Dr. Mercola - Is This FDA-Approved Sweetener Causing Brain Damage?

Aspartame is the most popular artificial sweetener in the United States, but I think a more apt description would be the most dangerous food additive on the U.S. market.

Used in more than 6,000 products (often sugar-free or "diet" versions), millions of people consume this toxin, believing it to be a healthy alternative to sugar.

But people would likely stop using it in droves if they only knew the truth, which is that since its discovery aspartame has been linked to brain tumors.ⁱ

And just this month, research was published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology showing yet another route by which aspartame damages your brain …

Read More:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/24/aspartame-affects-brain-health.aspx

Hilary Parker - A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.  

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

Read More:

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/index.xml?section=topstories

Dr. Mercola - Corn Syrup Linked to Diabetes

A new study attributed the significant rise of diabetes cases to the growing consumption of refined carbohydrates. The study also supported evidence that the advice from public health regarding limiting their intake of sugary foods and lowering their fat intake might have backfired. Over the past 40 years, the number of obese people and those diagnosed with diabetes has risen dramatically.

Experts blamed these rising health problems on the high numbers of sedentary lifestyles and poor diets.

A study gathered information on food composition and consumption over the years 1909 to 1997. Data from these findings were compared to the rates of disease from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When researchers evaluated the results they found that the drop in fiber consumption and heavy consumption of corn syrup found in most processed foods were at the root of the problem, not the number of proteins, fats or carbohydrates.

Read More:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/05/26/corn-syrup-diabetes.aspx

Fructose Consumption Increases Risk Factors for Heart Disease: Study Suggests US Dietary Guideline for Upper Limit of Sugar Consumption Is Too High

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism(JCEM) found that adults who consumed high fructose corn syrup for two weeks as 25 percent of their daily calorie requirement had increased blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which have been shown to be indicators of increased risk for heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends that people consume only five percent of calories as added sugar. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 suggest an upper limit of 25 percent or less of daily calories consumed as added sugar. To address this discrepancy in recommended consumption levels, researchers examined what happened when young overweight and normal weight adults consumed fructose, high fructose corn syrup or glucose at the 25 percent upper limit.

"While there is evidence that people who consume sugar are more likely to have heart disease or diabetes, it is controversial as to whether high sugar diets may actually promote these diseases, and dietary guidelines are conflicting," said the study's senior author, Kimber Stanhope, PhD, of the University of California, Davis. "Our findings demonstrate that several factors associated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease were increased in individuals consuming 25 percent of their calories as fructose or high fructose corn syrup, but consumption of glucose did not have this effect."

Read More:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728082558.htm

Sodas, Other Sugary Beverages Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome

A new study has found that regular consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a clear and consistently greater risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. According to the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers, the study provides empirical evidence that intake of sugary beverages should be limited to reduce risk of these conditions.

The study appears online October 27, 2010, in the journal Diabetes Care and will appear in the November print edition.

"Many previous studies have examined the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of diabetes, and most have found positive associations but our study, which is a pooled analysis of the available studies, provides an overall picture of the magnitude of risk and the consistency of the evidence," said lead author Vasanti Malik, a research fellow in the HSPH Department of Nutrition.

Read More:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027151205.htm

Russell L. Blaylock - Sudden Cardiac Death and Food Excitotoxin Additives

Over 460,000 people per year are now dying of a disorder called of sudden cardiac death according to CDC statistics. This is a condition striking otherwise healthy people, who have experienced no obvious symptoms of heart disease prior to their deaths. An alarming number of these deaths are occurring in young athletes, both in high schools, colleges, as well as among professional athletes.

While cardiologists have found coronary disease and suspect previous scars from silent heart attacks in a number of these individuals, one mechanism is getting no attention at all, and that is excitotoxic damage caused by food additives and the artificial sweetener aspartame. This is despite growing evidence that the excitotoxic mechanism plays a major role in cardiac disease.

Previously, it was thought that excitotoxin food additives, such as monosodium glutamate and aspartic acid in aspartame, cause their damage in the cardiovascular centers in the brain stem and/or by over stimulating sympathetic centers in the hypothalamus of the brain. Both of these mechanisms have been shown to result in sudden cardiac death in experimental animals.

