Saturday, January 20, 2007
hunter-gatherer diet of plants and fish lowers weight, cholesterol, BP in 12 days 11 lbs daily hunter-gatherer "Evo Diet" diet of plants and fish reduces weight,cholesterol, blood pressure in 12 days, Lynne Garten dietician, Jill
Fullerton-Smith book, The Truth About Food, 2007 Jan: Murray 2007.01.20
Our Stone Age ancestors lived a lot with fruits and vegetables, which can
deliver a large daily dose of methanol, which the human body always turns into
formaldehyde and then formic acid.
Formaldehyde is also a prominent portion of
wood smoke. So, our ancestors must have evolved to not only tolerate, but even
desire these chemicals, which might also have been protective against bacteria
and yeasts.
Some mainstream researchers give evidence that the low levels of methanol
impurity in dark wines and liquor are turned into enough formaldehyde to be the
major cause of the painful hangover symptoms reported by many drinkers.
A few scientists find that the same level of methanol in aspartame diet drinks
causes similar symptoms in heavy users, above 6 cans daily.
It is not known what protective factors in a plant-based diet must protect
against these toxic effects of methanol and formaldehyde in most people.
For specific research studies, Google
aspartame, methanol, formaldehyde
Last Updated: Thursday, 11 January 2007, 12:52 GMT
Going ape [ photo ]
Woman eating a banana
By Claire Heald
BBC News Magazine
What if humans cast aside processed foods and saturated fats in favour of the
sort of diet our ape-like ancestors once ate?
Nine volunteers gave it a go...
and were glad they did so.
Being locked in the zoo and offered bananas to eat is the kind of extreme diet
scenario to wake some of us screaming in the night. But that was how a group of
volunteers opted to try to cut their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
EVO DIET: WHAT THEY ATE
Chimp eating fruit and vegetables
5 kgs or 2,300 calories of fruit, vegetables, nuts and honey
On a 3-day rota, typically:
Broccoli, carrots, radishes
Cabbage, tomatoes, watercress
Strawberries, apricots, bananas
Mangoes, melons, figs, plums
Satsumas, hazelnuts
One volunteer's story
They set up home in a tented enclosure at Paignton Zoo, Devon, next to the ape
house, in an experiment filmed for TV. The idea, says Jill Fullerton-Smith, who
helped organise the trial, was that modern diets, often dominated by processed
foods and saturated fats, cause costly health problems.
For example, nearly half Britain's 117,000 annual deaths from coronary heart
disease are linked to high cholesterol, according to the British Heart
Foundation.
And while the government urges everyone to eat five portions of
fruit and veg a day, obesity is still rising.
So could an experiment on ordinary people's lives deliver the healthy eating
message?
Nine volunteers, aged 36 to 49, took on the 12-day Evo Diet, consuming up to
five kilos of raw fruit and veg a day.
Hunter-gatherer style
The regime was devised by nutritionist and registered dietician Lynne Garton and
King's College Hospital. It was based on research showing such a diet could have
health benefits for cholesterol levels and blood pressure, because it is made up
of the types of foods our bodies evolved to eat over thousands of years.
Ms Garton looked for inspiration to the plant-based diet of our closest
relatives, the apes, and devised a three-day rotating menu of fruit, vegetables,
nuts and honey.
The prescribed menu was:
• safe to eat raw;
• met adult human daily nutritional requirements; and
• provided 2,300 calories - between the 2,000 recommended for women and 2,500
for men,
Volunteers could also drink water. In the second week, standard portions of
cooked oily fish were introduced -- a nod to a more hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
Oranges [ photo ]
There was a lot of farting going on
Jill Fullerton-Smith
Producer
Among the volunteers was Jon Thornton, 36, a driving instructor from Sheffield,
who had never eaten vegetables, from childhood upwards.
Weighing in at almost 19-stone, his typical diet read like the children's book,
Mr Strong. Breakfast was four slices of toast; at 10am a bacon sausage and egg
sarnie followed; fish and chips for tea and a Chinese take-away before bed.
That was before his wife signed up Mr Thornton for the experiment.
Over 12 days
he lost 5.7 kg (12.5 lbs), and reduced his cholesterol by 20 %.
His blood
pressure also fell.
Despite nearly backing out at the start -- the first day's food arrived in a
cool-box, was raw and he was distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of broccoli
-- he was converted to eating vast portions of fresh fruit and veg.
"I didn't feel any loss of energy, I didn't feel ill at all," he says.
"It's not
a diet you'd recommend as a diet itself, but it worked to bring my cholesterol
and blood pressure down."
Harmony in camp
With so much food bulk and plenty of calories the subjects did not go hungry --
indeed most failed to finish their daily ration. And once they were over the
withdrawal from caffeinated drinks and some foods, says Ms Garton, they enjoyed
good energy levels and mood.
