Sweetener Update

The artificial sweetener aspartame (sold as Equal and Nutra- Sweet) is a diabolical poison, no doubt about it, confirmed by new evidence. In 2005, scientists in Italy reported a rigorous three-year study on 1,800 rats concluding, “Aspartame causes significant increases in lymphomas/leukemias and is a multipotential carcinogen.” The findings were ignored by health officials in both Europe and the U.S. But on May 14, 2009, the National Cancer Institute confirmed the link between formaldehyde, one of the breakdown products of aspartame, and cancer, reporting a 37 percent increase in death risk from lymphoma and leukemia in workers exposed to formaldehyde (doorway.com, May 27, 2009). The industry knows it has a problem with aspartame and is actively seeking a replacement. Ajinomoto, a leading producer of aspartame, has asked the FDA for approval of a new no-calorie sweetener derived from the same amino acids as aspartame plus vanillin (artificial vanilla) called Advantame (www.foodnavigator-usa.com, April 8, 2009). The company notes that the sweetener “blends very well with sugar and high fructose corn syrup.” The main alternative sweetener, Splenda (made from chlorinated sugar), has its own dangers. A recent study shows that Splenda has a negative effect on gut flora. Subjects at Duke University took various doses of Splenda over a twelve-week period. Test showed numerous adverse effects on gut flora. Even twelve weeks later, levels of some of good flora were still depressed (J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008;71(21):1415029). The latest news is that sewage treatment fails to remove sweeteners from waste water. Researchers detected acesulfame, cyclamate, saccharine and sucralose downstream of sewage treatment plants. Manufacturers are wringing their hands—not out of concern that the sweeteners may do harm, but because the findings “might become a primary issue for consumer acceptance” (www.foodnavigator.com, June 18, 2009).