Diet Soda Aspartame, Minefield at the Grocery Store

Grocery Store as Mine Field, Part One

by Jeffrey Dach MD

Is Your SuperMarket a Minefield ? For part two click here.

Recently, I went shopping with my 11 year old nephew, and was shocked and unprepared for the experience. Like other kids his age, he preferred diet sodas containing aspartame and brominated vegetable oil (BVO). He also preferred processed foods high in MSG. Above Left Image: Shopping cart with child courtesy of wikimedia commons.

I found myself protesting his choices, explaining the dangers of food additives, and removing these items from the shopping cart as fast I could. These food additives are harmful to health, and represent a minefield at the Supermarket waiting for the unsuspecting consumer.

Aspartame’s Dubious Honor

Since the 1981 approval as a food additive, aspartame has the dubious honor of the most complaints reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, accounting for 75 per cent of all complaints.(9)

Diet Sodas are a Mine Field

Aspartame is a chemical sweetener in diet sodas such as diet Coke and Diet Pepsi with names such as Nutrasweet, Equal, etc. Little packets of aspartame are placed on the tables at restaurants for use as a coffee sweetener instead of sugar.

Left Image Naval Mine Field with Diver courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

Safety Studies on Aspartame – Cancer?

The Aspartame industry has sponsored 74 aspartame safety studies, all showing Apartame consumption is safe. When studies are done privately, with no connection to the aspartame industry or the FDA, 89 of 90 aspartame safety studies identified problems with aspartame use.(1) A disturbing 2007 study by Soffritti at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy showed aspartame to be a multipotential carcinogen.(2)

Avoid the Apartame Mine Field

Many people drink diet sodas thinking this will help lose weight. A recent study shows this is a fallacy, finding a 41% increased risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink consumed daily.(8) The sweetener aspartame activates receptors in the brain to expect sugar (glucose), when none is forthcoming, the aspartame user merely increases junk food and sugar intake.

Left Image: Danger Mines courtesy Wikimedia commons

MSG – Chinese Restaurant Syndrome

Forty years ago, my earliest experience with MSG during medical school was a headache after eating at a chinese restaurant. The MSG causes the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.(3) Since my old medical school days, MSG has been added to thousands of products at the supermarket, and virtually all forms of fast food. Much of this MSG is hidden and does not appear on the label.

MSG and the Obesity Epidemic

MSG stands for mono sodium glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and upregulation of the Glutamate pathway leads to neuron cell damage and cell death. MSG is associated with lesions in the hypothalamus (11), directly causes obesity (4), and a host of somatic and neurological symptoms.

Rat studies show that MSG is a direct cause of obesity. Is our obesity epidemic caused by increased MSG consumption in the population?

Image: MSG causes obesity (right rat). Normal rat on left. Courtesy wikimedia commons

Hidden Sources of MSG – It’s not on the label.

Virtually All Fast Foods Contain Large Quantities of MSG

A new problem with MSG is that many of the sources are hidden. In other words, the processed food contains MSG in some form, yet the name MSG does not appear on the label. MSG is present in in all Fast Foods, including Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizzas, Wendy’s etc.

Above images courtesy of wikimedia commons.

Aspartame and MSG – Fibromyalgia Double Whammy

Both Aspartame and MSG are excitatory neurotoxins.(6) When aspartame and MSG are consumed together, as commonly found with fast food and diet sodas in the same meal, there can be a double whammy effect. A 2001 report describes four patients with fibromyalgia syndrome unresponsive to medical treatment.(7) These four patients noted complete resolution of chronic pain upon removing aspartame and MSG from the diet.(7)

In addition, a lengthy list of medical and neurological symptoms are associated with MSG and aspartame. One syndrome includes slurred speech which looks like a TIA (transient ischemic attack). This usually resolves after elimination of MSG and aspartame from the diet.

MSG – an Epidemic of Thyroid Disease

A 1981 study by Dhindsa showed that MSG administered to lab rats caused marked hypothyroidism with striking histology changes in the thyroid gland.(10)

BVO- Brominated Vegetable Oil

Bromine (BVO) is a toxic substance added to sodas such as Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Powerade, Pineapple and Orange Fanta, Sun Drop, Squirt and Fresca. Bromine directly competes with Iodine in the body causing thyroid problems and Iodine deficiency states.
BVO has been banned in India.

What About the FDA ?

The FDA is an agency of our government, and like all other agencies, is infiltrated and corrupted by corporate lobbyists. Rather than an agency for the people, the FDA is an agency of the large corporations that manufacture the food additives. The safety studies are manipulated to get FDA approval. And that’s why the FDA cannot protect the American public from harmful food additives at our supermarket.

In Conclusion- Avoid the Minefield at the Supermarket

We have merely scratched the surface of harmful food additives to avoid at the Supermarket, concentrating on the excitatory neurotoxins Aspartame and MSG. Others, such as Trans Fats, and GMO foods are harmful to our health and should also be avoided.

Links and References

(1) http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/aspartame.html
Aspartame: Diet-astrous Results By Rebecca Ephraim, RD, CCN

Ralph G. Walton, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio University’s College of Medicine, conducted an analysis of all the medical studies—164 of them at the time—dealing with human safety as it relates to the use of aspartame. The studies were separated into two categories: 74 of the studies were sponsored by the aspartame industry and 90 of them were non-industry-sponsored studies. Dr. Walton found that of the 74 studies sponsored by the aspartame industry, 100 percent of them claimed there were no health problems associated with aspartame use. Of the 90 studies that had no connections to industry, all but seven of them identified one or more problems with aspartame use. Interestingly, of the seven studies that did not find problems, the FDA had conducted six. Critics suggest that since a number of FDA officials eventually went to work for the aspartame industry, these six studies should be considered industry-sponsored research as well.

(2) http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10271/10271.pdf
Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal
Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats – Environmental Health Perspectives • VOLUME 115 | NUMBER 9 | September 2007

(3) http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/3869/826
Science 21 February 1969:Vol. 163. no. 3869, pp. 826 – 828 Monosodium L-Glutamate: Its Pharmacology and Role in the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. Herbert H. Schaumburg 1, Robert Byck 2, Robert Gerstl 3, and Jan H. Mashman. Monosodium L-glutamate is the cause of the Chinese restaurant syndrome and can precipitate headaches. In appropriate doses it causes burning sensations, facial pressure, and chest pain. These are pharmacological effects obeying a dose-effect relationship. There is considerable variation in oral threshold does among individuals.

(4) http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/abs/oby2008274a.html
Obesity (2008) 16 8, 1875–1880. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.274
Association of Monosodium Glutamate Intake With Overweight in Chinese Adults: The INTERMAP Study

(5) http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/recent.html
Aspartame and MSG Cause Painful Fibromyalgia Symptoms. Ann Pharmacother 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6 Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.
Smith JD, Terpening CM, Schmidt SO, Gums JG. Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.

CONCLUSIONS: The elimination of MSG and other excitotoxins from the diets of patients with fibromyalgia offers a benign treatment option that has the potential for dramatic results in a subset of patients.

(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excitotoxicity
Excitotoxins in food additives. The most well-known (to the general public) excitotoxic concerns have included monosodium glutamate (MSG) and Nutrasweet.

(7) http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/6/702
Aspartame and MSG Cause Painful Fibromyalgia Symptoms.
Ann Pharmacother 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6. Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins. Smith JD, Terpening CM, Schmidt SO, Gums JG. Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.

(8) http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weight
Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight? Overweight Risk Soars 41% With Each Daily Can of Diet Soft Drink By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis

(9) http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/dailys/03/Jan03/012203/02P-0317_emc-000196.txt
Docket # 02P-0317 Recall Aspartame as a Neurotoxic Drug: File

(10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7246043
Acta Anat (Basel). 1981;109(2):97-102.
Histological changes in the thyroid gland induced by monosodium glutamate in mice.
Dhindsa KS, Omran RG, Bhup R.

(11) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/827619
J Toxicol Environ Health. 1976 Nov;2(2):471-80.
Hypothalamic morphology following ingestion of aspartame or MSG in the neonatal rodent and primate: a preliminary report. Reynolds WA, Butler V, Lemkey-Johnston N.

_______________________________

http://fooddemocracy.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/the-dirty-dozen-12-foodsfood-additives-to-avoid-and-why/
The dirty dozen – 12 foods/food additives to avoid and why January 18, 2008

http://www.supereco.com/glossary/high-fructose-corn-syrup/news/
High fructose corn syrup News (1-10 of 11) Cheat sheet: 20 worst food additives

http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html
Food Additives to Avoid

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/06/24/12-food-additives-to-avoid.aspx?source=nl
12 Food Additives to Avoid

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/06/10_food_preservatives_to_avoid.php
10 Preservatives to Avoid

http://www.drrisley.com/html/excitotoxins.html
Flavor Enhancers and Artificial Sweeteners: MSG (Monosodiumglutamate) and Nutrasweet™ (Aspartame) This article is a review of Dr. Russell Blaylock’s book, “Excitotoxins: The taste that kills.”

http://kamdhenunews.blogspot.com/2009/06/chapter-15-dirty-dozen.html
“The Dirty Dozen” because it details 12 foods/toxins which can pose serious health problems if consumed or ingested regularly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mj-wegmann/13-foods-to-avoid_b_184908.html
Dr. M.J. Wegmann.Posted April 8, 2009 Foods To Avoid

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/398593/harmful_additives_in_everyday_food.html

Harmful Additives in Everyday Food: What You Should Know
Acesulfame-K:
Stevia:
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Trans Fats):
Blue #1 and Blue #2 artificial coloring:
Red Dye #3
Aspartame:
Butylated Hyrdoxyanisole (BHA):
Cyclamate:
Olestra

http://thenaturalhealthplace.com/Articles/FoodAdditives.html
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame)

http://www.wereyouwondering.com/possible-and-suspected-carcinogens-found-in-food/

24 Potentially Harmful Food Additives

http://www.msgexposed.com/
MSG Exposed

http://www.live-the-organic-life.com/food-additives.html
Guide to Food Additives

http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-additives.html
Food Additives – Protect Your Family From Cancer-Causing Chemicals

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071225204746AA26B91

– Partially Hydrogenated Oil
– Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
– High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
– Artificial Colors & Flavorings
– Benzoate Preservatives: BHT, BHA, TBHQ
– Caffeine
– Artificial Sweeteners
– Acesulfame-K: commonly used in sugar-free baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts and soft drinks. May be cancerous
– Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet):
– Sucralose (Splenda):
– MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
– Olestra
– Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate

http://www.supereco.com/glossary/propylene-glycol/news/
Here’s some ammunition: Super Eco’s list of the Top 20 food additives to avoid.

1.acesulfame-K
2.artificial colors Blue 1,2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
3.artificial flavorings
4.Aspartame
5.BHA
6.BHT
7.brominated vegetable oil (BVO)

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is vegetable oil that has had atoms of the element bromine bonded to it. Brominated vegetable oil is used as an emulsifier in citrus-flavored soft drinks such as Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Powerade, Pineapple and Orange Fanta, Sun Drop, Squirt and Fresca to help natural fat-soluble citrus flavors stay suspended in the drink and to produce a cloudy appearance. Standards for soft drinks in India prohibit the use of BVO

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1999/jul/29/what-brominated-vegetable-oil-and-why-do-soda-comp/
What is brominated vegetable oil and why do soda companies put it in their drink? By Matthew Alice | Published Thursday, July 29, 1999

8.high fructose corn syrup
9.hydrogenated oils and trans fats
10.monosodium glutamate (MSG)
11.Olestra
12.potassium bromate
13.propyl gallate
14.propylene glycol
15.saccharin
16.sodium nitrate and nitrite
17.sulfites
18.sulfur dioxide
19.THBQ
20.Xylitol

http://www.msgexposed.com/page/2/
MSG – What is MSG and the Hidden Ingredients it lurks in March 5th, 2009

Monosodium Glutamate, “MSG”, is a processed sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most common amino acids (protein building blocks) found in nature. As glutamate, it is present in virtually all foods. Glutamate is found naturally in foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, cheese, meats, fish, even human milk (20 times more than cow’s milk). MSG is produced by a fermentation process of glutamate. The glutamate industry would love for you to believe that there is no difference between glutamate found in natural foods and that added as MSG.