So the "moments of unhappiness and grumpiness" that the TV crew was primed to
capture failed to happen. The proved to be a motivated group, although the one
odorous side-effect from all that roughage couldn't be ignored.
Jon Thornton [ photo ]
Driving instructor Jon cut his cholesterol and his weight
Overall, the cholesterol levels dropped 23%, an amount usually achieved only
through anti-cholesterol drugs statins.
The group's average blood pressure fell from a level of 140/83 -- almost
hypertensive -- to 122/76. Though it was not intended to be a weight loss diet,
they dropped 4.4kg (9.
7lbs), on average.
The regime provided an education for all, and a permanent change for some.
"The main lesson that they took away was to eat more fruit and veg," says Ms
Garton.
They also cut salt intake from a group average of 12g a day, to 1g
(against a guideline maximum of 6g) and reduced saturated fat -- which makes
cholesterol -- from 13% to 5% of calories (recommended, 11%).
At the same time, they increased the soluble fibre which binds cholesterol in
the gut, so that it is expelled, and increased the intake of plant sterols --
which help to lower cholesterol.
For Jon, life has changed since he was "released" from the zoo.
He has gained a
little weight but now says he only eats when hungry and knows good food can help
health and longevity. He can play football because his knees no longer hurt
under the extra weight and he goes cycling.
He even managed to hold out at the most tempting time of year.
"For the first
time in 36 years this year I had vegetables with my Christmas dinner," he says.
"Usually, I say no to them and have a few extra roast potatoes instead."
The Truth About Food is on BBC Two, Thursday, 11 January at 2100 GMT.
Lynne Garton
King's College Hospital nutritionist and registered dietician Lynne Garton
Jill Fullerton-Smith, the BBC's director of scientific programmes
The Truth About Food
Dateline: Saturday 6th January 2007
A brand new television series called 'The Truth About Food' comes to BBC 2,
starting on Thursday, 11th January 2007 at 9pm.
Most of us know that our the food we eat now is, in some cases, far from ideal
and that we no longer eat a 'natural' diet. Some of what we eat damages our
bodies, causes serious illnesses like cancer and cardiac disease, makes us fat
and can cause serious allergic reactions.
This programme reveals the truth about food. Cutting through the spin, and
featuring original experiments on volunteers, this series uncovers the science
behind the food people eat and just what it does to their bodies. With more than
500 volunteers and over 50 worldwide nutritionists, doctors and experts taking
part, the results are astonishing.
Each week, well-known personalities join viewers on a journey of discovery to
find out what food can do for them. Using innovative methods and the latest
technology, the foods that can help people slim, improve their skin and even aid
a man in getting an erection, are revealed.
In the first programme, Fiona Bruce finds out whether probiotic vegetables have
the same beneficial results as the commercial probiotic yoghurts in helping to
counteract colonic bacteria.
She also discovers how to reduce cholesterol and
blood pressure without using drugs, and tries out the Evo diet.
Nine willing volunteers were fed and housed in an enclosure at Paignton Zoo,
Devon. They all had high blood pressure and cholesterol and most had a family
history of heart disease.
They lived beside the apes and ate their diet and,
within 12 days, they had dramatically lowered their cholesterol and blood
pressure.
The presenters are: Colin Jackson, Jan Ravens, Andrea Oliver, Fiona Bruce, Vic
Reeves and Liza Tarbuck.
The Truth About Food is produced by Alice Harper.
The executive producer is Jill Fullerton Smith.
It is a BBC/ProSieben/Discovery Health Channel co-production.
[ paperback book 2007.
01.02 The Truth About Food ]
Jill Fullerton-Smith is an award-winning filmmaker who grew up in New Zealand.
After ten years making science programmes for the BBC in London, including
several episodes of Horizon, she now runs BBC Scotland’s speciality factual
programming department.
She conceived and produced the BBC’s landmark science
series The Truth About Food. She lives in Glasgow and London.
The Truth About Food will be published by Bloomsbury in January 2007.
This TV
tie-in book contains full-colour photographs, illustrations and stills from the
series, and reveals the truth behind the food myths to help you change your life
for the better.
[ Rich Murray comments: Dieticians still often suggest low-fat diary foods --
negative evidence for all milk foods at www.notmilk.
com Robert Cohen ]
Are we really what we eat?
By JILL FULLERTON-SMITH -- More by this author
Last updated at 08:30am on 19th December 2006
[ Extracted from The Truth About Food by Jill Fullerton-Smith ]
Lots of myths surround what's good for us and what isn't
Do detox diets work?
Are we what we eat?
It's a question we put to the test with the help of the UK's
leading scientists, setting up a number of experiments using the latest research
techniques.
