Rumsfeld and Asparatame

[Killarney]

I'm a Diet Coke addict and a friend told me I shouldn't drink it because of the asparatame. She said asparatame will be the tobacco of the next generation... we'll find out about the cover-ups of data showing long-term effects, etc.

So, I did some quick research online to check it out.

Why does everything always come back to these freaking guys?

I guess when it first came out, the FDA unilaterally rejected asparatame. Then, the maker of asparatame, a company called Searle, hired DONALD RUMSFELD to be their CEO. The day after Reagan was inaugurated, Searle reapplied to the FDA for approval and they eventually got it this time.

When my friend first told me this, I thought she sounded like a crackpot... yeah, yeah, Diet Coke's slowly killing me. Sure. But knowing that Rumsfeld is the guy that got it approved after it was already rejected makes me think I should switch to regular Coke. This guy's hands are never clean.

[demnan]

1. It will give you brain cancer

if you drink too much of it. You'd be better off to switch to Scotch. (Not that I'm recommending it). Actually try tea, it's good for you.

[HereSince1628]

25. I have to say this is the answer to my prayers...

All these years and I have been doing the right thing to abbreviate the suffering.

And I thought the rum was REALLY what would kill me.

Signed

TOO CHICKENSHIT to take the 7ft rope and the 16 ft drop

PS. I have no fear of Cola at all...Thank You, Jesus!

[jus_the_facts]

2. You should read....Exciteotoxins The Taste That Kills....

...if ya haven't already!!! :scared:

http://www.vita-connection.com/vc44.htm

http://www.healthpress.com/~healthpr/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=96

*snip*
Nutrasweet (Aspartame) has been scientifically linked to brain tumors, brain cell damage and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. According to author Russell Blaylock, MD, a practicing, board-certified neurosurgeon, we are witnessing enormous damage to the brain and nervous system due to the ever-increasing amount of Nutrasweet and other excitotoxic subtances added to our foods.

With detailed accuracy citing well over five hundred scientific studies, Neurosurgeon Blaylock explores the "must-know" dangers of these substances being added indiscriminately to our food supply.

Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes" and his research team used the book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, as one of their sources to report on the increasing evidence of a brain tumor connection. Their December 29, 1996, program didn't, however, delve into the enormous epidemic of illness caused by the increasing use of these substances. Dr. Blaylock's book exposes it all in detail--from the questionable history of "approvals" in the 1970s and the 1980s to the increasing body of evidence showing serious brain effects, government inaction, and industry propaganda and cover-up.

[kutastha]

30. Uh oh

Dr. Russell Blaylock is editor of The Blaylock Wellness Report, published by NewsMax.com.

http://www.blaylockreport.com/About.htm

Now what?

[jus_the_facts]

36. Hmmmm.....

[nickinSTL]

3. aspartame

Wow, I never knew about the Rumsfeld connection.

I know aspartame is bad for people with PKU/hyperphenyalaninemia, and can potentially cause problems even for carriers (who usually don't know they're carriers) as well as giving some people headaches...

And there has also been a link between aspartame and the development of lupus.

As far as I'm concerned, safer to just stay away from it.

[Pallas180]

31. Rumsfeld knew it caused tumors in mice which

is why the FDA wouldn't approve it.

He twisted arms and threatened and bullied until he got it
passed.

Fuck the Americans and the people around the world who would
have brain tumors, what did he care about those people.

Why do you think Cheney and that administration hate trial lawyers?

If you check labels before you buy, you'll find aspartame is used in thousands of products as the substitute for sweet n lo or sugar.

I cant have the sugar, so I check to buy sodas or products without aspartame and I make sure they have sweet n lo

[TrustingDog]

34. up 20% of americans have 'mental illness'? connection...

hmmm?

they're pisoning us all, ya know. Don't even drink regular coke! Water, water, cool, clear water is the answer. A soda pop should be a treat, not a replacement for good water.

[Pallas180]

35. LOL - they've poisoned the water too...water table pesticides

chlrorine...

dont ever drink unfiltered water...the best is the osmosis kind of filter, I used to have one. No room under sink for it though in new
house.

[radwriter0555]

4. artificial non-nutrative substances make you fat, ill and lead to a

lower quality of health and life.

Switch to water, juice and limit the amount of that nasty coca cola. You're merely supporting destructive profiteering corporate monopolies by remaining addicted to their harmful products.

Think about it. You pay between .60c and $5.00 (movie theaters!) for a product that costs them a fraction of a penny to create.

Why?

Stop it!