Most of the glutamic acid with which consumers come in contact is found in protein where it is connected to (or bound to) other amino acids. There are two forms of glutamic acid found in nature: L-glutamic acid and D-glutamic acid. When glutamic acid is found in protein it is referred to as bound glutamic acid. The glutamic acid found in protein is L-glutamic acid, only. Eating protein (which will contain bound glutamic acid that is L-glutamic acid, only) does not cause either brain damage or adverse reactions.

Glutamic acid outside of protein is referred to as free glutamic acid. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) always contains D-glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, and various other contaminants in addition to Lglutamic acid. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) causes brain lesions and neuroendocrine disorders in laboratory animals. Manufactured/processed free glutamic acid (MSG) also causes adverse reactions which include skin rash, tachycardia, migraine headache, depression, and seizures in humans.

MSG is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites cell neurons causing cell damage and, eventually, cell death. These excitotoxins are able to enter and cause damage to the brain because humans lack a blood-brain barrier in the hypothalamus. The MSG is then able to create a lesion in the hypothalamus allowing for abnormal development, including sexual reproduction and obesity.

Why should I avoid MSG?

As little as 1/10th of a tsp can give a severe reaction, and reactions can be dose related: the more you consume the greater chance of the reaction. Some common side effects include the following:

•tachycardia
•heart attacks
•asthma
•headaches
•facial swelling
•swelling in the joints
•marked obesity
•impaired skeletal development
•tightness in the chest
•a burning sensation in the forearms and the back of the neck
•joint pain
•sterility in females
•In laboratory experiments, every species of animal fed MSG developed brain lesions and infant animals were especially susceptible, as they had not developed an effective blood-brain barrier.
•heart arrhythmia

What Products Contain MSG?

Commercial Soup almost always has MSG in some form
MSG is used on poor quality food to enhance flavor. It is found in many dressings and sauces and is added to most infant formulas. Soy formulas, Isolated Soy Protein, and Texturized Vegetable Protein [TVP] in particular are loaded with MSG. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein contains up to 40% MSG. MSG is also found in cheese, ice cream, beverages, medications, frozen meals, cookies and candies, IV materials, “Cream of …” soups and other canned soups, prepackaged “dinner in a box” types, and rice mixes. When eating out, beware of fast food sandwiches, as well as Chinese foods. At some Chinese restaurants, you can ask for “No MSG”.

These ALWAYS contain MSG:
Glutamate, Monosodium glutamate, Monopotassium glutamate, Glutamic acid, Calcium caseinate, Sodium caseinate, Gelatin, Textured protein, Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed), Plant protein extract, Yeast extract, Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast, Yeast nutrient

These OFTEN contain MSG/excitotoxins or create MSG during processing:
Flavor(s) & Flavoring(s), Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s), Natural pork flavoring, Bouillon, Natural beef flavoring, Stock, Natural chicken flavoring, Broth, Malt flavoring, Barley malt, Malt extract, Soy sauce, Soy sauce extract, Soy protein, Soy protein concentrate, Soy protein isolate, Pectin, Whey protein, Whey protein isolate, Whey protein concentrate, anything Protein fortified, anything Fermented

Why can’t we see….

Researcher Hiroshi Ohguro conducted a study on the relationship between MSG consumption and retinal damage. In the study, rats were fed three different diets for six months. The diets consisted of either high or moderate amounts of MSG, or none. The rats on the high-MSG diet experienced thinning of retinal nerve layers, by as much as 75 percent!! Further testing that measured retinal response to light showed they could not see as well. The rats on the moderate diet also experienced retinal damage, although to a lesser extent. The researchers found high concentrations of MSG in the vitreous fluid, which bathes the retina. The MSG is able to bind to receptors on the retinal cells and destroy them, causing secondary reactions that reduce the ability of the remaining cells to relay signals. Why can’t we see that consuming products containing MSG should be avoided?

Retinal Damage from MSG

-A High Dietary Intake of Sodium Glutamate as Flavoring (Ajinomoto) Causes Gross Changes in Retinal Morphology and Function. Experimental EyevResearch, Volume 75, Issue 3, Pages 307-315

-Decision News Media, Eye Damage From MSG Consumption, Oct 25, 2002

Obesity and MSG

Obesity is a common problem for many people in the world today. With so many people and companies focused on dieting and weight loss, it makes one wonder why the problem just keeps getting bigger!! MSG, while just a part of the puzzle, contributes to obesity. Interestingly, many “diet” products contain MSG! Researchers believe that excitotoxin [MSG] induced obesity is not dependent on food intake, which may lend a hand in explaining why people seem to be unable to diet away their obesity.

MSG exposure can cause problems in the long run for those who are exposed to high doses of glutamate early in life. One study found that babies of pregnant mothers that consumed large amounts of excitotoxins are more likely to develop gross obesity and that the risk can become a reality after even a limited exposure. What’s more, MSG is used as a stabilizer in various vaccines in order for the vaccine to remain unchanged, even in the presence of heat, light, acidity, humidity etc. You can access a Medline data base through the National Library of Medicine on the Internet. We encourage you to log on to www.pubmed.gov and search for studies using the key words “obesity AND monosodium glutamate,”. You might find two studies published in 2005 particularly interesting:

“Obesity, voracity, and short stature: the impact of glutamate on the regulation of appetite,” and

“[Effect of monosodium glutamate given orally on appetite control (a new theory for the obesity epidemic)].”