To assess the effectiveness -- or not -- of detoxing, we took ten female
volunteers between the ages of 19 and 33, who had been partying hard at a rock
festival, and whisked them away to country cottages in Devon. Five were put on a
detox regime designed by a group of eminent dieticians, including Nigel Denby
from Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Hospitals in London.
The other five acted
as "controls" and followed a normal, healthy diet.
The detox diet rules included: no processed food -- everything to be made from
scratch; no added salt or sugar; no tea or coffee; no wheat, red meat, dairy
produce, alcohol, squash or fizzy drinks; and organic produce wherever possible.
Two toxicology experts from Imperial College, London, and nutritionist Professor
Gary Frost from the University of Surrey checked over what we were feeding both
groups.
We then investigated kidney function by measuring the level of creatine in the
women's urine. Creatine is produced by the breakdown of a chemical in your
muscles: a healthy kidney will allow a fairly constant amount in your urine.
We also checked the women's liver function and gave all of them a blood test to
find the concentrations of aluminium -- a metal commonly used in takeaway
cartons and kitchen foil.
Finally, we measured levels of key antioxidants (vitamin C and vitamin E).
So did the detox regime cleanse our testers' bodies to a superior degree?
No.
Livers and kidneys were functioning just as well in both groups, while both
also had similar concentrations of antioxidant vitamins.
There is no evidence to show that starving ourselves rids us of the toxins that
we like to think are clogging our bodies: our liver and kidneys are the perfect
detox machines already. Most people lose weight on a detox diet simply because
they have reduced calorie intake.
To help "cleanse" your body, experts advise cutting down on high-fat, high sugar
foods and topping up with filling fruit and veg. To reduce the amount of
detoxing the liver must do, avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Is there any easy way to lose weight?
Science shows that a slow and methodical approach to weight loss, with calorie
control and exercise, is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. So nothing
new there.
But are there any additional steps you can take to help you slim down more
easily?
The latest research indicates there are.
• CALCIUM -- in particular, low-fat dairy products -- seems to help the body
burn fat more efficiently. In 2003, Professor Michael Zemel of the University of
Tennessee carried out a study in which half the volunteers consumed three small
cartons of low-fat yoghurt each day as part of a calorie-controlled diet.
All
the volunteers had exactly the same number of calories overall, but those who
ate the calcium-rich yoghurt managed to lose 20 per cent more body fat.
There seem to be two sides to the flab-busting effect of calcium. First, and
most surprisingly, calcium has been shown to cling to the fat inside our
intestines.
Together, calcium and fat form a substance very similar to soap that
can't be absorbed across the wall of the intestine, so it passes out of the
body. The more calcium you have in your diet, the more fat will be excreted.
The second effect of dietary calcium is the more complex role it plays in
metabolism.
As a rule, calorie controlled diets tend, unfortunately, to reduce
the rate at which your body burns energy and slow down weight loss. Calcium,
however, seems to offset this effect -- boosting metabolism and helping to speed
weight loss.
You should aim for around 700mg of calcium a day: 300ml of semi-skimmed milk
contains 360mg calcium; 1 canned sardine with bones, 115mg; 2 large tablespoons
shelled prawns, 90 mg; 1 large orange, 70mg.
• SOUP can help you slim. On any weight loss programme, you want to keep your
calorie intake down and feel full for as long as possible. To do this
successfully, experts recommend eating low-calorie soup.
Working with scientists
at the University of Nottingham, we recruited 20 volunteers and prepared two
versions of the same meal -- chargrilled chicken and vegetables with a bottle of
still water.
In one version, all the ingredients were presented solid on a plate and the
bottle of water drunk. In the other version of the meal, the same ingredients
were mixed with the water and blended to make a soup.
Volunteers completed a
questionnaire every 45 minutes for three hours -- to let us know how full they
felt.
Everyone who ate the soup meal felt fuller for longer, while MRI scans of the
volunteers' stomachs showed the soup did indeed fill the stomach for
significantly longer.
Do party foods make children hyperactive?
Most parents assume that children plus sugary foods equals raucous and
uncontrollable behaviour -- the dreaded sugar "high". But although a child can
consume the equivalent of 20 to 30 teaspoonfuls of sugar at a typical children's
party, the "high" is a myth.
The body doesn't use up all its sugar all at once: if there's extra glucose
available, it squirrels some away to have later.
True, blood-glucose levels will
rise slightly and temporarily -- but will soon be back to normal. And even if
the blood-glucose level is slightly raised, your brain doesn't start working
faster.
Brain cells have only one speed.
So if kids consume lots of cakes at a party,
they may feel full, even sick, but it won't make them hyperactive.
To prove the science, we held two carefully orchestrated children's parties. The
first was a high-energy romp with an entertainer and music -- but hardly any
sugar.
