As I was busily clipping pictures for my 2010 vision board this morning, I came across an article in the November 2009 issue of New Zealand Women’s Health. It stopped me dead in my clipping tracks.

On page 18 was an advertorial called Balancing Your Weight, with advice from nutritionist Nikki Hart. The subhead? “Nikki explains how low-calorie sweeteners like aspartame can help”. Say what? Were the words “nutritionist”, “aspartame” and “help” just used in the same sentence?

Is this same nutritionist also telling us readers to swap a muffin or chocolate for a diet drink with aspartame? I wouldn’t have believed it if it wasn’t in front of me in black and white. Where did Nikki get her degree? The University of Coca Cola?

If you don’t know about this man made chemical called aspartame, research has shown it is the cause of toxicity and disease and should not be marketed for human consumption.

A recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology in San Diego found that adult women who drink at least two diet sodas a day experience a 30 percent drop in kidney function over the course of a decade.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. According to a report from Natural News, those using aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in legs, cramps, vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss, probably have aspartame poisoning.

Here’s an excerpt from the same article:

Diet soda is not a diet product, but a chemically altered, multiple sodium (salt) and Aspartame-containing product that actually makes you crave for carbohydrates and gain weight. These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs; no wonder the American population is turning obese and/or suffering from cancers and diabetes [From FAT to Fit, Dr. Leo Rebello, (www.healthwisdom.org) ].

Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used mainly to preserve ’tissue specimens’ in laboratories. Formaldehyde poisoning symptoms include local irritation of eyes, nose, mouth, throat, respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and central nervous system causing vertigo, stupor, convulsions, unconsciousness, renal damage.

Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. Physicians who thought they had a patient with retinopathy in fact had patients with symptoms caused by Aspartame. The latter drives the blood sugar out of control. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotoxic. With diabetics, Aspartame passes the blood-brain barrier, attacks the neurons of the brain causing various levels of brain damage, seizures, depression, panic attacks, uncontrollable anger and rage [Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, First Indian Edition, 1990] .

Ah yes folks, this little advertisement is indeed sponsored by one of the world’s leading soda companies. Go figure.

At the bottom of this intriguing article is teeny-tiny print that reads: *Phenylketonurics, aspartame contains phenylalanine. No really, say what? Are they speaking English? For all of us dummy readers here’s what this fine print translates into:

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Human testing has shown phenylalanine levels in the blood are increased significantly in those who chronically use aspartame. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin to decrease, which can lead to depression, schizophrenia and make one more susceptible to seizures.

Studies conducted on rats by G.D. Searle found phenylalanine to be safe for humans. However, Louis J. Elsas, II, M.D., Director of Medical Genetics and Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine told the U.S. Senate in 1987 that, “Normal humans do not metabolize phenylalanine as efficiently as do lower species such as rodents and thus most of the previous studies on aspartame effects on rodents are irrelevant.” Unfortunately, this fell on deaf ears and failed to garner additional testing.

But the glaring question begs to be answered: why would someone who has dedicated their time to obtaining a degree in nutrition tell readers to up our intake of a chemical that can harm us?

To read more articles on the dangers of Aspartame, click here.

Be Your Own Expert & Don’t Always Believe What You Read by Vegan Girl.

Photo: Deesillustration.com

Editor’s Note: Nikki Hart, who received a Masters degree in Nutritional Science at Massey University, kindly responded to our questions about her relationship with the soda company that paid for her expertise, as well as why she chooses to promote aspartame. Here, we share her responses.

Yes my time and quotes were paid for – as any professional is for their intellectual expertise. I dont think a solicitor would €˜cough up information for a client without charging them – do you? However, I am never told what to say. Whether the client choose to use my information after I have supplied it is up to them – it is never biased.

I collate all my information from reputable peer reviewed medical journals not €˜popular media sources. As far as I am concerned there is no scientific proof that aspartame causes health problems. When someone asks me about aspartame usage I simply say that it is a matter of choice. You can select not to have products with this ingredient added to it but that if you do choose to consume this ingredient then there is no reputable information that says that it causes harm when consumed as per the recommendations.

Its not about €˜manmade chemicals benefiting the body as you have asked – its about this ingredient being tested for safety – which it has been many times and most recently independently by a board who were chosen to test all aspects of aspartame. See Bernadene Magnussons toxicological work. Considering that the methanol component of aspartame for example is 4-5 times higher in tomato juice than an equivalent amount of soft drink sweetened with aspartame then maybe people should do their homework about what is really in our food.

1. Clean out your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. Read the labels of every product in your home that you deem edible. If you cant pronounce it, or it has more ingredients than words in the bible, chances are your body isnt meant to digest it. Are there foods in your cupboards you feel guilty just looking at? Guilt is the greatest destroyer of emotional energy-therefore you dont need it, or the Snickers bar in your life. Nature provides some of the most delectable treats you could ever imagine. Head to nutritional expert David Wolfes website www.davidwolfe.com, for the low-down on one of natures most incredible gifts: raw cacao. The cacao bean is natures number one weight loss and high-energy food.

2. Clean out toxins and old waste with a cleansing detox. According to nutritional expert and Tree of Life founder, Dr Gabriel Cousens, research shows when intestinal toxemia is removed, symptoms such as fatigue, nervousness, gastrointestinal conditions, impaired nutrition, skin manifestations, endocrine disturbances, headaches, sciatica, low back pain, allergy, eye, ear, nose and throat congestion-and even cardiac irregularities-have been healed in hundreds of cases. Find out more at www.treeoflife.nu.

3. Download the Honest Food Guide from Mike Adams Naturalnews.com. This indispensable free guide was developed with you in mind, not big business. Unlike the traditional food pyramid (which is sponsored by major food corporations) youll find honest nutritional information, “not watered-down information designed to boost the sale of milk, beef and grains,” says Adams. Print out and post to your refrigerator for easy referral (and email the link to all of your friends!).

4. Make weekly trips to your local farmers market. Buying local is a great way to ensure your food is fresh, organic and free from scientific tampering. That is, anything genetically modified (genetically modified food is not as nature intended, therefore does not contain adequate nutrients and is considered by some to be unstable). The American Academy of Environmental Medicine recently issued a warning urging the public to avoid genetically modified foods. They also called for a suspension on GMOs until long-term, independent studies can prove their safety. Shopping at your local farmers market is also a way to become more connected to the food you eat, as youre buying directly from the person who put their hard work, love and energy into growing the produce. Theres also an added bonus of upping your essential Vitamin D intake as you wander (without wearing chemical-laden sunscreen!) from stall to stall. See www.localharvest.org or www.farmersmarkets.org.au to find a market near you.

5. Decrease or cease your intake of meat and dairy. Despite being told drinking milk is good for our bones and eating meat is a superior form of protein, its actually not true. Besides the fact that dairy causes iron deficiency, bloating, diarrhoea, gas and intestinal pain in most people, its consumption transfers drugs that have been administered to the animal, such as antibiotics, into the system of the person drinking it. And when you think about it, where do cows get their calcium? From the grass they eat. Leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, collards and cabbage are excellent sources of calcium-and no animals are harmed in the process, either. The same goes for meat consumption. Protein and iron is in abundance in a pure vegetarian diet. Eating meat also means youre putting antibiotics and any dis-eases from the animal directly into your own system. If you plan to move from a meat and dairy-based diet, be sure to transition into it by reducing your consumption over time. If youre unsure, seek advice from an informed wholefood nutritionist.

6. Educate yourself. By learning about the types of foods that create a healthy mind and body, you put the power back into your hands instead of big food industries whose primary interest is in creating dollars not health. A good place to start is with Dr Gabriel Cousens Conscious Eating. Also check out Don and Tyler Tolmans Conscious Lifestyler website.

7. Take a whole food cooking or raw food preparation course with friends or family. Knowing where your food came from and exactly how its prepared can not only create peace of mind, but also bring families together through creating meals together. Its also a way to meet like-minded people who are on the same path. Get Googling to find the right class for you. We love Rod Rotondis raw food classes (see www.leaforganics.com) and chef Julianos “uncook” book RAW.

Photo: Robyn Gallagher Flickr Creative Commons