Published December 18,
2004 in the North
Island Weekender
On my intake form for new
patients one of the questions I ask is: “Do you consume artificial
sweeteners?” This can be in the form of gum, pop or sugar free products of any
kind. Julie, a woman 45 years of age, came into the office complaining of a
bizarre mix of symptoms. She had unexplained water retention and weight gain of
60 pounds, her hair was falling out, she had fatigue, severe headaches, blurred
vision, slurred speech, depression, memory loss, anxiety, terrible joint pains
and recent tooth abscesses. On the intake form I noticed she ingested 3-4 cans
of diet pop per day in addition to many other “sugar free” foods such as:
diet Popsicles, yogurt, flavored mineral water, sugar free gum and diet cereals.
She had been consuming diet coke since she was a child! All in an effort
to control her weight.
I told her about the problems with Aspartame, the most common ingredient in sugar free foods and also explained that the newer Splenda was no better. Aspartame is made up of the amino acid phenlyalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and is made by the Monsanto Chemical Company. When the methanol in Aspartame is heated beyond 86 degrees F, (the normal body temperature is 98.6!) it converts into formaldehyde and then into formic acid causing metabolic acidosis and toxic damage to the nervous system (neurotoxin) thus mimicking the symptoms of Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. Patients who suffer from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, numbness in the legs, dizziness, tinnitus and memory loss may in fact be suffering from methanol (a deadly poison) toxicity caused by Aspartame. Methanol was the alcohol of choice for skid row alcohols that caused blindness or death. Methanol is a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. The limit of “safe” consumption of methanol is 7.6mg per day and in one aspartame sweetened beverage there is 56mg and often dieters are consuming 250mg per day! The most common symptom of methanol poisoning is vision problems.
Formaldehyde, another
by-product of aspartame metabolism is a known carcinogen and also causes retinal
damage and birth defects. Formic acid the other metabolite of aspartame is used
to make ant sting poison, strip epoxy and urethane coatings. The amino acid
phenylalanine when ingested alone, as in Aspartame products, becomes a
neurotoxin and a potential cause for brain tumors. These dangerous by-products
are made at an accelerated rate in the empty stomach of dieters and these
components go straight to the brain, causing many symptoms including headaches,
mental confusion, seizures and dizziness. There are over 5000 products with
Aspartame in them and these should be especially avoided by pregnant women and
young children due to their dangerous effect on the developing nervous system.
Attention deficit and hyperactivity in children has been related to aspartame
containing foods.
When Julia stopped all foods containing Aspartame she lost 10 pounds in 1.5 weeks, (she felt she had 50 more pounds of fluid to lose), she urinated a lot better, (she was only urinating every few days!) her headaches disappeared and her energy began improving. There were other health concerns that Julie had that we addressed with my Basic Treatment Guidelines and we evaluated her hormones using the saliva test. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her but she is feeling much better overall.
The next question I get
asked is what about Splenda? Well Splenda or sucralose has been around since
1991 when Canada was the first nation to approve its use. The US Food and Drug
Administration granted approval for sucrulose in 1998. It is approved in 79
Countries although most European Countries have not yet approved it. It is the
leading brand of sweetener now, with 9000 packets being consumed per minute
across North America! It is 50% sweeter than aspartame and 600 times sweeter
than sugar.
Few human studies have been
done on its safety. It increases glycosylated hemoglobin which is what you want
to decrease, not increase, in the treatment of diabetes, and in rats and mice
and rabbit studies it shrinks the thymus and spleen (important immune organs),
enlarges the liver and kidneys, reduces growth rate, decreases red blood cell
counts (causes anemia), aborts pregnancies, decreases fetal weight and causes
diarrhea. Often those people using artificial sweeteners to lose weight in fact
gain more weight over time as they trigger further cravings for carbohydrates.
It is too early to tell the side effects of Splenda as not enough people have
consumed this product, however Dr. Mercola in his practice has seen severe
migraines and seizures possibly caused by Splenda. For further information read Excitotoxins
The Taste That Kills by Dr. Russell Blayblock and Defense
Against Alzheimer’s Disease by Dr. H.J. Roberts. The sweet herb Stevia is
an excellent sweetener for diabetics and those wanting to lower their
carbohydrate intake. It does not affect blood sugars and it can be used in
baking. Why risk putting further toxins into the body?
Dr. Pincott has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com