When the parents dropped off their children, they saw plates of
sugar-rich goodies that they assumed were for the party but were quickly hidden
once all the parents had gone.
Two weeks later, the same children came to our second party -- a calmer affair
with storytellers and quiet activities. This time, there was an array of
sugar-packed foods presented to look like a healthy lunch.
After the first party, all the children were indeed hyped up, even badly behaved
-- despite the fact they had eaten little or no sugar. After the second party,
they were much quieter -- even though they'd had lots of sugary foods. However,
the parents believed the children's behaviour after the first party had been due
entirely to sugar.
In another experiment, we found that restricting children's access to certain
foods only makes them more popular. So allow all foods -- but teach children
that some are healthier than others. They need to learn that cakes, biscuits,
sweets and sugary drinks should be enjoyed only occasionally.
Will drinking more water help your skin?
We've all been told that drinking more water is essential for good health and
can lead to better looking skin - but is this myth or fact? According to a
plethora of scientific evidence, you really don't necessarily need two litres of
water every day.
Research shows that your body will let you know when to take some more fluid on
board long before you become dehydrated -- and caffeinated and alcoholic drink,
as well as the water that occurs naturally in food, all contribute to your total
intake.
Can drinking more water make your skin look and feel more rejuvenated, though?
The science behind your body's water regulation system would suggest not.
You
can't force extra water into skin cells to pump them up, for example. To find
out the truth and convince the unbelievers, we worked with two sisters, Susie
and Alice, who usually stick rigidly to two litres of water a day. Both girls
lead busy lives, working and socialising.
We asked Susie to abstain from her water habit for five days. During those five
days, we then made sure both sisters ate and drank the same -- apart from the
extra 2 litres of water Alice drank each day. We used a "triplesense" sensor to
measure the women's skin moisture content.
Using a sophisticated microscope, we
also looked at their skin close up. And we measured the colour of the women's
urine to gauge their levels of hydration.
Tests at the start and end of the five days showed that neither sister was
dehydrated.
Both women's skin was in great condition in both tests. The only
difference was that Alice had to splash out on an expensive two litre bottle of
mineral water every day -- and she probably spent more time in the bathroom.
Can healthy eating beat PMS?
The big news in Pre-Menstrual Syndrome research at the moment concerns a clever
combination of calcium and vitamin D.
Calcium is vital not just for building healthy teeth and bones, but also in a
huge number of other vital body processes.
Vitamin D fulfils many roles, too -- but most importantly, it helps your body
absorb calcium from food.
Researchers have shown that calcium and vitamin D
supplements can reduce the severity of PMS symptoms by half in just under 50 per
cent of sufferers.
With the help of Nigel Denby, senior dietician at Hammersmith Hospital and Queen
Charlotte's Menopause and Women's Health Clinic, in London, we devised the
"Double D" anti-PMS diet.
The first D is for dairy foods -- a good source of calcium; the second for
vitamin D.
And if the calcium and vitamin D combination works with supplements,
there seems no reason why it won't work if the nutrients come from your food.
If you suffer from PMS, the Double D diet is well worth a try. It can be used as
an add-on to what you normally eat, with extra calcium from additional milk,
yoghurt and cheese, and extra vitamin D from oily fish, margarine, eggs and
cereal.
Every day, you should consume 1,500 mg of calcium and 20 micrograms of vitamin D
from food. Sources of calcium include: 300ml semi-skimmed milk, 360mg calcium;
300ml semiskimmed milk with 50g of dried skimmed milk powder added, 1,000mg;
150g pot low fat yoghurt, 285mg; 75g Cheddar cheese, 630mg; 75g Parmesan, 900mg;
75g Edam, 578mg.
Sources of vitamin D include: 100g grilled herring, 25mcg vitamin D; 100g baked
kipper, 25 mcg; 100g smoked mackerel, 8 mcg; 100g canned salmon, 12.
5 mcg; 100g
sardines in tomato sauce, 7.5 mcg; 100g tuna in oil (drained), 5.8mcg; 50g
low-fat spread, 2mcg; large boiled egg, 1.
2 mcg.
Is there a diet that cuts blood pressure?
Current medical wisdom suggests that if you lower your cholesterol and your
blood pressure, you will significantly reduce your chance of suffering from
heart disease and stroke -- two of the developed world's biggest killers.
As a result, millions of people now take drugs called statins that reduce levels
of "bad" cholesterol by up to a third.
We wanted to see if cholesterol and blood pressure could be lowered through diet
alone. Some scientists say you just have to say no to junk food, alcohol and
sugary snacks, and eat the same basic diet as our ancestors did.
Archaeological research tells us that the human diet in 180,000BC consisted
mostly of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, with a little lean meat and fish.
