Thank you Flynngals! I think I'll stick with plain old sugar and exercise!!!
FLYNNGALS 12/7/07 2:22 P
To be fair I'm quoting two sources. First, the Equal website. They are correct in that studies have been done (MIT did a four month study in 97) and proven to have similar results to the placebo (headaches, etc.). But I am quoting the second because I've actually seen it happen. My best friend from college was diagnosed in 1997 with MS. It was a horrible and harrowing experience for her, her family, me, the list goes on and on. After a lot of years and a lot of pain (tests and bouts of weird 'attacks' we would call it), and completely cutting diet coke out of her diet, she was magically cured. She used to drink bottles of the stuff. Constantly had a diet soda. For years on end. It seems what she actually had was methanol toxicity. Not MS. Not the doctors fault, how could they have known? I should say...I don't think this will happen to everyone. She drank a LOT of diet coke. And still drinks it occasionally believe it or not -- but one can a week as opposed to a bottle a day. Anyway, take the information for what it is worth. But I won't drink it.
From the equal website: Are Equal® and aspartame (the sweetening ingredient in Equal) safe? Yes, Equal is safe.
Aspartame, the sweetening ingredient in Equal has been documented in more than 200 objective scientific studies. The safety of aspartame has been confirmed by regulatory authorities in more than 100 countries, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, and the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food, as well as by experts with the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization.
This article can be found in several places, I found it on yahoo:
THE HIDDEN SIDE EFFECTS OF THE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER – ASPARTAME
Article written by Nancy Markle (1120197)
I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on “ASPARTAME” marketed as “NutraSweet”, “Equal” and “Spoonful”.
In the keynote address by the EPS, they announced that thee was an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus, and they did not understand what toxin was causing this to be rampant across the United States. I explained that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.
When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 87 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants.) The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis, thus people were being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error.
The multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, where methanol toxicity is.
In the case of systemic lupus, we are finding it has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with the drinkers of diet coke and Diet Pepsi products. Also, with methanol toxicity, the victims usually drink three to four 12 oz. cans of them per day, some even more. In the cases of systemic lupus, which is triggered by ASPARTAME, the victim usually does not know that the aspartame is the culprit. The victim continues its use aggravating the lupus to such a degree, that sometimes it becomes life threatening. When we get people off the aspartame, those with systemic lupus usually become symptomatic.
Unfortunately, we cannot reverse this disease.
On the other hand, in the case of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, (when in reality, the disease is methanol toxicity), most of the symptoms disappear. We have even seen cases where their vision has returned and even their hearing has returned. This also applies to cases of tinnitus. During a lecture I said “If you are using ASPARTAME (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc.) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps vertigo, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss...you probably have ASPARTAME DISEASE!”
People were jumping up during the lecture saying, “I’ve got this, is it reversible?” It is rampant. Some of the speakers at my lecture even were suffering from these symptoms. In one lecture attended by the Ambassador of Uganda, he told us that their sugar industry is adding aspartame! He continued by saying that one of the industry leader’s son could no longer walk – due in part by product usage! We have a very serious problem. Even a stranger come up to Dr. Espito (one of my speakers) and myself and said, “Could you tell me why so many people seem to be coming down with MS? During a visit to hospice, a nurse said that six of her friends, who were heavy diet coke drinkers, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!
Here is the problem. There were Congressional Hearings when aspartame was included in 100 different products. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, but to no avail, nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Now there are over 5,000 products containing this chemical, and THE PATENT HAS EXPIRED!!! At the time of this first hearing, people were going blind! The methanol in the aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic – DEADLY POISONS!! Unfortunately, it just takes longer to quietly kill, but it is killing people and causing all kinds of neurological problems. Aspartame changes the brain’s chemistry. It is the reason for severe seizures. This drug changes the dopamine level in the brain. Imagine what this drug does to patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. This drug also causes Birth Defects.
