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Mortality from liver disease in the West Midlands, 1993-2000: observational study

BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7359.312 (Published 10 August 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:312

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Aspartame (Canderal/ NutraSweet, etc.) Triggers Toxicity of Liver

Aspartame is a neurotoxic drug. It is a molecule composed of three
components, aspartic acid, a methyl ester which turns into methyl alcohol
and phenylalanine. The Trocho Study of l998 has shown that the
formaldehyde converted from the methanol accumulates in the cells and
damages DNA with most toxicity in the liver.

H. J. Roberts, M.D., in Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic
(www.aspartameispoison.com, www.sunsentpress.com or 1 800 814 - 9800 )said
on page 480: "In a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey, 2.6 % of the US population surveyed had elevated serum ALT for
which no cause of chronic liver disease could be found (James 1999). Even
though 70% of the adult population consumes aspartame products, aspartame
disease was not suspected as a likely causative contributory cause. It is
of historic interest that Dr. Misael Urite (l982) expressed concern that
the FDA had not adequately considered the potential toxicity of aspartame
in patients with liver disease shortly after its forthcoming release was
announced.

Persons with cirrhosis of the liver are at increased risk because
they may be unable to maetabolize aspartame and its breakdown products
adequately (Jagenberg 1977; Heberer 1980; Dhont 1982).

The possibility of aspartame toxicity should be entertained in
patients diagnosed in having nonalcoholic steato hepatitis. This liver
disorder has become a common liver disorder in North America and can
progress to cirrhosis (James 1999). Its frequent features of persistent
fatigue, upper abdominal discomfort, diabetes and hyperglycemia are also
encountered in aspartame disease.

Obese persons and diabetic patients who consume considerable
aspartame appear to be at higher risk fof the development of chronic
nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, especially when addicted to such products.
The term "nonalcoholic" is misleading in this instance because aspartame
contains ten percent methyl alcohol." (end of quote from book)

Mission Possible International is a worldwide volunteer force in 50
states and 22 countries warning consumers off aspartame. We are now
taking case histories for class action. Because so many aspartame victims
are developing hepatitis James Bowen, M.D. gave the following information
for the aspartame support groups on line with permission to publish:

Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 02:22:52 -0400
To: "aspartame@onelist.com" <aspartame@onelist.com>
From: Betty Martini <Mission-Possible-USA@altavista.net>
Subject: Steato Hepatitis, another extensive NutraSweet Plague, James

Bowen, M.D. (for global distribution) Permission to Publish
Cc: "AspartameSurvivors@onelist.com"
<AspartameSurvivors@onelist.com>

For those on aspartame support groups who have had questions about
the liver problems from aspartame, and why some physicians question
hepatitis in aspartame victims.

From James Bowen, M.D. June 4, 2001

Steato Hepatitis, characterized by an accumulation of fat in the
hepatocyte (liver cell) resulting from ingestion of aspartame is focused
in the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy furnaces of the cell and
aspartame (APM) metabolism into more toxic derivatives, formaldehyde and
formic acid take place in the mitochondria. As in all NutraSweet
poisoning the formaldehyde and formic acid immediately attack the tissues
they are generated in so we see a new co-existent plague of "anti-
mitrochondrial antibody hepatitis" generated right along with the steato
hepatitis because the immune system reacts to the degenerated tissues.

The breakdown of fats into energy producing chemicals has obligatory
metabolism via mitochondrial mechanisms. When mitochondria are rendered
defective by aspartame poisoning fat cannot be processed to be used for
energy. The formation of fat from dietary calories proceeds because fat
is built up directly in the cytosol of cells and accumulation is not
dependent on mitochondrial function. So liver cells and fat cells and
after fats cells (lipocytes) store fat and cannot get rid of it no matter
how badly it is needed to supply energy to the body. Thanks to NutraSweet
these victims literally cannot starve the fat off of their bodies or out
of their livers because of their compromised mitochondrial functional
capacity. To make matters worse the mitochondrial DNA is severely
damaged. Methanol/formaldehyde poisoning occurring as the direct result
of the obligatory metabolism of methyl radicals is the most common form of
genetic damage, caused by formaldehyde cross linkage of DNA strains. The
mitochondrial DNA is thousands of times more vulnerable to this than
nuclear DNA, and lack the excellent repair mechanisms that protects the
integrity of nuclear DNA. The presently understood mitochondria DNA
repair mechanisms are merely excisional, that is the DNA rendered abnormal
by the aspartame/methanol poisoning is merely excised leaving the
mitochondrial function at best insufficient, defective and incomplete.
Which in addition to producing inadequate and incomplete energy metabolism
spins off highly damaging free radicals. Methanol/formaldehyde poisoning
is noted for this.

This vicious circle amounts to tremendous degenerative process in the
human organism and the unfortunate results too numerous to be repeated
here but are well detailed on www.dorway.com and other excellent sites
such as www.holisticmed.com/aspartame, as well as Dr. Hyman Roberts text
on the subject. (Aspartame Disease: The Ignored Epidemic - 1 800 814 -
9800 or www.sunsentpress.com/ ). This amounts to virtual "genocide", and
is further emphasized by the fact this mitochondrial DNA damage is
directly transmitted by female NutraSweet users to her children and
grandchildren, and to subsequent generations via her female descendents.

___________________________End of article by Dr. James Bowen,POB 177,
Walla Walla, Washington 99362, email drjimbowen@hotmail.com

For further information on aspartame's effect on the liver see the
Trocho Study on www.dorway.com/nomarkle.html Books on the liver by
Sandra Cabot, M.D., of Mission Possible Australia also on www.dorway.com
and Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock,
M.D. Also see Detox page on this web page. (Newton Labs),
Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health by Dr. Woodrow Monte, journal
article on www.dorway.com/nomarkle.html

Betty Martini, Founder, Mission Possible International 770 242-2599
www.dorway.com

_______________

References: Trocho C; Pardo R, Raferas I, Virgil J Remesar X,
Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M, Life Sci: 1998;63 (g)337-49, PMID; 9714421,
UI: 98378223

Competing interests: No competing interests

11 August 2002
Betty L. Martini
? Founder of Worldwide Volunteer Force warning consumers off aspartame
9270 River Club Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097, USA
Mission Possible International