In other words, a high-fibre diet rich in plants and unsaturated fat and low in
saturated fats.
We asked a group of junk food-loving volunteers to try out the "evo"
(evolutionary) diet for 10 days.
Blood and urine samples were taken, as well as
blood pressure readings. After 10 days, our volunteers' blood cholesterol had
reduced by nearly a quarter and their blood pressure was down by about 10 per
cent.
Eat like your ancestors
Aim to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, and at least five portions a day.
Reduce your intake of saturated fat: cut down on fatty meat, meat products such
as sausages, hard cheese and full-fat dairy products. Replace with oily fish,
lean meat, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
• Choose oils rich in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and rapeseed oil.
• Choose unrefined carbohydrates such as wholemeal breads and pasta, brown rice
and wholegrain cereals.
• Watch your salt intake. Avoid adding salt and choose herbs, lemon juice and
garlic for flavouring.
Avoid heavily salted food such as bacon, cheese and
crisps.
Extracted from The Truth About Food by Jill Fullerton-Smith, to published by
Bloomsbury on January 2 at £15.99, in association with the BBC.
Copyright: Jill
Fullerton-Smith 2007. To order a copy at £14.40 (p p free), call 0870 161 0870.
A six-part BBC2 series of the same name begins on January 11.
******************************************************
short aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde) toxicity research summary: Murray
2007.01.
20
One liter aspartame diet soda, about 3 12-oz cans,
gives 61.5 mg methanol,
so if 30% is turned into formaldehyde, the formaldehyde dose
of 18.5 mg is 37 times the recent EPA limit of 0.
5 mg per liter daily
drinking water for a 10-kg child:
www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/Formaldehyde_summary.
pdf 2007.01.05
[ does not discuss formaldehyde from methanol or aspartame ]
comments
"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority,
to actively find, quickly share, and positively act upon the facts
about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment.
"
Rich Murray, MA Room For All
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
group with 77 members, 1,405 posts in a public, searchable archive
aspartame groups and books: updated research review of 2004.07.16:
Murray 2006.
05.11
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic encyclopedia, 72
references (including AspartameNM # 864 and 1173 by Murray), brief
fair summary of much more research: Murray 2007.01.
01
Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame, provide
similar levels of methanol, above 120 mg daily, for
long-term heavy users, 2 L daily, about 6 cans.
Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into formaldehyde,
and thence largely into formic acid -- the major causes of the dreaded
symptoms of "next morning" hangover.
Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda, almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg
methanol (wood alcohol).
If 30% of the methanol is turned
into formaldehyde, the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg,
is 18.5 times the USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in
drinking water, 2.0 mg in 2 L average daily drinking water.
Coca-Cola carcinogenicity in rats, Ramazzini Foundation, F Belpoggi, M
Soffritti, Annals NY Academy Sciences 2006 Sept, parts of 17 pages:
Murray 2006.12.02
Fiorella Belpoggi Morando Soffritti of Ramazzini Foundation prove
lifetime carcinogenicity of Coca-Cola, aspartame, and arsenic, Annals
of the NY Academy of Sciences: Murray 2006.
11.28
aspartame
arsenic
soft drinks and adolescent hyperactivity, mental distress, conduct
problems, Lars Lien, Nanna Lien, Sonja Heyerdahl, Mayne Thoresen, Espen
Bjertness 2006 Oct., A J Pub Health: Murray 2006.
10.21
healthy diet, vitamins, and fish oil help reduce depression and
violence, studies by Joseph Hibbeln, Bernard Gesch, and Stephen
Schoenthaler, articles by Felicity Lawrence in UK Guardian Unlimited
and Pat Thomas in The Ecologist: Murray 2006.10.
21
11 members of New Mexico legislature sign letter to ban aspartame as a
source of toxic methanol and formaldehyde, Stephen Fox, NM Senator
Gerald Ortiz y Pino: Murray 2006.10.22
47 UK Members of Parliament now support aspartame ban initiative of
Roger Williams, MP: Murray 2006.
10.16
toxicity in rat brains from aspartame, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre
JJ et al 2006 Aug: Murray 2006.09.
06
aspartame rat brain toxicity re cytochrome P450 enzymes, expecially
CYP2E1, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ et al, 2006 Aug,
Hum Exp Toxicol: relevant abstracts re formaldehyde from methanol
in alcohol drinks: Murray 2006.09.29
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and brilliant blue,
harms nerve cells, eminent C.
Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005
education.guardian.co.
uk, Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21
50% UK baby food is now organic -- aspartame or MSG
with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.
01.13
all three aspartame metabolites harm human erythrocyte [red blood cell]
membrane enzyme activity, KH Schulpis et al, two studies in 2005,
Athens, Greece, 2005.12.
