http://www.naturalnews.com/023175.html
(NaturalNews) In December of 1965, while James Schlatter, a chemist
for G.D. Searle & Company, was working on an anti-ulcer drug candidate
he accidentally discovered aspartame. He was recrystallizing aspartame
from ethanol when the mixture spilled onto the outside of the flask he
was using. Some of the powder landed on his fingers. Schlatter
discovered the sweet taste of aspartame when he absent-mindedly licked
his finger later. He realized that the sweet taste must have been the
aspartame.
G.D. Searle approached Dr. Harry Waisman (Biochemist, Professor of
Pediatrics, Director of the University of Wisconsin's Joseph P.
Kennedy Jr. Memorial Laboratory of Mental Retardation Research, and a
well-known expert in phenylalanine toxicity) in 1970 to research the
effects of aspartame on primates. The study began on January 15, 1970
and ended in late April, 1971. Dr. Waisman died unexpectedly in March,
of 1971.
In the study conducted by Dr. Waisman, seven infant monkeys were given
aspartame with milk. One died after 300 days. Five others experienced
grand mal seizures.
These actual research results were not included in the initial
application that G.D. Searle submitted to the FDA. G.D. Searle denied
knowledge of or involvement with anything involving this research
study. However, falsified results were submitted to the FDA bearing a
Searle Pathology-Toxicology project number. Dr. Waisman and G.D.
Searle both were responsible for the study design. Several false
statements were made by G.D. Searle, including that the animals
participating in the study were unavailable for autopsy after the
termination of the study.
Neuroscientist John W. Olney discovered that oral intake of glutamate,
aspartame and cysteine (all excitotoxic amino acids) cause brain
damage in mice. An internal G.D. Searle memorandum discussed the
strategy for getting aspartame approved.
In 1971, Ann Reynolds, a researcher who was employed by G.D. Searle,
confirmed aspartame's neurotoxicity in infant mice. Searle ignored her
discovery.
On July 26, 1974, the FDA approved aspartame for limited use. The
limited uses included free-flowing sugar substitute, tablets for
sweetening hot beverages, cereals, gum, and dry bases.
In August 1974 (before aspartame could go on the market) Dr. John
Olney, James Turner, and Label, Inc. (Legal Action for Buyers'
Education and Labeling) filed a formal objection stating that they
believed aspartame could cause brain damage, particularly in children.
On August 4, 1976, G.D. Searle representatives met with the FDA and
was successful in convincing them to allow G.D. Searle to hire a
private agency (University Associated for Education in Pathology
(UAREP) and pay them $500,000 to "validate" 12 other studies that
Searle had submitted to get aspartame approved by the FDA.
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