-News Target, The Link Between Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and Obesity, July 9, 2005

-Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of multiple risk factors. Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar

-Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and
subsequent development of obesity. Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K, Kusunoki Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct

– A. Frieder, B, and Grimm, VE. Prenatal monosodium glutamate (MSG) treatment given through the mother’s diet causes behavioral deficits in rat offspring. Intern J Neurosci. 23:117-126,1984.

What is MSG?

In basic terms, MSG (and other, similar agents) pierces the blood-brain barrier and over-stimulates the neurons of a brain to a deadly degree. Habitual intake among animal experiments has shown the development of tumors, memory loss, and a whole host of neurodegenerative diseases as the end result of excess excitotoxin intake, including Alzhiemer’s, Parkenson’s, Lou Gerhig’s etc.

Walk into any gas station in the United States (or grocery store, for that matter) and, upon close investigation, you will find that 75%-90% of the available food has been ‘enhanced’ to some degree by excitotoxins. The chemical agents are often disguised by such ambiguous terms as ’spice’ and ‘natural flavors’ or, my personal favorite, ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein.’ A consumer society must have consumer slaves to keep it functioning; MSG is the crack cocaine of the food industry…and it is legally perpetuated by slush-fund advocates and a pork-glutted FDA. As proven again and again, money talks, … [you can finish the maxim for me].

-Excerpt from ‘Excitotoxins – The Taste That Kills’ By Dr. Russell L Blaylock, MD
(A board certified neurosurgeon with over 25 years experience in neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice.)

——————

MSG and Obesity

With this enormous consumption of foods laced with MSG additives, it is no wonder that we have an obesity problem in this country, especially when you combine the hypothalamic lesion caused by MSG to the high-fat and carbohydrate diets of young people. Of particular concern is the suggestion that MSG ingested by pregnant women may actually cause this lesion in children while they are still in the womb.

One of the worst offenders is pizza, especially commercial pizza. The tomato sauce is high in naturally derived free glutamate alone. When you add this to a liberal helping of MSG additive, you have a very neurotoxic mix. Add to that a twenty-once diet drink and you can see why we are having problems with obesity. Our children have become lab rats.

Excerpts from: Russell Blaylock M.D., Health and Nutrition Secrets that can save your life.

Sources:

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1817716&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0007114576000718
1.Bunyan J, Elspeth A, Murrell A, Shah PP. The induction of obesity in rodents by means of monosodium glutamate. British Journal of Nutrition 35(1976): 25-39.

2.Kanarek RB, Marks-Kaufman R. Increased carbohydrate consumption induced by neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate to rats. Neurobehavioral Toxicology Teratology 3(1981): 343-350

3.Nikoletseas MM. Obesity in exercising, hypophagic rats treated with monosodium glutamate. Physiology & Behavior 19(1977): 767-773.

MSG and Obesity

http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/abs/oby2008274a.html
Obesity (2008) 16 8, 1875–1880. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.274
Association of Monosodium Glutamate Intake With Overweight in Chinese Adults: The INTERMAP Study

This research provides data that MSG intake may be associated with increased risk of overweight independent of physical activity and total energy intake in humans.

Animal tests were conducted by Dr. John Olney in 1969 testing the brain destruction of the hypothalamus in a small group of cells called the arcuate nucleus. These are a tiny group of neurons that control the release of the regulating factor for growth hormone, which may also be responsible for other pituitary hormones. Dr. Olney discovered that animals fed MSG not only produced less growth hormone but they also lacked the normal release pattern seen in nearly all other mammals, including humans. The pituitary glands normally secrete growth-regulating hormone in spurts, with an extra blast occurring when we fall asleep or take a nap, this is one reason why it is so important for children to get plenty of sleep.

The experts speak on MSG and obesity: Olney, J.W.

“Brain Lesions, Obesity, and Other Disturbances in Mice Treated with Monosodium glutamate.” Sci. 165(1969): 719-271.

Humans also lack a blood-brain barrier in the hypothalamus, even as adults.
It is for this reason that Dr. Olney and other neuroscientists are so concerned about the widespread and heavy use of excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and cysteine, as food additives. In his experiments Dr. Olney found that high-dose exposure to MSG caused hypoplasia of the adenohypophysis of the pituitary and of the gonads, in conjunction with low hypothalamic, pituitary, and plasma levels of LH, growth hormone, and prolactin. When doses below toxic levels for hypothalamic cells were used, he found a rapid elevation of LH and a depression of the pulsatile output of growth hormone. In essence, these excitotoxins can cause severe pathophysiological changes in the central endocrine control system. Many of these dysfunctional changes can occur with subtoxic doses of MSG. One can speculate that chronic exposure to these neurotoxins could cause significant alterations in the function of the hypothalamus, including its non-endocrine portions.

http://life-enthusiast.com/index/Articles/Blaylock/Toxic_Additives_in_Your_Food_and_Drink
Toxic Additives in Your Food and Drink Not Just Another Scare by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/blaylock/issues/BlayOct07/blaylock_BlayOct07_40.pdf
Food Additives:What You Eat Can Kill You by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

MSG- Hidden Sources Of MSG In Foods From the book ‘Excitotoxins – The Taste That Kills’
By Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD 3-6-3

What if someone were to tell you that a chemical (MSG) added to food could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children’s nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties?

What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink may cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread introduction of this artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (aspartate) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

And finally, what if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could possibly aggravate or even precipitate many of today’s epidemic neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, ALS, and Alzheimer’s disease? Would you be concerned if you knew that these excitotoxin food additives are a particular risk if you have diabetes, or have ever had a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, seizure, or have suffered from hypertension, meningitis, or viral encephalitis?

Would you also be upset to learn that many of the brain lesions caused by these products in your children are irreversible and can result from a SINGLE exposure of these products in sufficient concentration?

How would you feel when you learn the food industry hides and disguises these excitotoxin additives (MSG and Aspartate) so they can’t be recognized? Incredulous? Enraged? The fact is many foods are labeled as having “No MSG” but in fact not only contain MSG but also are laced with other excitotoxins of equal potency and danger.