14: 2004 research review, RL Blaylock:
Murray 2006.01.14
Bristol, Connecticut, schools join state program to limit artificial
sweeteners, sugar, fats for 8800 students, Johnny J Burnham, The
Bristol Press: Murray 2006.
09.22
Connecticut bans artificial sweeteners in schools, Nancy Barnes,
New Milford Times: Murray 2006.05.
25
carcinogenic effect of inhaled formaldehyde, Federal Institute of Risk
Assessment, Germany -- same safe level as for Canada:
Murray 2006.06.02
Home sickness -- indoor air often worse, as our homes seal in
pollutants
[one is formaldehyde, also from the 11% methanol part of aspartame],
Megan Gillis, WinnipegSun.
com: Murray 2006.06.01
NIH NLM ToxNet HSDB Hazardous Substances Data Bank
inadequate re aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid):
Murray 2006.
08.19
HSDB Hazardous Substances Data Bank: Aspartame
ASPARTAME CASRN: 22839-47-0
METHANOL CASRN: 67-56-1
FORMALDEHYDE CASRN: 50-00-0
FORMIC ACID CASRN: 64-18-6
DMDC: Dimethyl dicarbonate 200mg/L in drinks adds methanol 98 mg/L
( becomes formaldehyde in body ): EU Scientific Committee on Foods
2001.07.
12: Murray 2004.01.22
Aspartame Toxicity Information Center Mark D.
Gold
12 East Side Drive #2-18 Concord, NH 03301 603-225-2100
"Scientific Abuse in Aspartame Research"
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.
01.12 rmforall EU Scientific Committee on Food,
a whitewash
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.
04 ):
59 pages, 230 references
Russell L. Blaylock, MD discusses MSG, aspartame, excitotoxins
with Mike Adams: Murray 2006.09.
27
Mike Adams interviews Randall Fitzgerald on "The Hundred Year Lie:
How Food and Medicine are Destroying Your Health" 2006.06.21:
Murray 2006.
09.28
*******************************************************
RTM: Smith, Terpening, Schmidt, Gums:
full text: aspartame, MSG, fibromyalgia 2002.01.
17
Jerry D Smith, Chris M Terpening,
Siegfried OF Schmidt, and John G Gums
Relief of Fibromyalgia Symptoms Following
Discontinuation of Dietary Excitotoxins.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2001; 35(6): 702-706.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Gainesville, FL, USA.
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic
disorder that is often difficult to treat effectively.
CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia
syndrome for two to 17 years are described.
All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with limited success.
All had complete, or nearly complete,
resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating
monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet.
All patients were women with multiple comorbidities
prior to elimination of MSG.
All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.
Siegfried O. Schmidt, MD Asst. Clinical Prof.
Community Health and Family Medicine, U. Florida, Gainesville, FL
Shands Hospital West Oak Clinic Gainesville, FL 32608-3629
352-376-5071
******************************************************
Indonesia National Agency for Drug and Food Control BPOM considers aspartame ban, The Jakarta Post, [no ban in Japan]
This news is provided by: Breaking News On Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific
Indonesia consults on aspartame, sweetener use in food
By Dominique Patton
1/9/2007 - The Indonesian government is currently reviewing its laws on artificial sweeteners and will consider banning them from food if expert evidence suggests they present health risks, according to a report.
"We may remove artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame saccharin and cyclamate, from the Health Ministry's decree ...
about allowable food additives," Husniah R.T. Akib, head of the country's food and drug authority (BPOM) told the Jakarta Post.
"We are looking at the various opinions around the world on these sweeteners. If stakeholders and people believe those three substitutes are health hazards, we will ban them," Husniah said.
The three sweeteners are permitted in food in the European Union and Codex Alimentarius, a set of internationally recognized food standards, also recognizes their safety.
However within the Asia-Pacific region, Japan has banned aspartame and cyclamate while Malaysia prohibits cyclamate.
[ Note by Rich Murray: I have found no evidence that Japan has ever banned aspartame. ]
The use of aspartame as a sweetener was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981.
But animal studies that were claimed to show a carcinogenic effect threw the sweetener's safety into doubt.
These have however been criticized by several toxicologists and the EU food authority confirmed its safety last year.
It is now the second most widely used artificial sweetener, after saccharin, contained in about 6,000 food products worldwide.
Both cyclamate and saccharin have also been linked to controversy, both banned by the FDA after studies linking it to cancer in animals but the FDA lifted its ban on saccharin in 1991.
The review in Indonesia is being carried out by the BPOM as well as the health and trade ministries and university experts.
The food and beverage industry, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and several consumer groups are also involved in the process, according to the report.
It is expected to be completed later this month.
"In addition to Codex Alimentarius, we also refer to world agencies such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the FDA," Husniah told the paper.
