicide. She also includes such physical symptoms as heart palpitations, fatigue, loss of coordination and fainting. I think the list is something everyone should read and remember. Ms. Bennett describes herself as a "crabby, cantankerous shrew" who had spent years alienating herself from family and friends. She was able to "cure" all 44 symptoms simply by eliminating sugars and refined carbohydrates from her diet.

SUGAR SHOCK! successfully ties in the increase in obesity and Type 2 diabetes to the increased intake of refined carbohydrates. She talks about all refined sugars, not just sucrose and makes a good case against high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which may be the most harmful of all sugars. SUGAR SHOCK! even explores the effect of sugar and refined carbohydrates on aging. One interesting connection made in this book is that farm subsidies have kept the price of a few commodities, especially corn and soybeans, artificially low while prices for high quality fruits and vegetables have steadily increased. This has led to a surge in products that are extremely cheap to produce, most notably, foods and drinks sweetened with HFCS. These products contribute nothing but harmful elements to our diet yet provide manufacturers with their greatest profits.

Are all carbohydrates evil? SUGAR SHOCK! can be alarming to a person coming across this information for the first time. Although the hazards of refined carbohydrates are very well stated and explored, I don't think enough emphasis is put on healthy carbohydrates and their function in the diet. Yes, she mentions whole grains etc, but the overall tone of the book is that carbohydrates are evil. Ms. Bennett's points about "good" carbs, which are essential to good health, tend to get lost in the midst of the sugar blasting. I don't want you to think that Ms. Bennett advocates cutting out all carbs, because she most certainly does not and she does give appropriate information about which carbohydrates you should switch to. I'm just afraid, that to a first time reader, these points may be lost. Possibly an entire chapter dedicated to only healthy carbs would be helpful. I also found the book a little disjointed. Ms. Bennett would start to talk about something, then say "more on this in Chapter...". Again, for the first time reader and especially for somebody being exposed to this information for the first time, it can be a little disconcerting. I would also like to have seen a recipe section included. Maybe Ms. Bennett will follow up with a cookbook incorporating the principles in Sugar Shock!.

Ms. Bennett concludes the book with a section for parents, a question and answer section on how to get off sugar, her own success strategies and an afterword with stories showing "signs of promise". In a world in which we are constantly bombarded with sugar-filled foods and drinks, this book serves as a great reminder that these foods should NOT form the basis of our diet. Next time you have a craving for a soda or candy bar, read SUGAR SHOCK! and pass it on to your friends and family. If you are new to this information, after reading it the first time, go back and read it again. The book contains lots of wonderful information not just on sugar, but on trans-fats, artificial sweeteners and other harmful elements of most peoples' diets. Some of this information may get overlooked during the first reading but is information you should really know. Bottom line, I would say that SUGAR SHOCK! is a must read for consumers of the Standard American Diet (SAD).

About the author
Patty is a recent convert to health through "whole foods" nutrition and alternative medicine. In April 2007, she was told to go back on morphine, get in a wheelchair and "learn to live with it". Since that time, she has spent countless hours researching nutrtion and alternative health. She comes to News Target with a unique perspective in this area after working in pharmacy and teaching pharmacology for 15 years, followed by 15 years as an RN. In less than 6 months of following this lifestyle, she has lost 50lbs, stopped over 20 prescription drugs and no longer has several "diseases".  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyOXhbZ7b80

An interview between Cori Brackett (creator of the film Sweet Remedy) and Lane Shore, a consumer whose wife is suffering from the harmful health effects of aspartame (Nutrasweet). From http://www.SweetRemedy.tv  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwK50cQpZig&feature=related

YouTube - Interview with Aspartamekills.com Webmaster Jon Baum
Interview done in preparation of the movie Sweet Remedy by Sound and Fury Produtions done at the Weston Price Conference in Arlington, VA in September of 2004

http://aspartamekills.com/
ASPARTAME CONSUMPTION IS NEVER SAFE  

Diabetes costs nation more than wars, disasters, study says

USA TODAY - 01-24-08

Uncontrolled diabetes wreaks havoc on the body, often leading to kidney failure, blindness and death. A new study shows that the nation's unchecked diabetes epidemic exacts a heavy financial toll as well: $174 billion a year.

That's about as much as the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the global war on terrorism combined. It's more than the $150 billion in damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The incidence of diabetes has ballooned -- there are 1 million new cases a year -- as more Americans become overweight or obese, according to the study, released Wednesday by the American Diabetes Association. The cost of diabetes -- both in direct medical care and lost productivity -- has swelled 32% since 2002, the report shows.

Diabetes killed more than 284,000 Americans last year, according to the diabetes association.

Diabetes costs the nation nearly as much as cancer, whose costs in 2006 totaled $206.3 billion, although cancer kills twice as many people, according to the American Cancer Society.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...d-to-heart-disease.aspx

Eating two or more servings a day of red meat increases your risk of metabolic syndrome by 25 percent, compared to those who have two servings of red meat each week, a new study found.

Drinking diet soda also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around your waist, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, all of which can raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The researchers examined the diets of over 9,500 people between the ages of 45 and 64. They were categorized into two groups: a “western-pattern diet” that included processed meat, fried foods and red meat, or a “prudent-pattern diet” that included more fruits and vegetables, poultry and fish.

They concluded that lots of meat, fried foods and diet soda increase your risk of heart disease.
Sources:

   * Reuters January 22, 2008

   * Circulation February 2008;117:754-761

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/022785.html

Diet Sweeteners Can Make You Sick and Fat

(NaturalNews) If you are among those calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas or other diet products, you may actually ruin your health and become fat, according to several new studies.

A Purdue University study published 10 February 2008 in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

During an interview, ABC News' medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard stated that "there is something about diet foods that changes your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry." Savard said another recent study, which included more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed one diet drink a day could increase their risk of health problems and metabolic disorders by a whooping 30 to 40 percent.