There is absolutely no reason to take this product. It is NOT A DIET PRODUCT!!
The Congressional record said, “It makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you FAT”. Dr. Roberts stated that when he got patients off aspartame, their average weight loss was 19 pounds per person. The formaldehyde stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Aspartame is especially deadly for diabetics. All physicians know what wood alcohol will do to a diabetic. We find that physicians believe that they have patients with retinopathy, when in fact, it is caused by aspartame. The aspartame keeps the blood sugar level out of control, causing many patients to go into a coma. Unfortunately, many have died. People were telling us at the Conference of the American College of Physicians, that they had relatives that switched from saccharin to an aspartame product and how that relative had eventually gone into a coma. Their physicians could not get the blood sugar levels under control. Thus, the patients suffered acute memory loss and eventually coma and death.
QLT4SANITY 12/7/07 11:10 A
What about "Equal" -- any info?
DSMITH927 12/6/07 2:49 P
Wow! That's very enlightening. I think I'm glad that I can't eat it now, even though it means a little more time on the treadmill.
FLYNNGALS 12/6/07 2:14 P
Irene -
you can find this information on the web:
Splenda was developed in 1980. It was approved for use in foods in 1998. Thought to be a safe alternative to aspartame, it was promoted as being "made" from sugar with the simple addition of three chlorine atoms to the sugar molecule, so it was natural and healthful. Sugar becomes sucralose through a 5-step process, in what is described as a bonding of 3 chlorine atoms to the sugar molecule, rendering it unabsorbable by the body. In reality, the resulting molecule is a completely different chemical substance. Sucralose is supposed to supply the "sweet taste", but not be absorbed by the body. However, tests have proven that up to 40% of sucralose is absorbed by the body and 20 to 30% of this absorbed sucralose is metabolized. When metabolized, it is broken down into chlorocarbons which some research claims cause organ, genetic and reproductive damage.
NOTE: Some research claims that sucralose is damaging...it hasn't been approved for human consumption for more than 10 years, so long term studies have not yet been done. Some think ultimately it will prove to be worse for you than aspartame and nutrasweet (both of which we know for a fact are bad for you).
Hope that helps!
TABBYSMOM 11/28/07 12:56 P
You're welcome!! I'm glad to help whenever I can.
DSMITH927 11/28/07 12:41 P
Thanks so much for the website suggestion. I found a nice little chart on the Splenda recipes page that shows the conversion by product. Very helpful!
TABBYSMOM 11/28/07 11:24 A
The conversion actually depends on whether you're using Splenda granules, or Splenda Blend for Baking-which uses 1/2 the amount of regular sugar. Go to the website splenda.com for info on conversions and other helpful info when cooking/baking with Splenda
IRENEGA 11/17/07 2:15 P
Tanks for info. Makes sense. Irene
DSMITH927 11/17/07 1:27 P
From what I understand, Splenda is chemically altered sugar. Their advertising is carefully worded as tastes "like" sugar but they don't spell out that it isn't sugar. I have heard that nutrasweet is bad for children, so I wouldn't be surprised if splenda was too.
I have problems with both Nutrasweet and Splenda. Using either of them for a few days gives me migraine headaches. I'd rather walk a little farther to burn off the calories of sugar than get those.
IRENEGA 11/17/07 10:17 A
I thought Splenda was another form of sugar but scientist I know told me it isn't good for children. Anyone else ever hear that? My nutritionist says it is perectly safe. Why can't you useit?
DSMITH927 11/16/07 4:47 P
Thanks. That makes it very easy.
AAANNE 11/16/07 9:10 A
It's usually just 1:1, so if the recipe calls for one cup of splenda, use one cup of sugar.
DSMITH927 11/16/07 7:30 A
A lot of the recipes seem to use Splenda and I can't use artificial sweeteners. Does anyone know if there a standard conversion from Splenda to sugar? Would I need to alter the recipe in any other way to use sugar?
