[TruthTalk] Aspartame

[Judy Taylor]

Thanks for sending this Laura, it is of interest. When I was having our kids I remember reading about babies born with PKU so this has been around for a while. There are people with all kinds of allergies. Apparently some who have children with an allergy to peanuts and other nuts are wanting them excluded from lunch programs and banned from schools altogether. I'm sure glad I don't have that one :-)  It's good to use wisdom and take care of the body God has entrusted to us.   Grace and Peace, Judyt   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] glad you mentioned this, Judy.  I do know a gal who had some allegric reactions to beverages with aspertame and they cleared up when she discontinued it.  The symptoms did mask that of MS BUT this is not common.  Below is a report I found to be interesting.  Laura Is aspartame safe? After reviewing scientific studies, FDA determined in 1981 that aspartame was safe for use in foods. In 1987, the General Accounting Office investigated the process surrounding FDA's approval of aspartame and confirmed the agency had acted properly. However, FDA has continued to review complaints alleging adverse reactions to products containing aspartame. To date, FDA has not determined any consistent pattern of symptoms that can be attributed to the use of aspartame, nor is the agency aware of any recent studies that clearly show safety problems. Carefully controlled clinical studies show that aspartame is not an allergen. However, certain people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), those with advanced liver disease, and pregnant women with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of phenylalanine in blood) have a problem with aspartame because they do not effectively metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, one of aspartame's components. High levels of this amino acid in body fluids can cause brain damage. Therefore, FDA has ruled that all products containing aspartame must include a warning to phenylketonurics that the sweetener contains phenylalanine.   Source: Excerpted from FDA Consumer, May 1994: Food Allergies Rare but Risky Refresh Q&A Frames Foods Home   |   FDA Home   |   Search/Subject Index   |   Disclaimers & Privacy Policy   |   Accessibility/Help