How Many of the 90 Adverse Health Effects of Aspartame Do You Know?

I know the subject of Aspartame Toxicity may seem off topic for my blog, but I thought this article from fda.gov was important enough to share, no matter what the platform.

As a child growing up in the 80's, aspartame was marketed as a miracle making foods magically better for you because of they now contained less sugar.  What we didn't know was that as early as 1984, reports of Aspartame Toxicity were being reported.  In fact, in 1988 the Aviation Medical Bulletin reported the terrifying effects pilots were having as a result of Aspartame Toxicity.  Yet most of the public remained in the dark resulting in many of my generation blindly ingested this potentially hazardous chemical for 20 years or more!

I stopped eating foods and beverages containing aspartame about two years ago after learning the shocking side effects of this FDA approved additive.  But what prompted me to dig up new evidence was that during a discussion over dinner with business partners, I was equally shocked to find out that even people working within the Wellness community STILL didn't know how bad Aspartame was!

In addition to the 90 adverse health effects of aspartame I found these the most alarming:

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse

effects of aspartame, the following list contains a selection

of chronic illnesses which may be caused or worsened by the chronic,

long-term ingestion of aspartame. (Mission Possible 1994, Stoddard

1995)*:

     Brain tumors               Multiple sclerosis

     Epilepsy                   Chronic faigue syndrome

     Parkinson's Disease        Alzheimer's

     Mental retardation         Lymphoma

     Birth defects              Fibromyalgia

     Diabetes                   Arthritis (including Rheumatoid)

     Chemical Sensitivities     Attention Deficit Disorder

     *Note: In some cases such as MS, the severe symptoms

            mimic the illness or exacerbate the illness,

            but do not cause the disease.

As a Marketing Consultant for physicians I know that medical professionals (and skeptics) like proof in the form of medical studies from credible sources.  I was somewhat surprised to find this posted on FDA.gov outlining not only the side effects, but how dangerous long term effects of aspartame ingestion can be PLUS the study based evidence to support the claims.  Please read this article for yourself and share it with family and friends.

Are You Flushing Your Vitamins (& Money) Down The Drain?

I found the following facebook post extremely eye opening.  You think you are getting a deal buying discount vitamins in pill form, when truly you are just flushing your money down the toilet!

By spending more on high quality liquid vitamins, such as Isotonix you are absorbing up to 95% of what you pay for!

Absorption: Liquid Supplements vs. Pills

By DrSteve Sheiner on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:04am

Absorption: Isotonic Supplements vs. Pills 

When comparing supplements, the question often arises – should one go with Liquids/Isotonics or Pills? There have been many studies done, and the resounding answer is that the advantages of isotonics far outweigh pill-based products. One of the most referred-to statements is found in the Physician’s Desk Reference on page 1542. In this widely used medical reference book, it is noted that isotonics can be absorbed up to 98%. Whereas it states the absorption rate of pills and capsules is 5% - 18%. This means that 80-95% of the ingredients contained in pills are excreted or eliminated from the body, which in itself can be very difficult on one’s system. When this is translated into monetary terms, for every $100 spent on pills, approximately $90 ends up being flushed down the toilet. In contrast, isotonic forms of the same supplement have an absorption rate of up to 98%.

Advantages of Liquids: - Isotonic absorption rate is up to 98% - Liquids/Isotonics are prepared utilizing fresh elements - Fewer doses required to receive the same amount absorbed into the body - Liquids/Isotonics are far simpler to swallow, particularly for seniors - Liquid/Isotonic ingredients are not compressed, which would require additional digestion before assimilation into the bloodstream -Isotonics are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in faster (desired) effects - Isotonics contain no buffers, binders or fillers, which would delay digestion, taking more time to enter the bloodstream - Isotnicss do not “clog” sewers, cesspools, or septic systems – up to 98% of isotonics are absorbed, while only 10-12% of pills are absorbed, leaving roughly 90% of pills ending up in our waste system 

Pills: - Pills are hard to swallow for seniors - The absorption rate of pills is, at best, 18% - The digestion rate for pills takes (literally) hours, with a minimal effect - Pill ingredients can end up being powdered as long as one year after being collected or harvested - Powdered pill ingredients are compressed into pills using buffers, binders and fillers, requiring additional digestion by the body to either break down the capsules or the ingredients - Buffers, binders and fillers affect the bioavailability, reducing the absorption rate and effectiveness of the ingredient(s)

[Excerpt from an article by Dr. David Friedman DC, ND, a certified Doctor of Naturopathy, a Life College graduate, noted educator, lecturer on nutrition, and board qualified chiropractic neurologist.] My views on nutrition changed one day a few years ago when a patient came in and told me that she was having her septic tank repaired. She told me what was causing the blockage... hundreds of undigested vitamin pills, some of them with the brand names still readable. After hearing this disturbing news, I did some research of my own. I found in Tacoma Washington, 250,000 pounds of undigested vitamin and mineral pills are pulled out of the sewers every six weeks. In Salt Lake City, over 150 gallons of vitamins and mineral pills show up in their filters every month. Even those pills listed as "all natural" often have added fillers and coatings that inhibit absorption.The Physician's Desk Reference shows that vitamins and minerals in pill form are only 10 to 20% absorbed by the body. That means for every $100 you spending on nutrients you are literally flushing 80-90% of it down the toilet. Because of this lack of absorption, companies must use mega doses of nutrients and this can cause a taxation on the kidneys. According to the National Advisory Board, 100mg consumed in a tablet form translates into a minute stabilized 8.3mg concentration in the blood.Isotonics offer a up to a 98% absorption rate because they bypass the digestive process and go directly into the bloodstream and into the cells within a matter of minutes. Not only are isotonic nutrients more convenient, they also allow those with irritable bowel syndrome, hiatal hernias and diverticulitis to take nutrients that may irritate them in a pill or capsule form. [End excerpt]    

Make It Yourself - Make It Healthy: Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic Mix

It's Superbowl Sunday and Hubby asked me to make a new dip for the big game.  It looked like an easy recipe...

Then I realized upon second glance that the key ingredient was Lipton's Savory Herb & Garlic Soup Mix.  Red Flag!  I know that many of these mixes have MSG added to them, which I prefer not to ingest if I can help it.

So I decided to search the internet for a copy cat mix recipe and stumbled upon FoodFacts.com.  I am in LOVE!  It listed all the ingredients for the Lipton Soup Mix and highlighted controversial ingredients.  Not only am I able to customize the ingredients to fit my preferences but I didn't have to spend a DIME!  I just used spices I already had in my spice cabinet.  WIN-WIN!

With this information I was able to make my own "soup mix" without ingredients I choose not to eat.  Here is the recipe I ended up using from budget101.com:

Garlic & Herb Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe makes a LOT of the spice mix.  You only need to use 2 or 3 tablespoons to replace for the soup mix in recipes.

Remember, knowledge is power!  Read your labels.