The Purdue study showed there is a direct connection between the taste of food and calorie consumption. The rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners appeared to overeat and become fat more quickly.

"The taste buds taste sweet, but there's no calorie load that comes with it. There's a mismatch here. It seems it changes your brain chemistry in some way," Savard said. "Anything you put in your mouth, your body has a strong reaction to it. It's much more than counting calories. It seems normally with sweet foods that we rev up our metabolism."

Today 59 percent of Americans consume diet soft drinks, making them the second-most-popular low-calorie, sugar-free products in the nation, according to a consumer survey from the Calorie Control Council, a nonprofit association that represents the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry. If you add to that all the thousands of available diet foods that also contain artificial sweeteners, it is no surprise that over 60 percent of the American population suffer from metabolic disorders and are overweight or obese. Weight gain increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The following excerpt is taken from the author's book: "Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation":

Why Sweeteners Make You Fat

A major American controlled study on 80,000 women showed that those who regularly use artificial sweeteners put on more weight per year than those who do not use them. What is even more surprising is the finding that, with the widespread use of sweeteners, the consumption of ordinary sugar and sugary foods has increased, too. In other words, the more artificial sweeteners you consume, the more food urges you have, thereby fulfilling their patent as an "appetite enhancement".

There is overwhelming proof that these food poisons are making us fat. Research conducted at Purdue University shows that a group of test subjects fed artificial sweeteners subsequently consumed three times the calories of those given regular sugar. According to the study, it is far less fattening to eat sugar than artificial sweeteners, although eating this much regular sugar isn't good for anyone either.

Most mainstream doctors recommend that their overweight patients consume diet soda, Sweet-N-Low, etc. for weight loss, but in actual fact their advice causes the patients to crave calories and binge on unhealthy carbohydrates. The obesity epidemic is spreading like wildfire ever since diet foods and beverages gained popularity. The following explanation resolves this mystery.

The body has a self-regulating mechanism, a kind of thermostat that measures the amount of energy (or calories) it can obtain from a particular meal. When your body has received enough energy from the food you have eaten, then your mouth, stomach, intestines, and liver send messages to the brain that all energy requirements have been met. Subsequently, your nervous system secretes hormones that stop your desire for more food. This point of saturation is essential for your wellbeing, for without it you would continuously want to eat and never feel satisfied. If, for instance, during one particular meal, you eat foods that contain only very little energy or at least not enough to fulfill your energy requirements, then your body will tempt you to eat more during the next meal. This way, the body makes up for the loss of energy during the previous meal. The same happens when your digestive ability is low and you are not deriving sufficient energy from the food you eat.

On the other hand, when you eat food during one meal that has a higher content of calories than your body really requires at this moment, it will signal for less energy during the next meal. Your body will strive to keep your individual "set point" or energy distribution point as balanced and normal as possible. Whenever you deprive yourself of eating enough and are unable to meet the energy needs of your body, you will look for more food the next day, the day after, and so on. This leads to chronic overeating which packs plenty of low-energy food into your intestinal tract. Since your body is incapable of digesting and absorbing low-energy food properly, it turns this food into fat and waste, and clogs up your lymphatic, digestive, and circulatory systems.

This is the time when your body signals "famine." You start craving foods, particularly refined carbohydrates such as ordinary sugar, chocolate, sweet beverages, coffee, etc., which all give you an instant boost of energy. But they also contain only "empty" energy and just raise the sugar level in your blood for a short time. After a while the sugar levels drops below normal, which may cause depression, moodiness and exhaustion.

If you are overweight and believe that you can reduce weight by restricting your daily intake of calories, you will be very disappointed. Within a few days, your body will run out of energy and want to eat, hence the increased appetite or craving. If you still don't eat enough, you will fall into a depression, which may cause you to binge on food ravenously. Your body thinks that periodic famines are going on and tries to convert some of the food into fat deposits to prepare for the next one. After each "voluntary famine" or "weight reducing" diet, your body will put on weight much faster than it did before. This is known as the yo-yo effect.

Under normal circumstances, the body converts calories into heat, which then simply evaporates. Well-circulated brown fat tissue, which is located near the large arteries and in the underarms, is the main source of this energy. New research suggests that in some obese people this mechanism may be disturbed and that the best dietary rules would be of no avail. Abusing the body's digestive system through frequent strict dieting may be the main cause of this problem.

Because artificial sweeteners are low-energy foods and non-physiological, the body deals with them in the same way as described above. It recognizes their complete absence of potential energy and signals "low energy." As a result, it stimulates the desire for more food. This principle is a well-known and commonly applied practice, both in the food industry and in animal feeding. Animal feeds contain highly concentrated saccharin to stimulate the animal's appetite so that they eat more frequently and grow fat faster. The same mechanism applies to the human body, including children.

Children eating diet foods in lieu of the full-calorie versions may lead to overeating and obesity when they grow up, according to a 2007 report from the University of Alberta, Canada. Lead researcher Professor David Pierce stated, "Based on what we've learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals."

Deceiving the Body

For both humans and animals, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and other sweeteners belong to the category of "sweet" food. The sweetness of natural foods is caused by sugar. Because sugar can move straight through the stomach walls, it will appear in the bloodstream within 3-5 minutes. However, the body has to keep the blood sugar level in check since too little or too much sugar can be dangerous. The body regulates sugar levels automatically through simple reflex mechanisms. When sugar touches the taste buds for the sweet taste on the tongue, the pancreas is given the instruction to secrete insulin, which is required to make it (the sugar) available to the cells.

