And the methanol argument fools people because most have little knowledge of human biochemistry. We metabolize methanol constantly, since it is a by product of microbial fermentation in the intestinal tract and can be found in fruit juices.

There are over 200 hundred studies on this compound...

Dr. Ralph
Walton compiled a list of all of the controlled human and animals
studies looking for the effects of aspartame (Walton 1996). Out of
90 independently-funded studies, 83 of them found one or more
problems caused by aspartame. But out of the 74 studies funded by
the aspartame industry (e.g., Monsanto, G.D. Searle, ILSI, etc.),
every single one of them claimed that no problems were found. It
is important to note that some of those few "indenpendently-funded"
studies that found no effects were funded by organizations that have
recently shown have been or were being run by persons with very close
ties to the aspartame industry.

"When Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of Searle, that conglomerate manufactured aspartame. For 16 years the FDA refused to approve it, not only because its not safe but because they wanted the company indicted for fraud. Both U.S. Prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired. They were Sam Skinner and William Conlon. Skinner went on to become Secretary of Transportation squelching the cries of the pilots who were now having seizures on this seizure triggering drug, aspartame, and then Chief of Staff under President Bush's father. Some of these people reach high places. Even Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto attorney. (Monsanto bought Searle in 1985, and sold it a few years ago). When Ashcroft became Attorney General, Thompson from King and Spalding Attorneys (another former Monsanto attorney) became deputy under Ashcroft. (Attorneys for NutraSweet and Coke).

"However, the FDA still refused to allow NutraSweet on the market. It is a deadly neurotoxic drug masquerading as an additive. It interacts with all antidepressants, L-dopa, Coumadin, hormones, insulin, all cardiac medication, and many others. It also is a chemical hyper sensitization drug so that it interacts with vaccines, other toxins, other unsafe sweeteners like Splenda which has a chlorinated base like DDT and can cause auto immune disease. It has a synergistic and additive effect with MSG. Both being excitotoxins, the aspartic acid in aspartame, and MSG, the glutamate people were found using aspartame as the placebo for MSG studies, even before it was approved. The FDA has known this for a quarter of a century and done nothing even though its against the law. Searle went on to build a NutraSweet factory and had $9 million worth of inventory.

"Donald Rumsfeld was on President Reagan's transition team and the day after he took office he appointed an FDA Commissioner who would approve aspartame. The FDA set up a Board of Inquiry of the best scientists they had to offer who said aspartame is not safe and causes brain tumors, and the petition for approval is hereby revoked. The new FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, over-ruled that Board of Inquiry and then went to work for the PR Agency of the manufacturer, Burson-Marstellar, rumored at $1000.00 a day, and has refused to talk to the press ever since.

Sodium ascorbate (vitamin C)

I have never allowed my kids to drink diet soda. Aspartame is a benzine derivative! How can that be good for you?