Aspartame and Donald Rumsfeld

Aspartame, better known as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure, is an artificial sweetener 200 hundred times sweeter than sugar is made from aspartic acid. It is used as a sugar substitute in over 6000 foods, beverages, drugs, and medicine such as soft drinks, diet sodas, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, juices, laxatives, and yogurt. Methanol or wood alcohol, which is classified as a severe metabolic poison and narcotic, constitutes one third of the aspartame molecule. Aspartame is a deadly neurotoxin drug portrayed as a food additive. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claim aspartame is safe for human consumption, and approved it as a food additive. However, scientists dispute the safety of the chemical food additive as it is dangerous for people’s health such as for people who suffer from obesity. Aspartame should be banned from the market.

Donald Rumsfeld was the CEO of G.D.Searle, the company that manufactured aspartame. For 16 years the FDA refused to approve Aspartame until Donald Rumsfeld took office as secretary of defense in the Reagan’s administration where he appointed an FDA commissioner who would approve aspartame. Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., was the new FDA commissioner who approved aspartame in 1981. The FDA set up a Board of Inquiry of the best scientists who said aspartame is not safe and causes brain tumors, and revoked the approval for aspartame. The new FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., over-ruled that Board of Inquiry and approved aspartame, and therefore violated the Delaney Amendment which forbids putting anything in food that is known to cause cancer; Rumsfeld clearly has abused his power for personal profit.

Dr. Erik Millstone, a food safety expert at the University of Sussex of England, says that G.D. Searle’s laboratories experiments and other companies working under contract to G.D. Searle have not been conducted thoroughly. Dr. Millstone explains for example how a rat dies during an experiment but was not dissected to define the reason why it dies; also tumors were cut out from animals but it was not reported. Because of the investigation’s results in 1974 and before Aspartame was on the market the FDA put the approval on hold and the commissioner at that time said: “the tests are at best sloppy” and “the pattern of conduct which compromises the scientific integrity of the studies”. According to the FDA, G.D. Searle omitted relevant facts that could jeopardize the approval of aspartame, said Howard Metzenbaum former senator and chairman of the Consumer Federation of America.

John Olney, a professor of psychiatry as well as James Turner, a public-interest lawyer filed a petition for a public hearing about safety which leads to an FDA investigation of the laboratory practices of aspartame’s manufacturer, G.D. Searle. The investigation found Searle’s testing procedures faulty, full of inaccuracies and manipulated data. James S. Turner, the consumer attorney, stated that a study was done by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) had shown that 30% of six hundred and fifty, of those who complained about NutraSweet to the FDA at that time, have had a reaction after consuming NutraSweet. It has been proven that these same consumers, who avoided the consumption of NutraSweet for a time, had the same reaction either by taking it accidentally or purposely. Professor Ralph Walton, chairman of the psychiatry department at Northwestern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, said: "I dispute Monsanto's assertion that there are no health risks. I believe aspartame increases risk of cancer. Virtually all the studies attesting to its safety have been funded by the industry. Aspartame approval was one of the most controversial in the FDA history. It is shocking that all these information about NutraSweet’s side effects had been hidden from the public.

Binge Eating Disorder or (BED) is a psychiatric disorder in which subjects does not control their frenetic way of eating. In fact they eat an unusually large amount of food at one time. Dr Ralph Walton, professor at the department of psychiatry at the North East Ohio Universities College of Medicine, and chairman of the U.S. Centre for Behavioral Medicine, lead an independent research on aspartame. He concluded that sweeteners used in low-calorie drinks could lead to binge eating disorders (BED) and therefore obesity.

Many people consumes aspartame on a daily basis and do not know it might be the cause of their illnesses. Aspartame accounts for many adverse reactions reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious such as Multiple Sclerosis; brain cancer, breathing difficulties, headaches, weight gain and anxiety. Aspartame was disguised by its manufacturer by the name of NutraSweet to make it less evident to consumers that in fact it is aspartame that they are ingesting. We, as consumers, have the obligation to buy product that does not harm our health such as Aspartame. As parents, we are in charge of the little ones who are defenseless against big corporations, which have the audacity to make profit disregarding the future generation’s health. Enough is enough- we have to stop the irresponsible corporation’s behavior by educating ourselves and have a better understanding of what is going down our throat. Sugar cannot be replaced by some chemical experience as a magical potion and be approved by high authorities that are supposed to defend us. Scientists, doctors, psychiatrists, believe there are safety questions; and medical data relating to health risks of aspartame identified safety concerns, Therefore, we have to listen to our common sense that says- we are human not machines, and our body was designed to be exposed to natural products not artificial ones. And that is how we will win the battle against those whom are supposedly protecting us as consumers, but are in fact dictating what is in our plate.

