Just how safe is the artificial
sweetener aspartame (more commonly known as NutraSweet), currently used in some 6000
products and consumed by hundreds of millions of people? You may be surprised to learn
that a number of medical problems are likely to be adverse reactions to products
containing aspartame. Author HJ Roberts, MD, a board-certified internist with impressive
credentials, first became suspicious of aspartame when he encountered an increasing number
of patients with a wide variety of symptoms, such as headaches, mood swings, memory loss,
dizziness, depression, insomnia, diarrhea and anxiety, among others. Based on hundreds of
case studies, Roberts concluded that these unexplained symptoms were actually reactions to
products containing aspartame. The book not only looks at the clinical picture of
aspartame, but also describes how it received FDA approval without undergoing testing in
humans, and how the United States Senate allowed this well-financed chemical additive to
sail through the official government channels.
CONTENTS
Preface
1. The Aspartame Boom
2.. How I Became Involved in the
Aspartame Issue
3. Aspartame Consumption
4. Aspartame Metabolism
5. Excessive Intake of Phenylalanine and
Aspartic Acid
6. Methyl Alcohol
7. A Clinical Overview
8. General Aspects of Aspartame
Reactions
9. Convulsions (Epilepsy)
10. Headache
11. Confusion and Memory Loss;
Intellectual Deterioration
12. Other Neurologic Reactions
13. Psychiatric and Behavioral Reactions
14. Eye Complaints
15. Ear Complaints
16. Excessive Weight Loss: Anorexia and
Bulimia
17. Paradoxical Weight Gain
18. Allergic Reactions
19. Gastrointestinal Problems
20. Heart and Chest Problems
21. Other Reactions
22. Drug Interactions
23. Pregnant Women; Nursing Mothers
24. Infants and Children
25. Diabetes
26. Patients Prone to Hypoglycemia
27. Alcoholism
28. The Elderly (Is There an
Aspartame-Alzheimer Connection?)
29. Patients with Phenylketonuria (PKU)
and PKU Carriers
30. Does Aspartame Pose an Imminent
Public Health Hazard?
31. Public Health Issues
32. The Myth of “The Most
Thoroughly Tested Additive in History”
33. Attitudes of Consumers and Patients
34. Consumer Advocates and Aspartame
35. Alternatives to Aspartame
Epilogue: The First - and Last - Word
References
Index
REVIEWS
"This is the first book to detail
the troubled history of NutraSweet, a synthetic sweetener used by 100 million Americans.
It has been blamed for such symptoms as headache, hyperactivity in children, and increased
carbohydrate craving. The Food and Drug Administration continues to approve use of it in
more and more products, while many health professionals continue to urge caution and
moderation. Roberts sees overuse of NutraSweet as a major public health threat. He bases
his polemic on his clinical observations, review of the literature, correspondence with
members of the scientific community, and careful medical histories of 'aspartame
reactors.' While this is not easy reading, it is an important book for consumer health
collections." — Library
Journal
"Aspartame is a widely used
sweetener in foods. Roberts, a physician, appears to be a well-credentialed internist who
does not believe the assurances of the Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical
Association, the American Diabetes Association, or the Professional Advisory Board of the
Epilepsy Institute that aspartame is the most well-tested substance added to the food
supply and that it is safe. Numerous controlled studies indicate no adverse effects of
aspartame. Yet, Roberts recounts many anecdotal and clinical case studies of people who
have had adverse reactions to aspartame. In some cases, the amount of aspartame-containing
product reportedly used would certainly astonish nutritionists who continuously preach
moderation. A question that can be asked is, Should a product be considered unsafe if used
at outrageous and abusive levels by some individuals? Some of the book’s points might
deserve consideration by researchers in the medical community, but it is of concern that
the book is designed for the general public and that the author will promulgate these
findings on talk shows as he tours promoting this book and creating fear about a component
of the food supply comprised of two amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine) found in
greater quantities in normal food."
— Choice
From:
"Following the success of its
hardcover edition, Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe? — the first book-length look
at the artificial sweetener aspartame — is now being released in paperback. More commonly known by its brand name
NutraSweet, aspartame is currently used in some 4,000 products and consumed by hundreds of
millions of people. Author H.J. Roberts, MD, a board-certified internist with impressive
credentials, first became suspicious of aspartame when he encountered an increasing number
of patients with a wide variety of symptoms that could not be attributed to specific
medical problems.
Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe? not
only looks at the clinical picture of aspartame, but describes how it received FDA
approval without undergoing testing in humans, because aspartame was classified as a
“food additive” rather than a drug. This book also reviews how the U.S. Senate
allowed this chemical additive to receive government approval.
Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe? is
an important book not only for the medical community, but for the millions of people
concerned with the potential health risks of this widely used sweetener, as well as those
unknowingly affected by its unpleasant and sometimes harmful side effects."
— Townsend Letter for Doctors
"Everyone who uses aspartame MUST
read this book." — Nutrition Health Review
The Charles
Press, Publishers