All of the above are true. And all of these well known brain toxins are poured into our food and drink by the thousands of tons to boost sales. These additives have NO OTHER purpose other than to enhance to TASTE of food and the SWEETNESS of various diet products.

Hidden Sources Of MSG

As discussed previously, the glutamate (MSG) manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise the MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.

* Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG *

Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein (Including TVP)
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Corn Oil

* Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG *

Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavors/Flavoring
Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

* Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins *

Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate

Also: Protease Enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins.

Aspartame – An Intense Source Of Excitotoxins

Aspartame is a sweetener made from two amino acids, phenylalanine and the excitotoxin aspartate. It should be avoided at all costs. Aspartame complaints accounts for approximately 70% of ALL complaints to the FDA. It is implicated in everything from blindness to headaches to convulsions. Sold under dozens of brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal, aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients:

1. DKP (diketopiperazine) (When ingested, converts to a near duplicate of
a powerful brain tumor causing agent)
2. Formic Acid (ant venom)
3. Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
4. Methanol (causes blindness…extremely dangerous substance)

Common Examples: Diet soft drinks, sugar free gums, sugar free Kool Aid, Crystal Light, childrens’ medications, and thousands of other products claiming to be ‘low calorie’, ‘diet’, or ‘sugar free’.

Aspartame Videos on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFRLIjOLOU
aspartame nutrasweet video on You tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FeOtSNU900
Aspartame – the hidden poison for society

http://www.wnho.net/report_on_aspartame_and_children.htm
REPORT FOR SCHOOLS,OB-GYN AND PEDIATRICIANS ON CHILDREN AND ASPARTAME/MSG
REPORT ON ASPARTAME AND CHILDREN Prepared By Mission Possible – Dr. Betty Martini

Resources- The medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemicby H. J. Roberts, M.D., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. Aspartame documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World explains how Don Rumsfeld got this toxin on the market through political chicanery, and includes aspartame experts and victims.

http://www.mpwhi.com/main.htm
Mission Possible World HEalth International

MSG and Obesity

http://www.westonaprice.org/msg/msgobesity.html
The Obesity Epidemic: Should We Believe What We Read and Hear? By Jack L. Samuels

Since 1969, many scientists have confirmed Dr. Olney’s findings of damage to the hypothalamus from MSG with resulting obesity. Go to the National Library of Medicine website, www.pubmed.gov, and type in “monosodium glutamate, obesity” (without the quotation marks). As of May 13, 2004, you’ll find 151 studies listed in addition to Dr. Olney’s study. Fewer studies come up with “aspartic acid, obesity” (without the quotation marks).8-9 More research has been done on the effects of MSG on the hypothalamus leading to obesity than on the effects of aspartic acid.

Neuroscientists have found in animal studies that glutamic acid and aspartic acid load on the same receptors in the brain, cause identical brain lesions and neuroendocrine disorders, and act in an additive fashion.10

Research indicating that MSG causes damage to the hypothalamus has been carried out mostly on small laboratory animals, primarily the mouse and the rat. In the 1960s, a few studies looked at the effects of MSG on primates, using rhesus monkeys. The findings were the same for rhesus monkeys as they were for rodents.11-12 Although research designed to produce brain lesions cannot be carried out on humans, neuroscientists have determined that humans are 5 times more sensitive to MSG than the mouse and 20 times more sensitive to MSG than the monkey, based on blood plasma levels of glutamate following an oral dose of 150 mg/kg of glutamic acid.13 Furthermore, individual variability in plasma response to glutamate loading is more extreme in humans than in the mouse or monkey.14

Neuroscientists have known that MSG and aspartic acid cause lesions in the hypothalamus since 1969, but only recently has a possible explanation for the mechanism by which this occurs come to light. In 1994, researchers discovered the appetite-suppressing hormone, leptin. As described in many articles, leptin regulates, among other things, energy, control of appetite, and body weight. Leptin acts by altering neuropeptide circuits in the hypothalamus.15-20

While there is abundant literature demonstrating that MSG and aspartic acid cause hypothalmic lesions which, in turn, can cause gross obesity, I know of no research that has examined a possible relationship between the hypothalamic damage caused by MSG and/or aspartame, and the leptin abnormalities found in obese individuals. Research is needed in this area.

Blood-Brain Barrier

Although there are a number of causes for obesity, there is no question in this writer’s mind that the main cause for the obesity epidemic is the ever increasing use of MSG and aspartame – free glutamic acid and free aspartic acid – in our food supply. MSG, is most often found in food as a component of food ingredients with names that give consumers no clue to its presence. It was not used in our country to any extent until the late 1940s, and not used widely until the 1960s, when the Ajinomoto Company introduced MSG made by bacterial fermentation. (Ajinomoto Company is the world’s largest producer of the food ingredient monosodium glutamate.) Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981. Today, most processed foods contain MSG, and it is even found in personal care items and pharmaceuticals. According to The NutraSweet Company, aspartame is used in over 5,000 products. As the use of MSG and aspartame grows, the incidence of obesity appears to be growing.

Since there is no question that MSG and aspartame cause lesions in the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain that is recognized to affect weight, I call upon scientists to consider the destructive qualities of glutamic acid and aspartic acid as they expand their search into the reasons for obesity. In particular, I urge those who are exploring the role of leptin in obesity to consider that it may be the relationship of leptin to a hypothalamus damaged by MSG and aspartame that results in the inability of some people to control food intake, and resulting obesity.

MSG – 1.5 million Tons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
About 1.5 million tonnes were sold in 2001, with 4% annual growth expected.[8] MSG is used commercially as a flavour enhancer. Although once associated with foods in Chinese restaurants, MSG is now used by most fast food chains and in many foodstuffs, particularly processed foods

Examples include:

Pre-prepared stocks often known as stock cubes or bouillon cubes.
Condiments such as barbecue sauce and salad dressing.
Canned, frozen, or dried prepared food
Common snack foods such as flavoured potato chips and flavoured tortilla chips.
Seasoning mixtures

Fermented products such as soy sauce, steak sauce, and Worcestershire sauce have levels of glutamate similar to foods with added MSG.