The BPOM has already approved the sweeteners acesulfame-K, alitame, neotame and sucralose.
Govt may ban aspartame in food
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is currently reviewing regulations allowing the use of several controversial sweeteners in food products sold in Indonesia.
The review, which forms part of a decades-long worldwide debate on use of three particular sweeteners -- aspartame, saccharin and cyclamate -- is expected to be completed later this month.
"We may remove artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin and cyclamate, from the Health Ministry's decree .
.. about allowable food additives," said Drug and Food Monitoring Agency (BPOM) head Husniah R.
T. Akib.
The review will receive input from the BPOM, the Health Ministry, the State Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, the Industry Ministry and the Trade Ministry, as well as experts from universities and non-government organizations.
The food and beverage industry, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and several consumer groups are also involved in the process.
"We are looking at the various opinions around the world on these sweeteners. If stakeholders and people believe those three substitutes are health hazards, we will ban them," Husniah said.
"We, the regulators, don't have any problems with the possible ban. The industries unfortunately will," she added.
BPOM data shows Codex Alimentarius -- a set of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety -- as well as the European Union and Britain still allow the use of the three sweeteners in food production and consumption.
In Asia, Japan and Malaysia do not allow use of the sweeteners.
Japan bans aspartame and cyclamate while Malaysia only prohibits cyclamate.
[ Note by Rich Murray: I have found no evidence that Japan has ever banned aspartame.
]
"In addition to Codex Alimentarius, we also refer to world agencies such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the FDA," Husniah said.
"There is no way can we do research on every one of the two million products in the country. We only monitor products available in markets," she added.
University experts said studies on aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in Indonesia were rare.
The use of aspartame as a sweetener was allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States for the first time in 1981. This decision came under question, however, with the release of studies finding aspartame to be carcinogenic.
Cyclamate was discovered in 1937 and recognized as safe for consumption in the U.S. by 1958.
However, it was banned by the FDA in 1969 when reports surfaced linking it with cancer.
Likewise, the use of saccharin has also been disputed. Canada banned it in 1977 after a study found the prevalence of bladder cancer in rats that had been fed large doses of the sweetener.
The FDA also imposed a ban, though lifted it in 1991.
"Doubts about aspartame among FDA scientists were overruled by the FDA's management and it was given approval. Many countries soon followed suit and approved aspartame on the basis of the same flawed studies," Roger Williams, a British parliamentarian, told the The Guardian on Dec.
15, 2005.
A 1996 review of past research conducted on aspartame found that every industry-funded study had said the sweetener was safe to consume. However 92 percent of independent studies claim one or more problems exist with its use, the British newspaper reported.
Other artificial sweeteners currently approved by the BPOM include acesulfame-K, alitame, neotame and sucralose, as well as natural substances such as isomalt, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and lactitol.
On May 17, 2006 Minister of Health Dr. Siti Fadilah Supari inaugurated Dr.
Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib as the new Chairman of National Agency for Drug and Food Control.
National Agency for Drug and Food Control, (BPOM) , Indonesia
Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan
Jl. Percetakan Negara No.
23 - Jakarta 10560 Indonesia
Telp: (021) 4259945, Fax: (021) 42889117, Email:
- 51k - Jan 8, 2007
English, loads slowly...
The Market for Pharmaceutical Products and Materials in Indonesia
Prepared by PT DATA CONSULT July 2004
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1.
Objectives And Scope Of The Study
This report was prepared based on the terms of
Commercial office of the Indian Embassy in Jakarta.
The objectives of the study are to provide market information and guidelines for Indian businessmen, government officials and others penetrating the market for pharmaceuticals in Indonesia.
9.
Director of Rational Medicine Application :
Dr. Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib
Jl. HR Rasuna Said Blok X-5 Kav.
4-9, 6th floor Block B
Jakarta Pusat
Phone - (021) 5201590 (hunting) ext. 6309
Website :
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Correction: China tightens control on saccharin production (not aspartame), Dominique Patton, Lorraine Heller, : Murray 2006.07.
24
[ the same story with "aspartame" substituted for "saccharin"
China to restrict aspartame production and sale, three major agencies, five producers : Murray 2006.07.16 ]
China tightens control on saccharin production By Dominique Patton 18/07/2006
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short aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde) toxicity research summary: Murray 2007.
01.09
"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority, to actively find, quickly share, and positively act upon the facts about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment."
Rich Murray, MA Room For All
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
group with 76 members, 1,398 posts in a public, searchible archive
aspartame groups and books: updated research review of 2004.
07.16: Murray 2006.05.
11
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic encyclopedia, 72 references (including AspartameNM # 864 and 1173 by Murray), brief fair summary of much more research: Murray 2007.01.01
Coca-Cola carcinogenicity in rats, Ramazzini Foundation, F Belpoggi, M Soffritti, Annals NY Academy Sciences 2006 Sept, parts of 17 pages: Murray 2006.