If you eat artificial sweeteners, the body naturally responds to their sweet taste by secreting insulin. Rather than receiving sugar in the blood as expected, however, it receives a combination of protein compounds. Doing its normal job, the pancreas has already prepared a portion of insulin that now floats about in the bloodstream searching for the expected sugar. Since it isn't found there, the insulin removes some of the blood sugar instead. This effectively lowers your sugar levels. However, since this situation can be life-endangering, your body quickly signals "hunger" which becomes a sudden, strong "craving." Since foods with artificial sweeteners are not able to meet the demand for an increase in blood sugar, you begin to look for sugary foods.

Instead of saving the calories that are contained in ordinary sugar, you have artificially increased your need and appetite for more sweet food. If you try to satisfy this desire by eating more foods containing artificial sweeteners (without calories), the urge to eat will become even stronger than before and you will start overeating. Researchers have found that the urge to eat more food after ingesting artificial sweeteners in a drink can last up to 90 minutes, even when all blood tests show normal values.

A more serious situation arises when the body is given artificial sweeteners on an ongoing basis. Since the sweeteners repeatedly stimulate the taste buds responsible for detecting sugar, the brain maintains an almost continuous urge to eat. At the same time, the liver is instructed by the brain to store sugar supplies rather than to release them, which causes chronic fatigue. The pancreas, which had wrongly assumed that real sugar was entering the bloodstream, eventually realizes that it has been cheated. Hence it reduces its secretion of insulin. One might think that this solves the problem but the body reacts with depression.

Sweeteners Cause Obesity, Depression, Brain Damage

Sugar is known to "improve" moods for relatively short periods of time. With the help of insulin, sugar increases the secretion of Serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter of happiness. If insulin secretion fails to occur, happiness remains low. The only way to get out of this situation, it seems, is to eat sugar so that the body can secrete insulin again.

You may believe that the fewer calories you eat, the more weight you will lose. But food manufactures know that the more artificially sweetened foods and beverages you consume, the more you will want their normal sugar-containing foods and beverages as well. Diet foods and diet beverages have not only contributed to a massive increase in sugar consumption and obesity but also led to an epidemic of depression. I have seen numerous depressed people over the years, a large percentage of whom regularly used artificial sweeteners. By cutting out diet foods and "light" products, they have returned to their normal moods, and they have lost excess weight, too.

Apart from causing obesity and depression, sweeteners have been linked to insomnia, headaches, giddiness, loss of memory, nausea, pre-menstrual syndrome, panic attacks, epileptic fits, and even overstimulation of breast glands leading to breast cancer. Aspartame in particular may cause extensive damage to the central nervous system. Once it has entered the intestinal tract, aspartame is converted into two highly excitatory neurotransmitter amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as well as into methyl alcohol (wood-grain alcohol) and formaldehyde (embalming fluid).

Wood alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances that result from eating artificial sweeteners. It may directly enter the bloodstream and move through the brain barrier into the central nervous system where it can influence the neurotransmitters, alter brain function, and cause brain damage. Wood alcohol can cause blindness and formaldehyde can cause cancer. In some cases aspartame may suppress appetite and "kill" AGNI, the digestive fire, altogether. Both can lead to quick, excessive weight gain. According to Consumer Reports, aspartame has a shelf life of between two and three months. After that it begins to break down and pose an increasing danger to the consumer. The same occurs when aspartame or an aspartame-containing food is heated.

Aspartame accounts for more than 75 percent of the total adverse reactions to food reported to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. Hundreds of airline pilots have reported symptoms of memory loss and confusion, headaches, seizures, visual disturbances and gastrointestinal reactions as a result of consuming sweeteners. If pregnant women consume large quantities of diet sodas to avoid weight gain, their placenta may accumulate methyl alcohol, causing mental retardation in the fetus. They also risk maternal malnutrition because of the gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea associated with sweeteners.

Other sweeteners besides aspartame have similar effects. Added to soft drinks, they are now even linked with testicular damage and other key areas of the body. Stimulating the brain of a child with these "pleasure-enhancing" chemicals in beverages will, in some cases, program their senses to look for and use stronger addictive substances such as hard drugs or large amounts of alcohol later in life. The latest sweetener, acesulfame K, may also be carcinogenic, i.e., cause cancer, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal in 1996. To avoid serious health problems, it is best to stick to foods and beverages that come from purely natural sources.

A sugar called tagatose is one of the next sweeteners that will be appearing on products labeled under the pseudo-hygienic appellations of "Light", "Lite", "Low Calorie", "Sugar Free", "Sugarless", "Low Fat", or "Low Sodium," etc. Hyperuricemia is an unhealthy and unacceptable result from ingesting tagatose. Some researchers believe hyperuricemia is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease, and it has been associated with lipid abnormalities, hypertension, stroke, and preeclampsia. It is an especially hazardous effect with regards to diabetes because hyperuricemia is damaging to the pancreas as well as possibly causing major harm to other organs and systems in the body. Having too much uric acid in the blood predisposes you to developing gout, a painful joint condition.

If you wish to protect yourself and your family from the dreadful consequences of universal deceit and actually benefit from the foods you eat, start with fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. And be sure to prepare your foods from scratch.

For more information on this subject and hundreds of other life-saving topics, see Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation by Andreas Moritz, available through (www.ener-chi.com) , (www.amazon.com) , or other booksellers.

About the author
Andreas Moritz is a medical intuitive; a practitioner of Ayurveda, iridology, shiatsu, and vibrational medicine; a writer; and an artist. He is the author of The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation, Lifting the Veil of Duality, Cancer Is Not a Disease, It's Time to Come Alive, Heart Disease No More, Diabetes No More, Simple Steps to Total Health, Diabetes -- No More, Ending the AIDS Myth and Heal Yourself with Sunlight. For more information, visit the author's website (www.ener-chi.com).  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...ent-with-aspartame.aspx

A picture is worth a thousand words -- see the effects of this deadly neurotoxin for yourself!  

http://www.naturalnews.com/022813.html

Aloha Aspartame? Unfortunately, Not Yet
by Jennifer McKinley (see all articles by this author)


(NaturalNews) Walking down the isles of your local supermarket, it is difficult to pick up any one item that does not contain aspartame. Without actually reading the ingredient list, consumers are led to believe that labels touting, "No Sugar Added", "Low Sugar", or "Sugar-Free" are actually healthy no sugar alternatives, when in truth; most items that carry such labels contain chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose that are far from "healthy".