Glutamic acid and its salts can also be present in a wide variety of other additives, including hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, any one of which may appear as “spices” or “natural flavorings.” The food additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are usually used along with monosodium glutamate-containing ingredients, and provide a likely indicator of the presence of monosodium glutamate in a product. For this reason, the FDA considers labels such as “No MSG” or “No Added MSG” to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamate, such as hydrolyzed protein

Excitotoxins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excitotoxicity

Excitotoxins in food additives. The most well-known (to the general public) excitotoxic concerns have included monosodium glutamate (MSG) and Nutrasweet. Approximately 40% of aspartame (by mass) is broken down into the amino acid aspartic acid (also known as aspartate), an excitotoxin. There is disagreement as to whether aspartame ingestion can lead to a significant spike in plasma aspartame levels.[12] [13]

Glutamate does not normally cross the blood-brain barrier in most parts of the brain without active uptake by transporters.[14] Glutamate concentrations in the blood are normally higher than those in the extracellular space around brain cells.[14] One of the concerns about aspartame and MSG relates to potential effects on parts of the brain not protected by the blood brain barrier. [15]

The neuroscientists at a 1990 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience had a split opinion on issues related to potential neurotoxic effects from excitotoxic amino acids found in some additives such as aspartame.[16]

MSG

Reif-Lehrer, L. “A questionnaire study of the prevalence of Chinese restaurant syndrome.” Fed. Proc. 36:1617-1623, 1977.

Kenney, R. A. and Tidball, C. S. “Human susceptibility to oral monosodium L-glutamate.” Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 25:140-146, 1972.

Scopp, A. L. “MSG and hydrolyzed vegetable protein induced headache: a review and case studies.” Headache. 31:107-110, 1991

Allen, D. H. et al. “Monosodium L-glutamate-induced asthma.” Journal of Allergy. 80: No 4, 530-537, 1987.

Aspartame

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

In 2007, the Indonesian government considered banning Aspartame.[30] In the Philippines, the small political party Alliance for Rural Concerns introduced House Bill 4747 in 2008 with the aim of having aspartame banned from the food supply.[31] The US state of New Mexico introduced a bill to ban aspartame in 2007,[32][33][34] and Hawaiian legislators signed a 2009 resolution asking the FDA to rescind approval.[35] In March 2009, the California OEHHA identified aspartame as a chemical for consultation by its Carcinogen Identification Committee, in accordance with California state Proposition 65.[36]

In 2007, the UK supermarket chains Sainsbury’s,[37] M&S,[38] and Wal-Mart subsidiary Asda,[39] announced that they would no longer use aspartame in their own label products.[40]

http://www.aspartame.ca/epidemic-s3.pdf
ASPARTAME DISEASE: AN FDA-APPROVED EPIDEMIC By H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8939194
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1996 Nov;55(11):1115-23. Increasing brain tumor rates: is there a link to aspartame? Olney JW, Farber NB, Spitznagel E, Robins LN. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Industry Sponsored Aspartame Studies- All say it is Safe

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12180494
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Apr;35(2 Pt 2):S1-93. Aspartame: review of safety.

Butchko HH, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C, Blackburn GL, de Sonneville LM, Geha RS, Hertelendy Z, Koestner A, Leon AS, Liepa GU, McMartin KE, Mendenhall CL, Munro IC, Novotny EJ, Renwick AG, Schiffman SS, Schomer DL, Shaywitz BA, Spiers PA, Tephly TR, Thomas JA, Trefz FK. Medical and Scientific Affairs,

The NutraSweet Company, Mt Prospect, Illinois 60056, USA.

Over 20 years have elapsed since aspartame was approved by regulatory agencies as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. The safety of aspartame and its metabolic constituents was established through extensive toxicology studies in laboratory animals, using much greater doses than people could possibly consume. Its safety was further confirmed through studies in several human subpopulations, including healthy infants, children, adolescents, and adults; obese individuals; diabetics; lactating women; and individuals heterozygous (PKUH) for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) who have a decreased ability to metabolize the essential amino acid, phenylalanine. Several scientific issues continued to be raised after approval, largely as a concern for theoretical toxicity from its metabolic components–the amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine, and methanol–even though dietary exposure to these components is much greater than from aspartame. Nonetheless, additional research, including evaluations of possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood as well as allergic-type reactions and use by potentially sensitive subpopulations, has continued after approval. These findings are reviewed here. The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15061638
Tex Heart Inst J. 2004; 31(1): 105. PMCID: PMC387446

Aspartame Disease – A Possible Cause for Concomitant Graves’ Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension. H. J. Roberts, MD, FACP, FCCP Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research, West Palm Beach, Florida,

Aspartame Tainted Safety Studies

http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/aspartame.html
Aspartame: Diet-astrous Results By Rebecca Ephraim, RD, CCN

http://www.westonaprice.org/causticcommentary/cc2004wi.html
The most recent is a $350 million class action racketeering lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in San Francisco on September 15, 2004. NutraSweet Corporation and the American Diabetes Association are among those charged.

Other lawsuits include three filed by the National Justice League in April, 2004 in three separate California courts. The defendants include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Bayer Corporation, the Dannon Company, William Wrigley Jr. Company, Walmart, ConAgra Foods, Wyeth, Inc., the NutraSweet Company and Altria Corporation (parent company of Kraft Foods and Phillip Morris). These lawsuits charge the defendants of engaging in unlawful acts of knowingly and intentionally using the neurotoxic aspartame as a sugar substitute while knowing that exposure to aspartame causes many symptoms and diseases, such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, diabetes, Lyme disease, attention deficit disorder, panic disorder and depression.

====================

http://www.ramazzini.it/fondazione/blogDetail.asp?id=31
California Opens Proposition 65 File, Could Lead to aspartame State Suits re: Carcinogenic Properties by Stephen Fox

California takes the first step towards leading to Big Aspartame suits, like the Big Tobacco suits, based on proven carcinogenic properties of that sweetener; similar suits are ongoing against Whole Foods for a different proven carcinogeni 2,4,5-Chlorade in their line of “organic” skin products.

