| > | | | | such as the now famous Vioxx fiasco. In the case of |
| | | | Vioxx, it had become clear to many observers that |
| Had any Nutrasweet lately? If you have, you might | | | | the FDA wasn't going to be part of the solution - at |
| like to know that a class action lawsuit is in the | | | | least not soon. It finally took a well-orchestrated class |
| works against Nutrasweet manufacturer G.D. Searle. | | | | action lawsuit to get everyone's attention and |
| A consumer rights advocacy group calling itself | | | | pressure the agency into taking corrective action. |
| "Mission Possible" is leading this potentially explosive | | | | To back up these allegations about Nutrasweet, |
| litigation. In their lawsuit they plan to expose | | | | there's a large body of evidence in Mission Possible's |
| evidence pointing to the fact that aspartame - also | | | | possession that accurately documents the history of |
| known as "Nutrasweet" - has been found to be a | | | | aspartame from its initial discovery to its |
| causative agent for brain tumors and that the FDA | | | | politically-engineered approval. That a product with so |
| has known of these risks for years. | | | | many known health risks continues to be allowed in |
| Mission Possible has amassed an impressive array of | | | | over 9000 commonly consumed foods, beverages |
| studies and reports proving that aspartame is not a | | | | and medical products, is, well, food for some very |
| bonafide food additive but a neurotoxic drug that | | | | disturbing thought. |
| spins off the deadly brain tumor agent: DKP | | | | Over the years it has been demonstrated that |
| (diketopiperazine). | | | | aspartame is a neurotoxic agent and that it interacts |
| The founder of Mission Possible, Betty Martini, | | | | with other drugs and vaccinations in unexpected, |
| explained the situation as follows: "Neither | | | | harmful ways. For example, in one set of discovered |
| congressional hearings nor repeated petitions calling | | | | documents, Searle conducted Nutrasweet |
| for a ban have stopped aspartame manufacturers | | | | experiments in six third world countries (1983-1984). |
| from exposing the public to this sweet poison. In | | | | During that period, some of the subjects who were |
| fact, aspartame producers are reporting increased | | | | given Nutrasweet developed brain tumors and others |
| sales and boasting the market place addition of | | | | started to have seizures. |
| Neotame, a new aspartame product." | | | | The bottom line is that large numbers of people who |
| It is a matter of documented record that for sixteen | | | | were asked to consume Nutrasweet in early Searle |
| years, the FDA tried to resist pressure to approve | | | | studies came down with brain and nervous disorders. |
| aspartame because of various studies that linked the | | | | The damaging results from these studies were |
| artificial sweetener to a variety of adverse reactions. | | | | statistically significant and yet, for reasons that are |
| Among those reactions were brain tumors that | | | | now becoming obvious, the FDA was not advised. |
| occurred in animals that ingested aspartame. | | | | In 1999, an aspartame study was done by Dr. Peter |
| In 1977, FDA investigator Jerome Bressler discovered | | | | Nunn at King's College in England. Based on the |
| that Searle had intentionally destroyed evidence of a | | | | results, Dr. Nunn concluded that: "
it is possible that |
| large number of laboratory animals that had died | | | | the aspartame breakdown product may be capable |
| from ingesting aspartame. Bressler later met with | | | | of enhancing the rate of malignant progression of |
| doctors H.J. Roberts, MD and Russell Blaylock, MD to | | | | preexisting
tumors in the brain". These results |
| brief them on his findings. | | | | validated those of famed neuroscientist Dr. John |
| For quite a long period of time during the initial lab | | | | Olney, who had also determined that there was a |
| testing, the fate of aspartame was uncertain. The | | | | connection between brain tumors and aspartame. |
| FDA had been resisting approval based on mounting | | | | Currently, about seventy percent of adults and forty |
| evidence that aspartame was toxic. | | | | percent of children consume aspartame in one form |
| Then - enter Donald Rumsfeld (yes, THE Donald | | | | or another. Coincidentally, brain tumors in the United |
| Rumsfeld). In 1978, the Board of Directors of G.D. | | | | States have been steadily on the rise since the early |
| Searle recruited Rumsfeld to head up the company | | | | 1980s when aspartame was approved. |
| as CEO. Three years later, political wheels turned and | | | | In a powerful video documentary called "Sweet |
| the FDA reversed its longstanding opposition to | | | | Misery: A Poisoned World", aspartame investigator |
| aspartame and approved its sale. | | | | Cori Brackett pieces together key interviews with |
| Since then, the FDA has received thousands of | | | | doctors, scientists, attorneys, and FDA investigators. |
| complaints and has amassed a list of no less than 92 | | | | Most troubling is the body of evidence pointing to the |
| symptoms of aspartame poisoning. This list includes | | | | fact that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld |
| neurological problems, seizures, vision loss, blindness, | | | | used his considerable political influence to cause the |
| headaches, cardiovascular problems, and death. | | | | FDA to approve aspartame, knowingly putting |
| Of all the consumer complaints filed with the FDA | | | | hundreds of millions of people at risk. |
| each year, a whopping eighty percent of those | | | | So here it is in a nutshell: if you consume any product |
| complaints have to do with adverse reactions to | | | | that contains aspartame (AKA: "Nutrasweet") you |
| Nutrasweet-related products. Eighty percent! | | | | are in fact consuming a poisonous chemical known |
| Fortunately for all of us, Martini has been collecting | | | | for its ill-effects on the human body. If you eat or |
| data about this controversy since 1992. She has tried | | | | drink products containing Nutrasweet (AKA |
| executive and administrative remedies to have | | | | aspartame) you're just asking for it. For the sake of |
| aspartame removed from the market place, but little | | | | your health and for the sake of those who love you |
| has come of her efforts. | | | | and want to see you around for a long time, please |
| She is now of the opinion that: "Litigation is the only | | | | stop. Read the label. If it says "Nutrasweet" or |
| way to spare consumers from the misery of | | | | "aspartame", reach for something else. |
| aspartame poisoning." Her reasoning is supported by | | | | Please consider forwarding this important health |
| the outcome of recent product liability controversies | | | | information to your email list. |