Link between aspartame and lymphomas and leukemias

(I-Newswire) July 25, 2005 - The report by Morando Soffritti "Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukemias in rats" is in the European Journal of Oncology for July, 2005. Dr. Soffritti and his team carefully set the conditions whereby genetically-uniform test rats were treated equally with the exception of being divided into groups given varying levels of the toxic chemical sweetener.

Rats are deemed appropriate subjects for testing aspartame on humans because both humans and rats metabolize the methyl ester in aspartame into methyl alcohol, then formaldehyde then formic acid - all deadly poisons. The carcinogenicity of substances in rats and mice is a consistent predictor of cancer risk in humans exposed to those substances.

The study commenced with 8 week old rats and continued until the last one died at 159 weeks. Their physical status and behavior were examined three times daily and detailed records of their growth were kept. Every two weeks each of the 3,600 rats were "clinically examined for gross changes." As each rat died, a complete autopsy was performed. Organs, tissues and bones were preserved for further study.

"In our experimental conditions, it has been demonstrated that APM [aspartame] causes a dose-related statistically significant increase in lymphomas and leukemias in females at dose levels very near those to which humans can be exposed," the authors wrote in their conclusion. The number of cancers that developed in rats given zero aspartame was zero.

Increases of lymphomas and leukemias at the lowest exposure level was 62 percent and "an increase in the incidence of these types of neoplasias was also observed in males exposed to the highest dose," as stated in the study.

Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, MD, one of the world's leading authorities on aspartame neurotoxicity, extensively reviewed the Soffritti report. "This study confirmed the previous study by Dr. Trocho and co-workers (1998), which also found the formaldehyde breakdown product of aspartame to be damaging to cellular DNA and that this damage was cumulative. The type of damage was a duplicate of that associated with cancers. These two studies strongly indicate that drinking a single diet cola sweetened with aspartame every day could significantly increase one's risk of developing a lymphoma or leukemia," Blaylock said.

"This study should terrify mothers and all those consuming aspartame sweetened products," he continued. "This was a carefully done study which clearly demonstrated a statistically significant increase in several types of lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Both of these malignancies have increased significantly in this country since the widespread use of aspartame."

"They also found an increased incidence of malignant brain tumors, even though it was not statistically significant. This does not mean there is no association to brain tumors, since ONLY the animals exposed to aspartame developed the tumors. With children and pregnant women drinking the largest amount of diet colas, this puts their children at the greatest risk of developing one of these horrible diseases. Their found that even lower doses of aspartame could cause these malignancies, yet, the higher the dose, the more cancers that were seen," said Blaylock.

"Since aspartame can increase obesity and may even cause the metabolic syndrome that affects 48 million Americans, there is no reason to ever consume this product. At the least, it should be immediately banned from all schools," said Blaylock.

Aspartame was approved for use in dry goods in 1981 under extremely controversial circumstances. The artificial sweetener is currently found in more than 6,000 products-soft drinks, chewing gum, candy, desserts, table sweeteners and even pharmaceutical drugs and is responsible for more than 80 percent of consumer complaints filed with the FDA each year. The FDA itself has published a list of 92 potentially adverse reactions to aspartame that includes weight gain, blindness, chronic headaches, insanity and death.

Soffritti et al conducted this study because they wanted to determine whether or not the ADI for aspartame (50 and 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day in the U.S. and Europe respectively) was an appropriate limit. Their report concludes with these words: "Results of our study call for urgent reexamination of permissible exposure level of aspartame in both food and beverages, especially to protect children."

Here comes the Whopper. Makers and sellers of aspartame tried to rebut this impeccable European research saying: "With billions of man-years of safe use, there is no indication of an association between aspartame and cancer in humans."

For the rest of the story go to: wnho.net/whopper.htm

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Dr Betty Martini
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