======================

http://www.sweetpoison.com/articles/0606/european_ramazzini_fndn_s.html
EUROPEAN RAMAZZINI FNDN. STANDS BEHIND ASPARTAME STUDY RESULTS
If you have ever been in a college science lab or professional laboratory, you know the lab results you see are REAL. Professional scientists of the caliber of Dr. Soffritti and his research team at The European Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences “B. Ramazzini” in Bologna, Italy don’t take their aspartame research lightly, and they don’t make careless mistakes. The study they performed on aspartame is one of the finest and well-respected laboratory studies proving the known dangers of aspartame.

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2007/0625-02.htm
FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk, Say Experts

Soffritti Ramazzini Aspartame Study

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/28/health/webmd/main712605_page2.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Study Links Aspartame To Cancer-Lymphoma, Leukemia In Rats Fed Sweetener; Some Dispute Results-What Happened to the Rats

Soffritti’s study findings may be a first report, but the study was quite thorough. It looked at 1,800 rats fed various doses of aspartame — or no aspartame at all — from age 8 weeks until death. When the animals died, the researchers did a thorough autopsy.

They found that: •A daily dose of 20 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight was linked to lymphomas and leukemias in female — but not male — rats.
•Rats that got daily doses of as little as 4 mg/kg aspartame got lymphomas and leukemias 62% more often than those that got no aspartame, but this finding could have been due to chance. •A few brain tumors were seen in rats fed aspartame, while those who did not get the sweetener did not get brain tumors. But this finding, too, could have been due to chance.

Soffritti Ramazzini Aspartame Study

http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10271/10271.pdf
Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal
Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats – Environmental Health Perspectives • VOLUME 115 | NUMBER 9 | September 2007

Morando Soffritti, Fiorella Belpoggi, Eva Tibaldi, Davide Degli Esposti, and Michelina Lauriola
Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy

BACKGROUND:
In a previous study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the
European Ramazzini Foundation (CMCRC/ERF), we demonstrated for the first time that aspartame. (APM) is a multipotent carcinogenic agent when various doses are administered with feed to Sprague-Dawley rats from 8 weeks of age throughout the life span.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this second study is to better quantify the carcinogenic risk of APM, beginning treatment during fetal life. METHODS: We studied groups of 70–95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered APM
(2,000, 400, or 0 ppm) with feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death.
RESULTS: Our results show a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor–bearing animals in males (p < 0.01), particularly in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p < 0.01); b) a significant increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males treated with 2,000 ppm (p < 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (p < 0.01), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.01); and c) a significant dose-related increase in incidence of mammary cancer in females (p < 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this carcinogenicity bioassay confirm and reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM’s multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptabledaily intake for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates

http://www.tuftshealthletter.com/ShowArticle.aspx?rowId=347
Should You Sour on Aspartame? SEPTEMBER 2007 Should You Sour on Aspartame?
Balancing cancer fears about sweetener vs. sugar’s waistline woes.

————————————-
Aspartame and MSG Cause Fibromyalgia

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/recent.html
Recent Independent Aspartame Research Results & News(1998 – 2007)

http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/6/702
Aspartame and MSG Cause Painful Fibromyalgia Symptoms Ann Pharmacother 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6

Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.
Smith JD, Terpening CM, Schmidt SO, Gums JG. Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder that is often difficult to treat effectively. CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome for two to 17 years are described. All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete, resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet. All patients were women with multiple comorbidities prior to elimination of MSG. All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.

DISCUSSION: Excitotoxins are molecules, such as MSG and aspartate, that act as excitatory neurotransmitters, and can lead to neurotoxicity when used in excess. We propose that these four patients may represent a subset of fibromyalgia syndrome that is induced or exacerbated by excitotoxins or, alternatively, may comprise an excitotoxin syndrome that is similar to fibromyalgia. We suggest that identification of similar patients and research with larger numbers of patients must be performed before definitive conclusions can be made.

EFSA Defends Aspartame

http://www.anhcampaign.org/news/efsa-defends-controversial-sweetener-aspartame-again
ANH Feature: EFSA defends controversial sweetener aspartame (again)

Where might you find aspartame?
Following is a list of foods in your local supermarket in which you might find aspartame. [Remember: whole, natural foods don’t contain aspartame!]

•Any product labelled as containing Nutrasweet, Equal, Canderil, Dietsweet or E591
•Aseptically packaged fruit drinks
•Breath mints
•Food/dietary supplements
•Carbonated soft drinks
•Cereal bars
•Chewable vitamins
•Chewing gums
•Childrens’ breakfast cereals
•Coffee sweeteners (e.g., ‘Sweet & Low’)
•Confectionary
•Cookie/biscuit fillings
•Diabetic products
•Dry mixes for gelatins, puddings, beverages and dairy toppings
•Food/dietary supplements
•Flavoured milks
•Frozen desserts
•Medical foods
•Low-fat desserts
•Frozen novelties
•Fruit jams and spreads
•Low-fat products
•Pharmaceuticals
•Processed breakfast cereals
•Sports nutrition supplements
•Refrigerated gelatins
•Refrigerated juice-based drinks
•Refrigerated puddings
•Tea beverages
•Weight loss products
•Yogurts

http://www.aspartamekills.com/lydon.htm

Aspartame Disease

Aspartame disease refers to a constellation of symptoms attributed to the use of products containing aspartame. Common occurrences include: headaches, dizziness, and everything from confusion to ringing in the ears and slurred speech. Since its introduction as a food additive in 1981, aspartame has accounted for more than 75 percent of all complaints reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System. In February 1994, the US Department of Health and Human Services released this extensive list of aspartame-induced reactions which encompassed everything from chronic fatigue syndrome and seizures to infertility and death. By the FDAs own admission, less than one percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. This expands the 10,000 documented accounts to roughly a million people who have experienced reactions to aspartame. Moreover, most victims don’t have any idea that aspartame may be at the root of their problems.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/827619
J Toxicol Environ Health. 1976 Nov;2(2):471-80.
Hypothalamic morphology following ingestion of aspartame or MSG in the neonatal rodent and primate: a preliminary report. Reynolds WA, Butler V, Lemkey-Johnston N.