Consumption of aspartame can be linked to arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, insomnia, headaches/migraines, dizziness, and loss of vision just to name a few.

Now, one state has joined in the fight to have one of these chemicals removed from the food supply. Hawaii is making strides toward legislation that would ban aspartame from the food on Hawaiian store shelves. They are the second state to craft legislation geared toward aspartame removal.

In 2006, New Mexico attempted legislation that would have effectively put a halt to what some have labeled, "Rumsfeld's Disease", named appropriately after aspartame's chief champion in the 1970's, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The lobbyists and corporations went to testify and according to Stephen Fox, who petitioned to push the bill into legislation, Richard Minzner, former Majority Leader in the House, told the Committee that it was, "irresponsible and illegal to even think about challenging an FDA approved chemical." Stephen reported that not one committee member objected to this statement. They simply sat listening as they ate their ham sandwiches and downed cans of diet soda.

Hawaii took up the gauntlet in late January to try their hand at a ban on the toxic substance. Today, that bill was killed in Committee for the entire 2008 session.

It was decided that instead of bringing this Hawaii House bill to a vote, which is what Representative Josh Green, M.D., told his constituents that he would do last week, he has "deferred at the discretion of the Chair". According to Stephen Fox, there is still a bill to be considered by the Senate, but with over 3000 other bills in consideration, the Senate bill to ban aspartame has, "yet to be scheduled for its hearing."

Awareness regarding the dangers of aspartame seems to be increasing even though the FDA, corporations, and some doctors insist on its safety.

Dr. Kalani Brady, a physician at John A. Burns School of Medicine says, "Aspartame has been studied hundreds of times. Nothing has ever been shown to be a detriment with aspartame. It's perfectly safe."

Dr. Brady insists that a ban on aspartame would have an adverse affect on life as we know it. "Oh, we would shut things down, you know. It's very difficult to look into all the products that aspartame is contained in. More than just an inconvenience, it would shut down the economy."

On February 12, 2008, ABC aired a piece with Diane Sawyer regarding new research from Purdue University in the field of aspartame dangers.

Dr. Marie Savard tells us that as little as one diet soda a day can change your metabolism and actually cause you to gain weight. She also reported that consumption of artificial sweeteners can change brain chemistry.

The artificial sweetener industry issued a response in regard to the new research information. The Calorie Control Council rebutted the study saying, "Previous studies in humans have shown that low calorie sweeteners are indeed beneficial for weight control."

Dr. Savard tells us in this interview that there have been "small studies" showing benefits, but two recent large studies involving 18,000 participants that were followed for five to nine years found "healthy adult people consuming as little as one diet drink a day could increase the risk of Metabolic Syndrome, pre-heart disease, and weight gain by 30-40%."

Researchers are not certain if the brain will "reset" once the artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are stopped or at least lessened to less than one a day. They admit that more research is needed.

You can see this interview here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5tpCpqABhM) .

Aspartame is the one substance that receives the most complaints to the FDA and yet it remains on the market. The FDA stopped tabulating complaints on aspartame in 1992 after the tally had reached over 10,000 complaints. According to Dr. Janet Hull, one of the top researchers on the dangers of aspartame, the FDA began to categorize the complaints regarding aspartame into generic categories not related to aspartame, "such as death", for example. "If the death by seizure was reported as a reaction to aspartame, the death was recorded as seizure only and not as an 'aspartame' seizure." says Dr. Hull. Before 1992, when complaints were accepted as directly related to aspartame consumption, between 78% and 85% of all FDA complaints were about aspartame.

What Contains Aspartame?

There are approximately 6000 products on the market that contain aspartame. Some of them include:

* diet sodas

* hot chocolate mix

* lemonade mix

* children's vitamins

* puddings

* yogurt

* chewing gum

* flavored water

* frozen desserts

* gelatins

* "sugar free" items

* "no sugar added" items

* "___% less sugar" items

The FDA seems unwilling, despite ever mounting evidence that this toxic substance is affecting people daily, to reconsider their position regarding its approval. Our own state law makers seem unable or unwilling to protect us further by shelving bills, legislation, and petitions that could potentially save lives by outlawing aspartame. Even some doctors seem more concerned that a ban on aspartame might actually affect the economy adversely, although it seems to be perfectly capable of crashing without the help of a ban on aspartame, than sound science and saving human lives. We can only protect ourselves. For the sake of your and your family's health, check the labels on every item that you put into your grocery cart from vitamins to water to chewing gum.

The last thing you want, is to end up as another ignored complaint on the FDA's website, another ignored name on a petition to law makers, a misdiagnosed complaint in your doctor's office, or another name added to the "unfortunate reaction" list of deaths to this toxic substance.

If you have a complaint regarding aspartame, please visit the FDA’s website at:

((http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders...)

References:

((http://www.government-propaganda.com/as...)

((http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne...)

(http://www.khon2.com/news/local/14447192.html)

(http://www.dorway.com/cdctext.txt)

((http://www.janethull.com/askdrhull/arti...)

About the author
Jennifer McKinley is a wife, mother of five, homeschooler, and business owner. She has spent years researching issues dealing with holistic and natural medicine and how different chemicals in our homes, foods, medications, and environments effect our health and quality of life. Her goal is to promote public awareness and knowledge regarding these issues.  

http://www.naturalnews.com/022836.html
High-fructose corn syrup, high fat diet cause severe liver damage

(NaturalNews) A diet high in fat and in high fructose corn syrup may cause severe liver problems in people with a sedentary lifestyle, according to a study conducted by researchers from Saint Louis University and presented this year at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting in Washington, D.C.

