tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950106.post-34430196780025463592008-06-08T02:26:00.003Z2008-06-08T02:35:59.619Z2008-06-08T02:35:59.619Z<p>I know many people personally that use artificial sweeteners for various reasons. Some people try to avoid getting hyperglycemic and develop diabetes, Some people are trying to lose weight. Personally I love both tea and coffee but drink both bitter (I hate sweet stuff anyway). There is quite a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy" rel="external">controversy about Aspartame</a> however. Today I found this site; although I'm not sure if I can trust it 100% it does seem pretty credit-worthy to me. An extract from the article titled <cite><a href="http://www.thetruthaboutstuff.com/review1.shtml" rel="external">Dangers of Aspartame, Nutrasweet and Artificial Sweetner: Review 1</a></cite>:</p> <blockquote cite="http://www.thetruthaboutstuff.com/review1.shtml"> <p>Aspartame tastes sweet because, attached to it, is a molecule of methanol (wood alcohol). The methanol is very loosely bound and will fly off with the slightest heating or when consumed(20,51). Because methanol’s toxicity is well known, millions of dollars were invested by Aspartame’s inventors in an attempt to attach some other “safer” substance, but this attempt was not successful. With the approval of Aspartame, a new source of methanol was added to what is a very short list of methanol containing foods.</p> <p>Methanol - Trojan Horse: Why is methanol dangerous? Inside cells, methanol is converted to formaldehyde(30), an undetectable toxin and recognized cancer causing agent of the highest order (Group I)(11). Even when formaldehyde is injected directly into a living human, it turns into formal hydrate(4,27), a very aggressive molecule that instantly attaches to any protein molecule which it makes contact. The formaldehyde molecule then completely disappears within the cover of the much larger protein(31,32). No diagnostic procedures, can detect a protein molecule so changed, yet the damaged molecule, loses function.</p> <p>Damaged protein molecules are not tolerated by the immune system. Specific detection sites for “formaldehyde modified protein” are found on white blood cells called macrophages(23,24). Macrophages seek out and destroy these proteins at a rate 100 times faster than proteins not treated with formaldehyde(25). Upon autopsy, macrophages are found in the damaged areas of the brains of those who have died with MS(42,44).</p> </blockquote> <p>Mmm, if this is true it's definitely reason for worry. There are a lot of sites out there where people claim they have been developing all kinds of diseases (particularly cancer) due to the intake of aspartame. Worth a quick Google or two.</p>Charl van Niekerkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16555795103153299929noreply@blogger.com