12.02
Fiorella Belpoggi Morando Soffritti of Ramazzini Foundation prove lifetime carcinogenicity of Coca-Cola, aspartame, and arsenic, Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences: Murray 2006.11.
28
aspartame
arsenic
soft drinks and adolescent hyperactivity, mental distress, conduct problems, Lars Lien, Nanna Lien, Sonja Heyerdahl, Mayne Thoresen, Espen Bjertness 2006 Oct., A J Pub Health: Murray 2006.10.
21
healthy diet, vitamins, and fish oil help reduce depression and violence, studies by Joseph Hibbeln, Bernard Gesch, and Stephen Schoenthaler, articles by Felicity Lawrence in UK Guardian Unlimited and Pat Thomas in The Ecologist: Murray 2006.10.21
11 members of New Mexico legislature sign letter to ban aspartame as a source of toxic methanol and formaldehyde, Stephen Fox, NM Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino: Murray 2006.
10.22
47 UK Members of Parliament now support aspartame ban initiative of Roger Williams, MP: Murray 2006.10.
16
toxicity in rat brains from aspartame, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ et al 2006 Aug: Murray 2006.09.06
aspartame rat brain toxicity re cytochrome P450 enzymes, expecially CYP2E1, Vences-Mejia A, Espinosa-Aguirre JJ et al, 2006 Aug, Hum Exp Toxicol: relevant abstracts re formaldehyde from methanol in alcohol drinks: Murray 2006.
09.29
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and brilliant blue, harms nerve cells, eminent C. Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005 education.
guardian.co.uk, Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.
12.21
50% UK baby food is now organic -- aspartame or MSG with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands, Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.01.
13
all three aspartame metabolites harm human erythrocyte [red blood cell] membrane enzyme activity, KH Schulpis et al, two studies in 2005, Athens, Greece, 2005.12.14: 2004 research review, RL Blaylock: Murray 2006.
01.14
Bristol, Connecticut, schools join state program to limit artificial sweeteners, sugar, fats for 8800 students, Johnny J Burnham, The Bristol Press: Murray 2006.09.
22
Connecticut bans artificial sweeteners in schools, Nancy Barnes, New Milford Times: Murray 2006.05.25
carcinogenic effect of inhaled formaldehyde, Federal Institute of Risk Assessment, Germany -- same safe level as for Canada: Murray 2006.
06.02
Home sickness -- indoor air often worse, as our homes seal in pollutants [one is formaldehyde, also from the 11% methanol part of aspartame], Megan Gillis, WinnipegSun.com: Murray 2006.
06.01
NIH NLM ToxNet HSDB Hazardous Substances Data Bank inadequate re aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid): Murray 2006.08.
19
HSDB Hazardous Substances Data Bank: Aspartame
ASPARTAME CASRN: 22839-47-0
METHANOL CASRN: 67-56-1
FORMALDEHYDE CASRN: 50-00-0
FORMIC ACID CASRN: 64-18-6
DMDC: Dimethyl dicarbonate 200mg/L in drinks adds methanol 98 mg/L ( becomes formaldehyde in body ): EU Scientific Committee on Foods 2001.07.12: Murray 2004.
01.22
Aspartame Toxicity Information Center Mark D. Gold
12 East Side Drive #2-18 Concord, NH 03301 603-225-2100
"Scientific Abuse in Aspartame Research"
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.
4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.01.
12 rmforall EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.04 ): 59 pages, 230 references
Russell L.
Blaylock, MD discusses MSG, aspartame, excitotoxins with Mike Adams: Murray 2006.09.27
Mike Adams interviews Randall Fitzgerald on "The Hundred Year Lie: How Food and Medicine are Destroying Your Health" 2006.
06.21: Murray 2006.09.
28
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RTM: Smith, Terpening, Schmidt, Gums: full text: aspartame, MSG, fibromyalgia 2002.01.17
Jerry D Smith, Chris M Terpening,
Siegfried OF Schmidt, and John G Gums
Relief of Fibromyalgia Symptoms Following Discontinuation of Dietary Excitotoxins.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2001; 35(6): 702-706.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Gainesville, FL, USA.
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder that is often difficult to treat effectively.
CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome for two to 17 years are described.
All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with limited success.
All had complete, or nearly complete, resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet.
All patients were women with multiple comorbidities
prior to elimination of MSG.
All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.
Siegfried O.
Schmidt, MD Asst. Clinical Prof.
Community Health and Family Medicine, U.
Florida, Gainesville, FL
Shands Hospital West Oak Clinic Gainesville, FL 32608-3629
352-376-5071
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