Read More:

http://www.whale.to/a/sudden_cardiac_death.html

Arthur M. Evangelista - Aspartame: The History Of A Killer, The Whole Story

1964: The development of new pharmaceuticals was the focus of research at the international pharmaceutical company, G.D. Searle and Company (Farber 1989, page 29). A group working on an ulcer drug was formed including Dr. Robert Mazer, James Schlatter, Arthur Goldkemp and Imperial Chemical. In particular, they were looking for an inhibitor of the gastrointestinal secretory hormone gastrin (Stegink 1984a). 1965: While creating a bioassay, an intermediate chemical was synthesized -- aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester (aspartame). In December of 1965, while James Schlatter was recrystalling aspartame from ethanol, the mixture spilled onto the outside of the flask. Some of the powder got onto his fingers. Later, when he licked his fingers to pick up a piece of paper, he noticed a very strong sweet taste. He realized that the sweet taste might have been the aspartame. So, believing that the dipeptide aspartame was not likely to be toxic, he tasted a little bit and discovered its sweet taste (Stegink 1984a, page 4). The discovery was reported in 1966, but there was no mention of the sweetness (Furia 1972). Read More: http://www.rense.com/general50/KILLER.HTM

James Bowen - EPIDEMIC of SUDDEN DEATHS in those EXPOSED TO ASPARTAME

The horrendous toxicity of Aspartame has been well documented ever 
since its inception.

Sudden deaths logically arise from several of its many toxicities. 
For example, Christina Onassis, Patty Crane, and Carol Hamm are 
amongst those that I know of who were using Aspartame and were 
addicted to it, and visibly deteriorating under its influence when 
they suddenly, and unexpectedly, died there from.  Patty Crane was 
found dead amongst a litter of diet Pepsi cans. When her mother, 
Betty Hayland, who was exposing Patty's "Nutra Death" on TV, came to 
me to learn the biochemical basis of its deadliness; she, after 
learning some of the biochemistry, asked: "Dr Bowen, how could such a 
poisonous chemical ever be on the market?" I answered "Betty! This is 
organized crime in our government." She became furious with me! "That 
I should suggest there is organized crime in the U.S. government! 
What a nut!" A few days later they called and threatened her life. A 
couple days later two men tried to drag her into a car. She was able 
to make her escape by breaking free and running. A couple days later 
her husband Dave, who now has no question that organized crime runs 
our government, came home and found her shot dead in a puddle of 
blood on the floor. Carol Hamm was a close friend, but not my patient 
so medical confidentiality does not prevent my discussing her 
tragedy. We played cards together a couple of times per week and she 
constantly had diet drinks in her hands while she played. She, over a 
short period of a few weeks use, visibly deteriorated physically 
right in front of my eyes, and mentally. Her card playing 
deteriorated as well! She would defiantly look me right in the eye as 
she drank diet to let me know that she didn't care that I had warned 
her of what I knew about Aspartame. She was going to satisfy her 
addiction by damn! Come what may! What came was that, one night she 
didn't show for cards, and her daughter Debby called the police. When 
we arrived at her house she was lying dead in bed with bloody fluid 
running out of her mouth. In all three cases the autopsy report 
revealed only "unexplained pulmonary edema".

Read More:

http://www.whale.to/a/sads1.html

Vreni Gurd - Sugar, The disease generator

Sugar is a key factor in most degenerative disease, and in order for us as a society to get control over our health, we must stop consuming it.

On some level most of us know that sugar is not healthy, but I don't think the majority of us have any idea truly how devastating sugar is. And reducing one's sugar consumption is challenging as it is highly addictive, causing withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, depression, fatigue, and cravings.

Even as early as the 60s, the research of Alfred Lopez repeatedly pointed to sugar as being a significant player in the development of heart disease, and then Ahrens' work in the 70s found the same thing. Sugar causes an increase in the adhesiveness of the blood platelets, which may be the reason for its role in heart disease. Sugar is also implicated as a causative factor in type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, liver disease, obesity, and depression, and is important in the growth of cancerous tumors, as cancer cells love sugar. Every tablespoon of sugar depresses the immune system for up to 6 hours. If you find that you are constantly sick, sugar may be a large part of the reason. Sugar also encourages candida albicans overgrowth, a fungus that starts in the digestive tract and can spread to the internal organs and the respiratory system. Common symptoms may include yeast infections, digestive problems, or asthma.

Read More:

http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/02/15/sugar_the_disease_generator#axzz1qtmANjdF

Syndrome X: The Sugar Disease

Syndrome X — 60 to 75 million Americans have it. According to Dr. Gerald Reaven, who discovered Syndrome X, it is the number one predictor of heart disease.

And that good diet prescribed by your cardiologist can be deadly. If you have Syndrome X, carefully dieting to lower your total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol won’t solve your problem. In fact, it may make a heart attack even more likely.

Syndrome X is a very quiet malady that interferes with the ability of insulin to move glucose (sugar) into certain cells for later use. Millions of heart attacks have been caused by the failure of insulin to do its job.

Insulin resistance is at the heart of Syndrome X. This is why simply lowering HDL and LDL cholesterol won’t solve the problem as is universally prescribed by American physicians.

Read More:

http://www.betterhealthresearch.com/special-report/syndrome-x-the-sugar-disease/