Work Cited:
Brody E. Jane. Sweetener Worries Some Scientists, The New York Times, February 5, 1985, Tuesday, Late City Final Edition, Section C; Page 1, Column 2; Science Desk, 1736 words

Carlisle Tasmin. Safety of aspartame doubted in U.S. survey of 69 scientists, GAM The Globe and Mail (Canada), July 23, 1987 Thursday, 652 words

Humphries, P., E. Pretorius, and H. Naudé. "Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62.4 (2008): 451-462. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 31 May 2010

Johnston Lucy. Bitter War of Worlds over the Safety of $1 Billion Sweetener Sunday Express, January 9, 2000, 1183 words

Lawrence Felicity. Food Safety: Sweetener manufacturer disputes validity of new health research: Study links aspartame with cancers: Ingredient used in more than 6,000 products, The Guardian (London) - Final Edition, September 30, 2005, Guardian Home Pages, Pg. 7, 1247 words


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Aspartame Controversy

Food, Inc.......

Reflection on the Research Paper

My frustrations and how I overcame them:

Just the word research is a scary word for me, or I should say-was a scary word. At first I felt dizzy-yes, dizzy- because it is not something I do on a daily basis. Research takes years of experience and practice, and I was asked, among many other students, to do one. I made sure to choose my topic carefully. I have chosen a topic I am interested in; that way I would not be bored, or at least not quickly. Well, I was surprised that I was not bored at all; I was in fact very engaged in my topic. I first felt I was a non-swimmer who was thrown in a pool. What I did? I did my best not to drown; and I am a good swimmer now. I know how to manage my time. But with this research my time management skill was pretty challenged. I encountered obstacles while doing my paper. Obstacles are meant to be surpassed. With effort and patience it is possible to do so.

What I learn about myself as a researcher; what are my strengths and weaknesses:

How to control anxiety and stress levels are both issues I learned to deal with during this research. I take pride in everything I do; I do not believe in failure any more. I do not want to be my number one enemy; therefore I breathe more often and ask for help whenever I feel overwhelmed. My mother always tells me “Rome was not built in a day”- true- neither in a semester.

Counter Argument

Aspartame was approved by the FDA as it claims its safety for human consumption. However, scientists dispute the safety of the chemical food additive as it is dangerous and will worsen people’s health such as people with diabetes. It will also cost the government a huge amount of money to cover medical expenses to repair the damage aspartame is causing.

Super Size Me

Super size me is a documentary about the world’s largest fast food chain-MacDonald. In response of MacDonald’s argument against two overweight girls, that there is no proof someone could get overweight after eating at MacDonald’s on daily basis, Morgan Spurlock had decided to do an experiment. Spurlock decided to go on a crazy diet which consists of eating nothing but MacDonald’s’ meals tree times a day for a period time of thirty days. Despite the tree doctor’s warning- doctors who were watching his health trough this insane adventure- Spurlock put his health at risk to prove to MacDonald that they were wrong.

It was very disturbing to learn that sixty percent of Americans are overweight. Americans are overwhelmed by fast foods which are omnipresent in their lives. Just in Manhattan, there is about eighty MacDonald; it makes it difficult for people to avoid them. MacDonald’s strategy to win customers and keep them faithful is outraging. In fact, MacDonald targets the young ones by attracting them with clowns, birthday parties, toys, and especially playgrounds that lacks in certain neighborhoods. In the film, Spurlock shows tree pictures to first grades, the picture of George Washington, Jesus, and Ronald MacDonald. The only picture that was recognized by all children was the picture of Ronald MacDonald.

During his misadventure, Morgan Spurlock complained of dizziness, heart palpitation, and was also depressed. His doctors insisted- telling him to stop the McDiet- but he wanted to pursue. His girlfriend, who is a vegan, was worried about his health and was prepared for the after McDiet to disintoxicate her man with fresh and organic produce. After the month passed, Morgan is 25 pounds heavier, a liver that looks like a pate, as one of his doctors said, and a long time of exercising to go back to his initial weight and good health.

Even though MacDonald removed the super size option from their menu after the documentary “Super Size me” came out, which is a first success, the documentary did not discuss MacDonald’s affordability. Most Americans does not rush to fast foods because of their tasty gourmet, they do so because it is affordable and it is an easy way to satisfy their hunger. Every body has to make a conscious and an educated decision to eating less often in fast foods and why not avoiding it completely. The first thing my mother told me right before moving to the US was “keep cooking the way you do and watch your weight”. I try my best to diversify my diet as well as my family diet, so fast foods won’t have a chance to compete with me. I understand that it is not as easy at it seems but it is worth trying for the benefit of our health.

Revision papaer

Before doing my research paper, I had a clear idea of what I was looking for to make it a good paper. But when I started working with the outline I had prepared, I became a little confused. Why? because some of my oulines wre somehow similar and therefore I had to come up with new ideas. That's when I started wasting time-I was too confident- then I started looking for facts which my subject has many. But, remember I am not writing a book-it's a research paper- so I had to make it concise and presize-which was not of an easy task. For my next paper, I will gather all the information I need and put the fact with its source- Oh! yeah, I didn't mention that I mixed up the sources and the facts together. I did not know which fact goes with which source, and I had too little time to go over everything, so I put only two source which did not show all the work that I have done. I also did not mention that I was sick. I don't know about you but for me when I'm sick-I'm sick, I really can't be functional- but I managed to do my paper anyway, not as good as it was suppose to be but well, I did it. So now, with all what I have learned, not being prentencious before writing a paper, getting my facts and sources more organized, and most importantly get my hand into the assignment right after it has been given to me since you never know when your body is going to ditch you like mine did, I can say that I am ready for the next paper.