Researchers fed mice a diet that was 40 percent fat and high in high fructose corn syrup for 16 weeks. In contrast to other studies, where mice have been fed a regulated amount, the animals in the study were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. They were kept sedentary and prevented from exercising.

"We wanted to mirror the kind of diet many Americans subsist on, so the high fat content is about the same you'd find in a typical McDonald's meal, and the high fructose corn syrup translates to about eight cans of soda a day in a human diet, which is not far off with what some people consume," said Brent Tetri, M.D., an associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Liver Center.

To the researchers' shock, it took only four weeks for the first signs of serious health problems to emerge.

"We had a feeling we'd see evidence of fatty liver disease by the end of the study," Tetri said. "But we were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance -- the beginning of Type 2 diabetes -- to begin."

According to Tetri, preliminary research suggests that fructose actually suppresses the body's feeling of fullness, whereas foods rich in fiber activate it. This meant that the mice didn't know when to stop eating, even though their diet was exceptionally high in calories.

High fructose corn syrup is a widely used sweetener, particularly in the United States, where corn is cheap and sugar importation is expensive.

"A high-fat and sugar-sweetened diet compounded by a sedentary lifestyle will have severe repercussions for your liver and other vital organs," Tetri warned.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...ur-brain.aspx?source=nl
How Does Aspartame Damage Your Brain? - Articles

Consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, according to a new review by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo.

The review found that high doses of the sweetener may lead to neurodegeneration. It has also previously been found that aspartame consumption can cause neurological and behavioral disturbances in sensitive individuals.

Specifically, the review found a number of direct and indirect changes that occur in your brain as a result of high consumption levels of aspartame, including disturbing:

   * The metabolism of amino acids
   * Protein structure and metabolism
   * The integrity of nucleic acids
   * Neuronal function
   * Endocrine balances

Further, the breakdown of aspartame causes nerves to fire excessively, which can indirectly lead to a high rate of neuron depolarisation.

Despite these growing concerns, neither the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have changed their guidelines regarding the safety of the ingredient or intake advice.
Sources:

   * Food Quality News April 6, 2008

   * European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008, 62, 451–462


The Danger of Vaccines

Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Aspartame is a poison that does not belong in your body, and this is not an exaggeration. Yet, this toxic substance is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6,000 products.

Everything from soda and chewing gum to desserts, yogurt, and even some vitamins and cough drops contain it.

When you drink, say, a can of diet soda sweetened with aspartame, what are you REALLY consuming? Here’s a breakdown of aspartame’s three chemicals: the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and methanol.

1. Aspartic acid (40 percent of aspartame)

Aspartate acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate in your brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into your cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill your cells.

The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate is why Dr. Russell Blaylock refers to them as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate your neural cells to death.

Now, when aspartic acid is consumed, it significantly raises your blood level of aspartate, which leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of your brain, where they slowly begin to destroy neurons.

Your brain cells could be dying right now, but you likely would not notice the symptoms until 75 percent or more are gone. Then, chronic illnesses such as the following, which may by caused by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage, may occur:

   * Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
   * Memory and hearing loss
   * Hormonal problems
   * Epilepsy
   * AIDS
   * Brain lesions
   * Neuroendocrine disorders

2. Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in your brain, however people with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high -- and sometimes lethal -- levels of phenylalanine in your brain. It has been shown, though, that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in your brain even if you do not have PKU.

Even consuming aspartame one time has been found to raise your blood levels of phenylalanine. What’s the risk of this?

Excessive levels of phenylalanine in your brain can cause the levels of serotonin in your brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It can also cause schizophrenia or make you more susceptible to seizures.

3. Methanol (aka wood alcohol) (10 percent of aspartame)

Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison, and the absorption of methanol into your body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested. Well, free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when an aspartame-containing product is improperly stored (in the sun, for instance) or when it is heated, such as part of a "food" product like Jello.

Meanwhile, methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde -- a deadly neurotoxin -- in your body.

Even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states 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."

They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day, but a one-liter aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily -- or 32 times the EPA limit!

The symptoms of methanol poisoning are numerous and varied. They include:

   * Vision problems
   * Headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness
   * Nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances
   * Weakness, numbness and shooting pains in your extremities
   * Behavioral disturbances
   * Memory lapses

Do You STILL Believe Aspartame is Safe?

I could literally go on for days about the many problems plaguing this artificial sweetener; both the dangers it poses to your health and the blatant greed and manipulation that got it on the market.

That is why I spent years researching and writing Sweet Deception. It is the most comprehensive book on the market addressing this issue, and if you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat diet foods, please read it sooner rather than later.

I also highly recommend watching Sweet Misery, which is part documentary, part detective story that sheds much-needed light on the controversy surrounding aspartame.

Folks, aspartame is not your friend. It is actually responsible for 80-85 percent of the food complaints registered with the FDA!

Aside from the damage it can do to your brain, aspartame can cause cancer. One well-controlled, peer-reviewed, SEVEN-year study even found that as little as 20 mg per day can cause cancer in humans.

One 12-ounce diet soda contains about 180 mg of aspartame, so you do the math on that risk!

If you have NutraSweet or Equal packets in your home, I urge you to get rid of them. About the only good use for them I’ve heard about is using them to kill ants in your kitchen.

And if you’re consuming diet foods or drinks of any kind, toss those as well. Your health will be much better off for it.

