INSTEAD of poisoning our tap water with fluoride, Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma might be better engaged promoting research into the adverse, possibly fatal, effects of aspartame, an additive widely used in some foodstuffs and soft drinks, notably artificial sweeteners and diet colas.

At the most recent World Environmental conference, it was disclosed that the US is suffering "an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus." Neurosurgeons and diabetic specialists present blamed the apparent outbreak on aspartame poisoning. I quote: "When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86º F (30º C), the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, in turn causing metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of the fire ants).

"The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis (MS), thus patients are being diagnosed as having MS in error. MS is not a death sentence, where methanol toxicity is. With systemic lupus, we are finding it has become almost as rampant as MS, especially in diet cola drinkers. The victim usually drinks three to four cans of the cola a day, sometimes more.

"In some cases of systemic lupus, victims seldom suspect that aspartame is the culprit. They continue absorbing diet colas, aggravating the lupus to a degree where it sometimes becomes life threatening. When we get people off the aspartame, those with systemic lupus usually become asymptomatic.

"In the case of those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis – when in reality the disease is methanol poisoning – most of the symptoms disappear. We have seen cases where vision and even hearing has returned. This also applies in cases of tinnitus."

Dr H J Roberts, a diabetic specialist and world expert on aspartame poisoning, has written a book, Defence Against Alzheimer’s Disease. In this he warns how aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer’s Disease. He believes aspartame to be at least partially responsible for the mysterious Gulf War Syndrome suffered by so many men who served in Desert Storm.

Diet drinks sat in the 120° (49º C) Arabian sun for weeks at a time on pallets. The servicemen and women drank them all day long. All of their symptoms are identical to aspartame poisoning."

Another side effect of aspartame was that "it makes you crave carbohydrates, so adding weight." When he got patients off aspartame, the average weight loss was about 6 kilos. "The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs."

aspartame was particularly dangerous for diabetics. "All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians believe they have patients with retinopathy when in fact it is caused by aspartame. The aspartame keeps the blood sugar out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many die."

He recalled how, at a conference of the American College of Physicians, it was reported that certain patients who switched from saccharine to an aspartame product went into a coma. Their physicians could not get their blood sugar levels under control. Thus, the patient suffers acute memory loss, eventually coma and possibly death. Memory loss is due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are neurotic without the amino acids found in protein. Thus it goes past the blood brain barrier and deteriorates the neurons of the brain. In other words, the phenylalanine in aspartame breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin, causing manic depression, panic attacks, rage and violence."

Dr Roberts believes that aspartame can cause birth defects. So does Dr Louis Elsas, Paediatric Professor of Genetics at Emory University. Giving evidence on aspartame before a US Congressional hearing, he said that the phenylalanine concentrates in the placenta, causing mental retardation. In lab tests, "animals developed brain tumours: phenylalanine breaks down into DXP, a brain tumour agent."