Neonatal mice received oral doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) at levels of 0.25, 0.5m 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g/kg or aspartame at levels of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/kg. Hypothalamic lesions were encountered at dose levels equal to or exceeding 0.5 g/kg (MSG) and 1.0 g/kg (aspartame). Aspartame administration resulted in a much smaller hypothalamic lesion than did equal dosages of MSG.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/3880/719
Science 9 May 1969:Vol. 164. no. 3880, pp. 719 – 721

Brain Lesions, Obesity, and Other Disturbances in Mice Treated with Monosodium Glutamate
John W. Olney 1

In newborn mice subcutaneous injectionis of monosodium glutamate induced acute neuronal necrosis in several regions of developing brain including the hypothalamus. As adults, treated animals showed stunted skeletal development, marked obesity, and female sterility. Pathological changes were also found in several organs associated with endocrine function. Studies of food consumption failed to demonstrate hyperphagia to explain the obesity. It is postulated that the adult syndrome represents a multifacted neuroendocrine disturbance arising from the disruption of developing neural centers of endocrine function.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/984473
Anat Rec. 1976 Oct;186(2):185-205.
Monosodium glutamate induced lesions of the arcuate nucleus. I. Endocrine deficiency and ultrastructure of the median eminence.Holzwarth-McBride MA, Hurst EM, Knigge KM.

Monosodium glutamate was administered daily on days 5 through 10 postnatally at a dose of 2.5 mg/gm body weight. Counts of remaining perikarya in the arcuate nucleus of adult mice indicated approximately an 80% decrease in the number of perikarya. The arcuate lesion resulted in endocrine deficits; reporductive capacity was reduced, animals were smaller in stature and obese, and the weights of the anterior pituitary, ovaries and testes were significantly decreased while adrenals were unaffected. Light microscopic studies revealed no significant changes in thickness or general histological appearance of the median eminence. At the electron microscope level, there were no alterations in the number of nerve terminals or dense core vesicles per unit area in the contact zone. These observations suggest that afferents to the median eminence from the arcuate nucleus may form a relatively small portion of its total nerve terminal population.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1106764
British Journal of Nutrition (1976), 35:25-39 Cambridge University Press
The induction of obesity in rodents by means of monosodium glutamate
J. Bunyana1, Elspeth A. Murrella1 and P. P. Shaha1
90% or more became markedly obese.

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X1997000500016&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
Braz J Med Biol Res, May 1997, Volume 30(5) 671-674 (Short Communication)Monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese rats develop glucose intolerance and insulin resistance to peripheral glucose uptake. A.E. Hirata, I.S. Andrade, P. Vaskevicius and M.S. Dolnikoff
Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brasil

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2047097
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1991 May;71(5):560-4.
Monosodium glutamate-related orofacial granulomatosis. Review and case report.
Oliver AJ, Rich AM, Reade PC, Varigos GA, Radden BG.Section of Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, School of Dental Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3242382
Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1988 Nov-Dec;16(6):425-8.
Monosodium glutamate and skin pathology in pediatric allergology.
Botey J, Cozzo M, Marin A, Eseverri JL. Servicio de Alergia e Inmunologia Clínica, Hospital Infantil Valle de Hebron, Universidad Autonoma, Barcelona, Spain.

This study presents the cases of five children who consulted us because of skin pathology, in which a hypersensitivity to monosodium glutamate (MSG) was detected. In four children, the motive for consultation was urticaria; in two children, urticaria was accompanied by angioedema, while the fifth child presented with atopic dermatitis and urticaria. In the four cases of urticaria, the etiological diagnosis was probable drug allergy. The oral provocation test (OPT), carried out with monosodium glutamate (MSG) in opaque capsules containing 50 and 100 mgr., was positive in two hours in four of the five children. MSG’s mechanism of action is unknown, and though its use is world-wide, no evidence of hypersensitivity with cutaneous symptomatology has been found in any of the studies carried out to date.

A case is reported in a 15-year-old white girl who had a swollen lower face and lips; a diagnosis of orofacial granulomatosis was made. It was suspected that her condition had an allergic basis because an increase in clinical signs and symptoms was shown to be related to the food additive monosodium glutamate. Treatment with a restricted diet resulted in resolution of the facial swelling.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7246043
Acta Anat (Basel). 1981;109(2):97-102.

Histological changes in the thyroid gland induced by monosodium glutamate in mice.Dhindsa KS, Omran RG, Bhup R.

The effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the thyroid gland of mice is studied. MSG induces marked histological changes in the thyroid tissue, indicative of hypothyroidism. The follicular epithelium, is greatly compressed and the follicles have enlarged due to distension with the accumulation of colloid. The histological picture of the thyroid gland remains unchanged for the animals sacrificed after short-term (13 weeks) and long-term (52 weeks) treatment. MSG, therefore, has a cumulative effect. The hypothyroidism is attributed to the influence of the drug on hypothalamus-pituitary function and the secretion of hormones responsible for the thyroid metabolism.

Link to this article: http://wp.me/P3gFbV-4D

Jeffrey Dach MD
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Grocery Store as Mine Field, Part One

Is Your SuperMarket a Minefield ? For part two click here.

Aspartame’s Dubious Honor

Diet Sodas are a Mine Field

Safety Studies on Aspartame – Cancer?

Avoid the Apartame Mine Field

MSG – Chinese Restaurant Syndrome

MSG and the Obesity Epidemic

Hidden Sources of MSG – It’s not on the label.

Virtually All Fast Foods Contain Large Quantities of MSG

Aspartame and MSG – Fibromyalgia Double Whammy

MSG – an Epidemic of Thyroid Disease

BVO- Brominated Vegetable Oil

What About the FDA ?

In Conclusion- Avoid the Minefield at the Supermarket

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