If you find you’re still having sweet cravings or are having a hard time giving up your diet soda, Turbo Tapping is a simple tool to help you get rid of your soda addiction in a short period of time. And in the case of aspartame, getting it out of your diet can’t come fast enough.  

http://www.naturalnews.com/023128.html
Nutrasweet - the History of this Toxic Chemical and Its Promotion (Part 1)

(NaturalNews) In December of 1965, while James Schlatter, a chemist for G.D. Searle & Company, was working on an anti-ulcer drug candidate he accidentally discovered aspartame. He was recrystallizing aspartame from ethanol when the mixture spilled onto the outside of the flask he was using. Some of the powder landed on his fingers. Schlatter discovered the sweet taste of aspartame when he absent-mindedly licked his finger later. He realized that the sweet taste must have been the aspartame.

The first report of the discovery of the artificial sweetener was in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It stated:

"We wish to report another accidental discovery of an organic compound with a profound sucrose (table sugar) like taste... Preliminary tasting showed this compound to have a potency of 100-200 times sucrose depending on concentration and on what other flavors are present and to be devoid of unpleasant aftertaste."

G.D. Searle has spent the last 40 years aggressively and recklessly promoting their accidental discovery with total disregard to the evidence they have gathered that show how dangerous and toxic this chemical is to human beings.

As early as 1984, studies were performed that clearly indicated the toxicity of Nutrasweet (aspartame) to living organisms. In 1984, the State of Arizona completed studies showing that aspartame in carbonated beverages can break down into free methanol (among other things) in 99°F temperatures. Compare this to human beings' average body temperature and we begin to see a problem.

On May 13, 1998, the University of Barcelona produced a study clearly showing that Aspartame was transformed into formaldehyde in the bodies of the living creatures, and that upon later examination the formaldehyde had spread throughout the vital organs of their bodies.

The chemical breakdown of Aspartame in the human body is as follows:

Methanol, from Aspartame, is released in the small intestine when it meets the enzyme chymotrypsin.

The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde is next converted to formic acid. Formic acid is toxic and is commonly used as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid (90% of Aspartame) are amino acids normally used in the synthesis of protoplasm when supplied by the foods eaten. When unaccompanied by other amino acids, they become neurotoxic.

The FDA has established at least 92 medical/health problems that have symptoms associated with Aspartame. These include abdominal pain, anxiety attacks, Arthritis, Asthma and asthmatic reactions, bloating, edema , blood sugar control problems, brain cancer, breathing difficulties, burning eyes or throat, burning urination, chest pains, chronic cough, chronic fatigue, confusion, death, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, excessive thirst or hunger, flushing of face, hair loss or thinning of hair, headaches/migraines, dizziness, hearing loss, heart palpitations, hives , hypertension, impotency and sexual problems, insomnia, irritability, joint pains, laryngitis, marked personality changes, memory loss, menstrual problems or changes, migraines and severe headaches, muscle spasms, nausea or vomiting, seizures and convulsions, slurring of speech, swallowing pain, tachycardia, tremors, tinnitus, vertigo, vision loss, and weight gain.

Aspartame disease mimics the symptoms and many times worsens the following diseases:

Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Lupus, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease, birth defects, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, and Attention Deficit Disorder.

In September 2004, an affidavit was signed describing the third world studies and the health hazards of aspartame. These studies were conducted in 1983 and 1984 by the G.D. Searle Company and were translated to English from Spanish in 1984. The "double blind" studies showed irrefutable evidence that aspartame caused severe health problems and even death to the study group. According to the affidavit, the doctor directing the studies has not been seen since the approval of aspartame in 1984. The affidavit also describes how the affiant was directed by G.D. Searle officials to destroy all records of the studies (including filed notes and/or translations) possessed by the affiant. The affiant also described how the translations were forwarded to the G.D. Searle corporate offices in Illinois.

These studies were destroyed and kept from the public and from health investigators.  

http://www.naturalnews.com/023175.html
Nutrasweet - A Look at the History of Deception Behind Its Marketing (Part 2)

(NaturalNews) In December of 1965, while James Schlatter, a chemist for G.D. Searle & Company, was working on an anti-ulcer drug candidate he accidentally discovered aspartame. He was recrystallizing aspartame from ethanol when the mixture spilled onto the outside of the flask he was using. Some of the powder landed on his fingers. Schlatter discovered the sweet taste of aspartame when he absent-mindedly licked his finger later. He realized that the sweet taste must have been the aspartame.

G.D. Searle approached Dr. Harry Waisman (Biochemist, Professor of Pediatrics, Director of the University of Wisconsin's Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Laboratory of Mental Retardation Research, and a well-known expert in phenylalanine toxicity) in 1970 to research the effects of aspartame on primates. The study began on January 15, 1970 and ended in late April, 1971. Dr. Waisman died unexpectedly in March, of 1971.

In the study conducted by Dr. Waisman, seven infant monkeys were given aspartame with milk. One died after 300 days. Five others experienced grand mal seizures.

These actual research results were not included in the initial application that G.D. Searle submitted to the FDA. G.D. Searle denied knowledge of or involvement with anything involving this research study. However, falsified results were submitted to the FDA bearing a Searle Pathology-Toxicology project number. Dr. Waisman and G.D. Searle both were responsible for the study design. Several false statements were made by G.D. Searle, including that the animals participating in the study were unavailable for autopsy after the termination of the study.

Neuroscientist John W. Olney discovered that oral intake of glutamate, aspartame and cysteine (all excitotoxic amino acids) cause brain damage in mice. An internal G.D. Searle memorandum discussed the strategy for getting aspartame approved.

In 1971, Ann Reynolds, a researcher who was employed by G.D. Searle, confirmed aspartame's neurotoxicity in infant mice. Searle ignored her discovery.

On July 26, 1974, the FDA approved aspartame for limited use. The limited uses included free-flowing sugar substitute, tablets for sweetening hot beverages, cereals, gum, and dry bases.

In August 1974 (before aspartame could go on the market) Dr. John Olney, James Turner, and Label, Inc. (Legal Action for Buyers' Education and Labeling) filed a formal objection stating that they believed aspartame could cause brain damage, particularly in children.

