What is Aspartame? According to Wikipedia, aspartame is an artificial sweetener derived from aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. The first two chemicals are naturally occurring amino acids and methanol is also known as wood alcohol, not the ethanol found in adult beverages.
Where is it found? Aspartame is found in 6000 foods and beverages worldwide. It is also known as Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel. You are most likely to consume it in a diet soda (even though most sodas are terrible for you). Read labels carefully if you wish to avoid aspartame.
Why should I be concerned? Aspartame is something you should make an INFORMED choice about. Realize that it is a huge money maker so there is going to be a positive spin on it from many sources. Scientific literature and health professionals worldwide raise concern about aspartame safety. Be careful to investigate which journal is publishing the information and how the research was funded. Research that is funded by drug companies will tend to be favorable to drugs!
Dr Russell Blaylock has classified aspartame as an "excitotoxin". An excitotoxin is a chemical that over stimulates the neurons in the central nervous system at the synapses. The term was coined in 1969 in the highly respected Journal Science during a test of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on mice. Normally, glutamate and aspartate bind with receptors and activate the neuron. If they are not quickly removed, or there is a large excess of either amino acid, then cell over excitation leading to cell death can result.
Although not conclusive, there are major journal articles testing the hypothesis that this mechanism may be responsible for disorders such as autism, ALS, MS and Alzheimer's. The glutamate and aspartate may be key factors in the degenerative process.
Another issue is the methanol that results when aspartame containing products are heated above 86 degrees F (Mercola, 2005). Methanol is very toxic and much more toxic when there is no ethanol present as a competitor. Studies have shown that neuropathy can result from chronic methanol exposure.
Now the extra important point. The blood-brain barrier that is present in all people is NOT fully developed until adulthood, and allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate in all people (Mercola, 2005). You have even more reason to be cautious with you children and their intake of these excitotoxins. Your children's quality of life will be diminished as their brains will not function at the level that they are capable of. If you have sensed a change in the way children behave and think in the last 30 years or so, then chemical toxicity is a very probable contributor. The foods we eat are far different from those available 30 years ago or more.
Chiropractic is all about natural drug-free living. Chiropractors correct subluxations to encourage full nerve signal transmission, but if nerve cells are attacked by toxic chemical intake, your chances of full nerve heath are diminished.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or are interested in getting more sources of information on this topic. It is my goal to help you make more informed choices about your health and wellness.
About the Author
Dr. Sue is the owner of LeBlanc Chiropractic in Firestone, Colorado. She can be reached by email at sue@drsueleblanc.com
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