Q: Exposing The Dangers Of Aspartame
How can one persuade people and governments about the evil and danger of aspartame?
A: From Dr. Hull
Sadly, if our governments have not done anything about the proven dangers of aspartame by now, they are not going to. The only way this issue will come down is through lawsuits filed by consumers. What most people don’t know is many lawsuits have been filed, and won, in the past, but these lawsuits have been settled out of court with gag orders as part of the settlements. All the consumers filing lawsuits WON against Monsanto’s NutraSweet Company.
I think that consumers should sue their doctors who plead ignorance or actually defend aspartame as safe because everyone KNOWS that aspartame is a health danger. Believe me, everyone knows. Your medical advisor should definitely know, and if he/she doesn’t claim to know, then they are not very smart, and I’d change doctors.
This is the epitome of politics for greed, and as more and more whistleblowers come into the mainstream, the aspartame issue should be addressed eventually. Aspartame is a proven health toxin, and if this issue were about vitamin C, you can bet your bottom-dollar that the FDA and the Big Corps supporting them would have had the vitamin off the market before nightfall.
What does that tell you?????
Q: Sorbitol and Ace-K
Ask Dr. Hull a question[/caption]
What is your view on sorbitol? Is it safe or just as bad as aspartame? And what about acesulfame potassium?
Thank you.
A: From Dr. Hull
I am asked A LOT if the sugar alcohols (sorbitol) are safe sweeteners. Well, I am not a fan of sugar alcohols when they have been extracted from their natural sources, that is. Sugar alcohols are actually made from sugars; they are not a form of sugar from the start. Part of their structure chemically resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohol – hence, sugar alcohol. To complicate matters more, these sweeteners are neither sugars nor alcohols. In marketed products, they are best described as a sugar byproduct refined by nature, not by man.
To me, sugar alcohols fall into a “grey area” in the sweetener arena because they are actually carbohydrates (starches) more than they are sugars. They are typically used cup-for-cup in the same amount as refined sugar, but they each vary in sweetness, ranging from half as sweet to as sweet as sugar. So, this makes them if-y in my book, and whether they are right for you depends upon your individual circumstances.
Sorbitol
Sorbitol is readily converted in the body to fructose and glucose. The problem with this sweetener is it is slowly absorbed from the intestines and may produce a laxative or gaseous effect, and may affect blood sugar levels more than the other sugar alcohols, so it may not be the best choice for diabetics.
Sorbitol is a simple carb 60 percent as sweet as sucrose. Excessive consumption of more than 50 to 80 grams a day may have a laxative effect. It is called a nutritive sweetener because it actually has four calories in every gram, just like table sugar. Sorbitol is found naturally in fruits and is an ingredient in many sugar-free gums, sugar-free breath mints and dietetic candies.
Did you know that sorbitol is also produced by your body? Too much sorbitol in your cells can cause damage, though. Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy may be related to too much sorbitol in the cells of the eyes and nerves.
And here is a word of caution if you have IBS or similar health issues: some foods contain sugars that are absorbed slowly, such as fructose in fruit juice or sorbitol in low-calorie sweets. Through a process called osmosis, these unabsorbed sugars hold onto water in the intestines, which sometimes leads to diarrhea. By reading labels, people with chronic non-infectious diarrhea can easily avoid fruit juice, fructose and sorbitol to see if this eliminates the problem.
So, to answer your question, I wouldn’t use it as my choice. I’d use stevia, unprocessed sugar, or no added sugar at all.
Ace-K (acesulfame potassium)
I do not recommend using Ace-K itself as a sweetener because it is manufactured with methylene chloride, a carcinogen. On page 249 in my book Splenda®: Is It Safe Or Not?, I include the FDA report on Ace-K, and write that the methylene chloride is used as a solvent in the initial manufacturing of the sweetener.
Q: Muscle Cramps Every Day
Why do I sometimes get as many as 30-40 cramps a day? They can be anywhere on my body, except on my hands and arms. I can be incapacitated for 45-60 minutes sometimes. Help! My doctor doesn’t know why.
A: From Dr. Hull
Muscle cramps are typically caused by one of two things:
- a lack of essential nutrients
- toxins in your body (and that includes diet sweeteners)
I suggest getting a hair analysis to stop guessing if it’s #1, #2 or both. A hair test will show both the toxins present in your body and your essential nutrient levels. This way you can see what’s going on and fix it.
When I had my aspartame reaction, I had painful shooting pains going up my right leg. Those stopped when I got off ALL aspartame, and I have never had a pain since.
You’ll figure this out – you’re as smart as your doctors – well, smarter at the looks of it.
The Best In Health,
Janet Hull