:)

[ursacorwin]

5. ditto

rad is %100 correct. there are so many good reasons to switch to sweet & natural juices, and so many bad realities about the people who sell you soda and its effects.

kick the habit! be free from unhealthy corporate control of your body, and with the diet stuff, your mind.

[lanparty]

32. Dr Pepper was my master ....

Seriously, I was addicted to caffiene for FAR too many years. It's really nasty stuff in restrospect. And the tiniest sliver off chocolate or swig of Coke will give me a real head splitter and nauseau for 12 hours (I've found exedrin licks a caffiene headache pretty good).

We put WAY too much attention to marijauana. There isn't enough attention paid to caffiene, nutrasweet and high-fructose corn syrup.

[underseasurveyor]

6. And where there's a Rummy, a Cheney is never far away.

Here's an eye opener about aspartame and it's relatives x(

http://www.vaclib.org/news/astimes.htm

[Hoping4Change]

9. This is also an excellent link. I never knew the stuff could

aggravate Panic Disorder. This is very helpful. Thanks.

[underseasurveyor]

11. You're quite welcome.

I have tried to tell people for y-e-a-r-s about the dangers of aspartame/artificial sweeteners.

Aspartame aggravates health & life.

[kimchi]

7. My friends ragged me for years to quit diet coke.

I ignored them for a long time, but then switched to water and put raw sugar in my coffee. My depression lessened noticeably, and I haven't had a headache in years. I read all the articles and thought the idea was nuts, too. I don't know the truth; all I know is that I feel better now.

I'm SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I tell you, that anyone in the shrubs's cabal would have a hand in getting FDA approval...

[Hoping4Change]

8. DIet pop has been a staple in my diet and up till now I've

ignored warnings about aspar. but this is really an eye opener. This info will definitely help me wean myself from it the real kicker is the Rumsfeild link, the very notion of his involovement is sickening. His image on each bootle will be for me aversion therapy. Thanks for the info.

[elehhhhna]

10. you know it was never tested on pregnant women...

and i think there's some evidence it can harm the fetus.

Gives me a headache.

[underseasurveyor]

12. But they did say that pregnant women and children

should limit their intake of aspartame (just in case, ya know). Well if a pregnant woman or a child is advised to limit their intake, that's an instant red flag to me.

[UdoKier]

13. Kerry and Edwards guzzle Diet Coke...

I must admit I'm pretty addicted myself...

But I actually prefer the taste over real sugar. Doesn't make you feel a sugar high or coat your teeth...

I was fatter when I drank real Coke.

I guess I should cut down, though. The wife is always badgering me to.

[Killarney]

14. Not to mention Trippi's Diet Pepsi addiction!

That guy drank the most Diet Pepsi in a day that I have ever heard of in my life. Hahah.

[underseasurveyor]

16. Michael J. Fox is a huge diet pepsi drinker also.

Seems to me I heard he did or was trying to break the habit because of the possible connect to his acquiring Parkinson's disease.

[Hoping4Change]

15. I'm like you I like the taste of diet cola. After reading this I'm

going to wean myself from it as this Rumsfeld link is making me nauseous. If you are going to also going to break the habit, I can suggest a interesting and extremely healthy alternate: Green Ice Tea.

Its one of the few teas I like without any sweetener. The secret is to not boil water to make it just use cold water and let it sit for at least an hour.

[noonwitch]

18. I've been hearing this for years, but I'm still drinking diet coke

I remember how awful Tab was. I drink less diet pop than I used to, but I still need it to get up in the morning. I hate coffee, unless it's loaded with milk and whipped cream.

[Eloriel]

23. I hate to tell you this, but

trouble "waking up" (as opposed to getting up) in the morning is probably a sluggish, overloaded, overtaxed liver. Caffeine only exacerbates the problem, tho it is a stimulant, of course, and softdrinks containing caffeine are ever so much worse, whether they're sweetened with sugar or artificial (toxic) sweeteners.

Try 1/2 lemon squeezed in a cup of warm water (or even cold) instead. And yes, no sugar or sweetener. And, of course, improving your diet significantly in other ways as well.

[lanparty]

33. It's REALLY quite lame if you think about it ...

If you get the Big Mac and Super-Sized fries, is the Diet Coke REALLY going to help????

[AspenRose]

17. My ob/gyn mentioned the Rumsfeld-Aspartame connection to me

and he was CLEARLY pissed about it and impressed upon me to AVOID it at all costs, if for no other reason than to stop lining the pockets of people like Rumsfeld profiting off of poisoning people.