On August 4, 1976, G.D. Searle representatives met with the FDA and was successful in convincing them to allow G.D. Searle to hire a private agency (University Associated for Education in Pathology (UAREP) and pay them $500,000 to "validate" 12 other studies that Searle had submitted to get aspartame approved by the FDA.

According to Arthur Hull Hayes, the FDA Commissioner during the early 1980s, the UAREP investigation was to "make sure that the studies were actually conducted."

Dr. Kenneth Endicott, Director of UAREP, stated that the FDA had "reasons to suspect" that Searle's tests "were not entirely honest." Because the FDA doubted Searle's honesty, officials wanted UAREP "to determine whether the reports were accurate."

In 1977, Donald Rumsfeld (a former member of the U.S. Congress and the Chief of Staff in the Gerald Ford Administration) was hired as President and CEO of G.D. Searle. Attorney James Turner, Esq. has alleged that G.D. Searle hired Rumsfeld to facilitate the aspartame approval difficulties that they were experiencing.

Rumsfeld's first action was to hire John Robson as Executive Vice President. Robson was a former lawyer with Sidley and Austin (Searle's Law Firm) and had also served as chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board (then connected with the Department of Transportation). Rumsfeld also brought on Robert Shapiro as General Counsel. Shapiro had been Robson's Special Assistant at the Department of Transportation. Rumsfeld's next task was to hire William Greener, Jr., as Chief Spokesman. Greener was a former spokesman in the Gerald Ford White House.

At the time that Rumsfeld became President and CEO he was on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Tribune. Shortly after Rumsfeld became CEO of Searle he wrote an effusively positive article about the NutraSweet Company.

On January 10, 1977, it was recommended to the U.S. Attorney that a grand jury be set up to investigate G.D. Searle for violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, U.S.C. 331(e), and the False Reports to the Government Act, 18 U.S.C. 1001. G.D. Searle and Company and three of its responsible officers were investigated for willful and knowing failure to make reports to the Food and Drug Administration and for hiding pertinent facts and making false statements in reports of the animal studies that were conducted to establish the safety of the drug Aldactone and the food additive Aspartame.

There were two studies where the violations committed by G.D. Searle appeared to be especially grievous. The two studies investigated were the previously mentioned 52-week toxicity study on infant monkeys performed by Dr. Waisman (G.D. Searle withheld important information from the FDA) and a 46-week toxicity study of hamsters (G.D. Searle had taken blood from healthy animals at the 26th week and claimed that the tests had actually been performed at the 38th week). Apparently many of the animals from this study were dead by the 38th week.

On January 26, 1977, G.D. Searle's law firm, Sidley & Austin, requested a meeting with the U.S. Attorney prior to a grand jury convening. A representative of Sidley & Austin who was present at that meeting was Newton Minow (also on the Board of Directors at the Chicago Tribune at that time).

On April 13, 1977, a memo from the U.S. Justice Department urged U.S. Attorney Samuel Skinner to proceed quickly with the grand jury investigations of G.D. Searle. The memo clearly shows that the Statute of limitations on prosecution was going to expire soon (October 10, 1977 for the Waisman study and December 8, 1977 for the other study).

On July 1, 1977, U.S. Attorney Samuel Skinner left his U.S. Attorney position to work for the G.D. Searle law firm of Sidley & Austin. Thomas Sullivan became Samuel Skinner's successor. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Conlon convened a grand jury, but he allowed the Statute of Limitations to run out on the aspartame study charges.

Just over a year later, Conlon also accepted a job with G.D. Searle's law firm, Sidley & Austin.
Robert McConnell was the Director of G.D. Searle's Department of Pathology and Toxicology, the department that oversaw most of the aspartame research. Mr. McConnell was specifically named in the initial recommendation for investigation. According to McConnell's attorney, his client was given a $15,000 bonus and it was requested he take a 3-year sabbatical (he received $60,000 for each year). He was deemed a "political liability."

In August 1977, the Bressler Report involving three key aspartame studies (E5, E77/78 and E89) was released. Some of the findings from these three studies reviewed by the Bressler-led FDA Task Force included:

1. In one study, 98 of the 196 animals participating died but were not autopsied until as much as one year later. Because of this delay, most of the animal tissue could not be used. At least 20 animals had to be excluded from postmortem examinations.

2. There was a discrepancy between the original pathology sheets and the pathology sheets submitted to the FDA. There were differences shown for 30 animals.

3. One animal was actually reported alive at week 88, dead between weeks 92 and 104, and then alive again at week 108, and finally permanently dead at week 112.

4. An outbreak of an infectious disease was not included in the report to the FDA.

5. Tissue from some animals was noted to be unavailable for analysis on the pathology sheets. However, the results from an analysis of this "unavailable" tissue were submitted to the FDA.

6. There was evidence that the diet mix was not homogeneous (allowing the animals to eat around the test substance). This evidence included a picture as well as statements by a lab technician.

7. Fifteen fetuses from animals involved in one experiment were missing.

8. Some sections from the animals were too thick for examination.

9. There was no documentation about the age or source of the animals.

10. For one study, there was no protocol until it was well underway.

11. Animals were not adequately tagged to prevent mistakes.

12. Some laboratory methods were changed during the study but this was not documented.

In March of 1979, the FDA was able to conclude that G.D. Searle's aspartame studies were acceptable. They decided to convene the Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI). This had been agreed to by Dr. John Olney and Attorney James Turner over four years earlier.

In April of 1979, the FDA outlined the specific questions that were going to be addressed by the PBOI. The scope of investigation was limited to:

a. Whether the ingestion of aspartame (alone or together with glutamate) poses a risk of contributing to mental retardation, brain damage, or undesired effects on neuroendocrine regulatory systems.

b. Whether the ingestion of aspartame may induce brain neoplasms (tumors) in rats.

Based on the answers to the above queries:

a. Should aspartame be allowed for use in foods or should the approval of aspartame be withdrawn?

b. If aspartame is allowed for use in foods (if its approval is not withdrawn) what conditions for use and labeling should be required, if any?

In June of 1979, Acting FDA Commissioner Sherwin Gardner selected the 3-person Public Board of Inquiry (BOI). The selected panelists were Peter J. Lampert, M.D. (Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology, University of California - San Diego), Vernon R. Young, Ph.D. (University of Nutritional Biochemistry, M.I.T.) and Walle Nauta, M.D., Ph.D. (Institute Professor, Department of Psychology and Brain Science, M.I.T).

Dr. John Olney objected to the Commissioner's selection of Dr. Vernon Young on grounds of both conflict of interest and lack of qualifications.

Dr. Young had written articles in collaboration with G.D. Searle scientists, though they were not aspartame related. Additionally, Dr. Olney thought that the question of aspartic acid's neurotoxicity needed to be examined by a neuropathologist and that Dr. Young was not qualified because his field was Nutrition and Metabolism. Dr. Olney's objections were overruled by the Acting FDA Commissioner. In the end, Dr. Young was assigned to study the issue of aspartic acid toxicity.

One of the PBOI panelists, Dr. Walle Nauta, said, "It was a shocking story we were told [about Searle's animal testing] but, there was no way we could go after it. We had absolutely no way of knowing who was right. We had to take the FDA's word."

On January 21, 1981, the day after Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the United States, G.D. Searle reapplied for the approval of aspartame. G.D. Searle submitted new studies along with their application. Reagan was expected to replace Jere Goyan, the FDA Commissioner. G.D. Searle President & CEO, Donald Rumsfeld's connections to the Republican Party were also thought to be connected to Searle's decision to reapply for aspartame's approval at that time.

According to a former G.D. Searle salesperson, Donald Rumsfeld told his sales force that, if necessary, "he would call in all his markers and that no matter what, he would see to it that aspartame would be approved that year."

Meanwhile, there were FDA scientists who were very concerned about specific problems linking aspartame with brain tumors, brain lesions, and general brain chemistry. Another concerned neuroscientist, Dr. John Olney studied aspartame extensively and he expressed his concern about the serious negative health effects aspartame consumption had on the human body.

The concerns of these top scientists were of no consequence to Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld made the decision to solve this problem politically – not scientifically.

On October 15, 1982, G.D. Searle petitioned the FDA for approval of aspartame use in soft drinks and children's vitamins.

On October 1, 1982 an amendment was attached to the Orphan Drug Act. This act encourages the development of drugs for rare diseases. The amendment extended the patent on one product -- aspartame -- by 5 years, 10 months and 17 days. The amendment did not mention aspartame or G.D. Searle specifically and there was no debate or discussion on this amendment.

This amendment was proposed by Senator Howell Heflin, brought up for vote by Senator Robert Byrd, and pushed through by Representatives Henry Waxman and Orrin Hatch. G.D. Searle requested Senator Heflin sponsor the amendment. Heflin reportedly received $9,000 in campaign donations from G.D. Searle company executives shortly after this amendment was approved. Senator Byrd received a $1,000 campaign contribution from the CEO of G.D. Searle (Rumsfeld) before the amendment was proposed. Representative Waxman received a $1,500 campaign contribution from the soft drink political action committee. Senator Hatch also received $2,500 from the soft drink political action committee prior to his re-election and $1,000 each from Daniel Searle, Wesley Dixon (Daniel Searle's brother-in-law), and William Searle. Senator Hatch has blocked hearings looking into the safety of aspartame many times.

In 1985, G.D. Searle was sold to the chemical company, Monsanto. Monsanto then created the NutraSweet Company as a separate subsidiary from G.D. Searle.

In 1992, NutraSweet signed agreements with the Coca-Cola and PepsiCo stipulating that The NutraSweet Company was their preferred supplier of aspartame. The patent for aspartame expired on December 14, 1992. This opened up the market to other companies.

In light of all of this information, it is not at all surprising that most health-conscious people now believe avoiding NutraSweet is a prudent practice. At some future point, if a scientific consensus finally concludes that aspartame puts most consumers at risk, it will be much too late. The best thing is to eat safely now.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...mericans.aspx?source=nl

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...ngers-of-aspartame.aspx

Aspartame, sold as NutraSweet or Equal, is an artificial sweetener, present in over 6000 products. It is responsible for a host of health problems, including brain diseases, migraines and psychological ailments.

This video will familiarize you with some of the terrifying side-effects and health problems you could encounter if you consume products containing this chemical.  Dr. H. J. Roberts has called aspartame “an ignored epidemic” -- his database contains over 1,300 reports of adverse reactions to aspartame.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...cancer-and-the-fda.aspx  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/...al-Harmful-Effects.aspx

New Study of Splenda Reveals Shocking Information About Potential Harmful Effects  

suchen ein ;-)))

In der "rohstoffwelt" ist auch ein interessanter Bericht:
.. hier der Link :
http://www.rohstoff-welt.de/news/...ker-Aspartam-der-bittersuesse-Tod  

Dann also mal los, stevia!

warum gibt es diesen angeblichen anstieg ? wo sind die fakten ?  

Fakt ist:
der Sunwin-Kurs ist in den letzten 3 Handelstagen gut 40% gestiegen.
Ohne Nachrichten ein erstaunliches Ergebnis!
Zum fairen Wert fehlt immer noch ein gutes Stück.
Vielleicht sind es Vorschußlorbeeren für gute Q1-Zahlen, die Mitte des Monats kommen werden!  

jedoch nimmt das Volumen von Tag zu Tag wieder ab, hoffentlich halten wir uns wenigstens auf diesem Niveau.
Schönes Wochenende