*Strap On Your Chemical Goggles

At this point, I can’t imagine why anyone would still believe that aspartame is anything but harmful to the body. However, if you need any more convincing, here are a few interesting things I found on the Internet.

The company has made a fortune off aspartame, at the expense of those who purchase and consume it, and at the hazard of those who actually do the work of producing and handling it. The Material Safety Data Sheet on aspartame (CAS# 22839-47-0) says that to work with the sweetener, one should wear chemical goggles, protective gloves to prevent skin exposure, a chemical apron and a NIOS/MSHA approved air purifying dust or mist respirator.16 Whatever else one may say about refined white sugar, at least one doesn’t have to wear chemical goggles to work with it! (http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/sugarfree_blues.html)

I don’t understand how people feel ok about putting something so toxic into their bodies. Despite the fact that the product is FDA approved, anything that involves these safety precautions for its production has got to be questionable. What ever happened to all natural products being a dieters choice? There are other low calorie sweetener options such as Stevia or Agave Nectar, for example, which are completely natural and unprocessed. The FDA excuses some of the proposed dangers of aspartame because they say the ingredients found in it are naturally found in many other foods we consume. This is the part they left out:

The dismissal of phenylalanine and aspartic acid as significant health hazards is a dangerous bit of sleight of hand. According to Dr. Lydon, “Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are normally supplied by the foods we eat; however, they can only be considered natural and harmless when consumed in combination with other amino acids. On their own, they enter the central nervous system in abnormally high concentrations, causing aberrant neuronal firing and potential cell death. The neurotoxic effects of these amino acids, when consumed as isolates, can be linked to headaches, mental confusion, balance problems and possibly seizures.” (http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/sugarfree_blues.html)

The FDA seems to have an explanation for most of the complaints regarding aspartame. Well, guess what? The FDA is a great businessman, but a horrible friend. They say just enough to keep the consumer satisfied and comforted, but they leave a lot out. That is why you should listen to your true friends: the ones who aren’t profiting off of the things they are telling you.