(He suggested Splenda in moderation, though *raises eyebrow*)

[underseasurveyor]

20. I was going to say three cheers for your MD

until I saw the splenda suggestion. Now he only gets two cheers, which is better than nothing. At least he's aware of the Rummy aspect. Yeah splenda :eyes: may cause stomach cramping and diarrhea "in some people" like that's ever a good thing :crazy:

[Jack_DeLeon]

19. Diet drinks taste like shit....

I dont know why so many people drink them, yeah I'm going to lose lots of weight by eating a huge meal and drinking a diet coke. :eyes:

[FlaGranny]

22. Well, lots of people drink it because it tastes better to them.

A lot of sugar in your cola leaves you still thirsty. Diet colas have a lighter taste and don't mess up your insulin reactions like sugar does.

If I were 80 pounds I'd still take diet drinks over regular, because I LIKE them better.

Diet Rite cola is made with Splenda and is caffeine free. Diet RC is also made with Splenda but contains caffeine. Those are the ones I drink.

Edit: Rumsfield's connection to aspartame is reason enough to be suspicious of it.

[calimary]

21. If you can find it, try Diet Rite Cola. True, they have spelling issues.

But there's no aspartame. It's sweetened with "Splenda," which is derived from sugar. And no caffeine, either. When I DO drink diet drinks, I try to confine it to Diet Rite. It also comes in a raspberry flavor, too, I think. The cans are pink, as opposed to blue for the regular cola.

[Eloriel]

24. IMO there's no reason to assume Splenda is "safe"

It may be "derived" from sugar, but it's still in a form that our bodies aren't evolved to handle properly. No way I'd trust the FDA to weed out the bad stuff from the big pharmaceuticals -- not after all their fauls, failings, and failures not to mention that revolving door with the industry they are supposed to regulate. No way in hell.

YMMV.

[proud patriot]

26. I've stayed away from Diet products that use a false sweetener

mostly because it's nasty tasting .
I'd rather have a little of real stuff
in moderation .

[jsquared]

27. Use Stevia extract as an alternative,

which tastes great and is actually healthy, since it is an herb. Unfortunately, since it's not a pharmaceutical there are no big commercial interests promoting its usage so it isn't yet found in commercial products, only as a standalone sweetener. It could benefit greatly from a groundswell of consumer interest and support.

[Hoping4Change]

38. Hi there jsquared. Welcome to DU.

Glad you're here.:hi:

[RobertDevereaux]

39. As I recall when my wife and I used stevia...

It is used in over half the soft drinks in (I think) Japan. Our FDA caused it all manner of problems because the feds were/are in Monsanto's hip pocket. Which is why it can't be labeled a sweetener despite being used for precisely that purpose in Peru (I think) for centuries. Somehow, Splenda, which we now use (benefits of aspartame without the side effects), got around that.

[underseasurveyor]

41. Ooooooh I must google that and find out more

I've not heard of this Stevia before :shrug: I must investigate and find out more :D

Welcome to DU jsquared :hi: and thanks :thumbsup:

on edit: that's google and not goggle..ha ha

[Jane Austin]

28. Diet RC and other products from that company

are sweetened with Splenda, I think.

You might try those.

[Killarney]

29. How does it taste?

I really love the taste of Diet Coke. Regular coke is too sugary for me, it hurts my stomach.

[Jane Austin]

37. I like the diet taste much better than the regular ones, too.

The RC Cola products taste good to me.

They have a new one out that's Tangerine. I really love that one.

[medeak]

40. Searle sold aspartame shortly after it came out

(Me thinks they may have gotten a clue about health effects.)

Don't know where you got info?

edited...aaah found it.

The Searle family is prominant where I live. (the old man died this week...nice guy...don't know how much input the family had with corporate tho)

Searle made a fortune off the birth control pill. It's obvious now they sold nutrasweet knowing there were going to be health effects.

Thanks for the Rummy thing....had no idea.

[nefarious]

42. If you need a reason to stop injesting aspertame-laced products...

For some time the FAA has warned pilots not to consume food or drinks containing aspertame because of the appearance of sudden unexpected migraine headaches, and very rarely, siezures attributed to that product. Those who have had migraine headaches will attest that concentration on a demanding task is greatly impaired by pain and obsured vision.

This is more than a long-term health risk, it is a serious safety issue, no different from intoxicants or toxins.

[leesa]

43. I remember reading on DU that Aspartame was on the DOD's list of

drugs to try as a WMD. Apparently it didn't pass mustard as a weapon of mass destruction, so they put it in our food supply instead. Makes me wonder if the bizarre "thinking" processes of conservatives these days is related to this substance.