Posted: 06 June 2006
From: Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum. Bettym19@mindspring.com
Date: Tue, Jun 06, 2006 3:02 pm
To: scitimes@nytimes.com
Dear Editor,
I'm surprised to see this article discounting that products like aspartame cause headaches. Usually when they try to rebut them they use Shiffman who worked in the Searle Center (original manufacturer) - sort of like asking the Mafia for the crime rate. Glad you didn't use her.
On the FDA report of 92 documented symptoms headache is #1. I can fax you the report. In the medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic by H. J. Roberts, M.D., http://www.sunsentpress.com there is a chapter on headache. Dr. Roberts says on page 193:
"Severe headache was the most common complaint among aspartame reactors - being a major symptom in 516 (43 per cent). This exceeds by far the conventional estimate of headache in the general population. For example, the overall prevalence of frequent headache in a population sample of 1340 individuals in Baltimroe County was 4.1 per cent - five percent among women, and 2.8 percent among men (Scher 1999)."
Dr. Roberts continues, "The aspartame association was reinforced by improvement of headache when aspartame products were avoided, and recurrence within several minutes to hours after its resumption, often in an unsuspected product."
It's very easy to understand why aspartame causes headaches and Dr. Roberts describes the mechanisms under pathophysiologic mechanisms.
"There are multiple possible mechanisms for aspartame headache. They include altered concentration of brain amino acids, neurotransmitter dysfunction, reactions to the diketopiperazine metabolite, aggravated hypoglycemia, the ingestion of large amounts of fluid in response to increased thirst, and allergy. Methanol-induced cerebral edema, alterations in brain water, sodium and potassium, vascular stasis (Menne 1938, Bennet 1953, Erlanson 1965, Rao 1977), and the neurotoxic effects of formaldehyde and formate also may be operative." And there are chapters in the medical text on many of these.
What would you expect with a product that changes brain chemistry. As Dr. Roberts says: "The effects of aspartame and phenylalanine and neurotransmitters are described in Chapter XXIIII. They have considerable relevance to the headaches and atypical facial/neck pain experienced by aspartame reactors. The apparent benefit of a tyramine-restricted diet in treating migraine suggests adverse effects by other amino acids. Such a diet afforded relief from severe headache and petit mal episodes in an elderly aspartame reactor."
Also, Marianne Lamar whose husband had an aspartame brain tumor started using Splenda when the brain tumor was gone. He immediately had a grand mal seizure. She was so upset at the Splenda Company they sent her to McNeil who finally admitted Splenda causes migraines and seizures. It causes a lot more than that but at least there is that admission, and you can contact her at tlamar8@comcast.net
Aspartame was never, never proven safe. Here is the actual FDA Board of Inquiry Report revoking the petition for approval. http://www.wnho.net/fda_petition1.doc Attorney James Turner and Citizens for Health have petitioned the FDA to ban Splenda.
I would appreciate a continued report so that the public will not be stumbled. I will be happy to connect you with world experts on the subject.
Dr. Betty Martini
Founder, Mission Possible International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
770-242-2599
http://www.dorway.com
http://www.whno.net
Aspartame Toxiocity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame