My call for action for the banning of Aspartame
By: Shabazz Farrakhan JD, SJD, ADN
Faith Initiatives LLC | American Family Care
Nashville State Community College | Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan 48226
This is an official petition to declare for a ban of Aspartame through medical research.
What's Aspartame?
Aspartame is a synthetic non-nutritive sweetener used in over 6,000 food and beverage products globally. It is composed of three constituents: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Though approved by the FDA and EFSA, a growing body of scientific literature suggests that aspartame poses serious long-term risks to human health. Here, we present 50 in-depth, medically sound reasons it should be reconsidered or outright banned.
What has Aspartame?
10 Popular Drinks Containing Aspartame:
Aspartame is commonly found in diet, zero-sugar, and "light" drinks. Here are 10 examples:
1. Diet Coke
2. Coke Zero Sugar
3. Pepsi Zero Sugar (formerly Pepsi Max)
4. Diet Dr Pepper
5. Diet Mountain Dew
6. Diet Snapple (certain flavors)
7. Crystal Light (powdered drink mix)
8. Vitaminwater Zero (select flavors)
9. Fresca (zero sugar citrus soda)
10. Minute Maid Light (low-cal fruit drinks)
1–20: CANCER & GENOTOXICITY
1. IARC Classification: The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)” in July 2023.
2. Rodent Studies: Long-term rodent bioassays show significant increases in lymphoma, leukemia, and liver tumors at exposure levels close to the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).
3. Formaldehyde Pathway: Metabolization of methanol to formaldehyde within the body results in DNA damage and protein crosslinking.
4. Brain Cancer Link: Some epidemiologic studies suggest correlation with glioblastomas and meningiomas.
5. Childhood Cancer Risk: Prenatal exposure linked with higher incidence of childhood malignancies.
6. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Increased risk in high consumers, especially males.
7. Leukemia: Correlated with elevated leukemia rates in both animals and humans.
8. Breast Cancer: Animal studies indicate higher mammary tumor rates.
9. Pancreatic Tumors: Documented increases in exocrine pancreatic tumors.
10. Multiple Myeloma: Association observed in longitudinal population cohorts.
11. Urinary Tract Cancers: Elevated occurrence in rats exposed to high doses.
12. Genotoxicity: Demonstrated chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei formation.
13. Oxidative DNA Damage: Proven increases in 8-OHdG, a marker of oxidative genetic damage.
14. Synergistic Toxicity: Interactions with other food additives enhance mutagenicity.
15. Mitochondrial Damage: Induces cytochrome dysfunction and apoptosis.
16. DNA Methylation Errors: Alters epigenetic regulation.
17. Unreliable Initial Approval: Flawed and allegedly fraudulent early safety studies.
18. Lack of Transparency: Regulatory gaps in data disclosure.
19. Chronic Exposure Unknowns: No longitudinal RCTs evaluating lifetime exposure.
20. Precautionary Principle: Given unknowns, burden of proof should fall on manufacturers.
21–35: NEUROLOGICAL, COGNITIVE & PSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS
21. Excitotoxicity: Aspartic acid acts as an excitotoxin, overstimulating NMDA receptors.
22. Seizures: Documented proconvulsant properties in sensitive individuals.
23. Migraines: Frequently reported trigger, especially among chronic users.
24. Depression: Phenylalanine disrupts serotonin synthesis.
25. Anxiety Disorders: Linked to glutamate-mediated dysregulation.
26. Irritability & Mood Swings: Observed in blinded crossover trials.
27. Parkinson’s Disease: Rodent models show dopaminergic neuron vulnerability.
28. Alzheimer’s Correlation: Oxidative damage and amyloid aggregation suggested.
29. Multiple Sclerosis: Anecdotal and cellular model concern for demyelination.
30. Visual Disturbance: Methanol poisoning causes optic nerve damage.
31. Memory Loss: Hippocampal neuron degeneration in aspartame-fed mice.
32. Cognitive Impairment: Impaired maze and learning behavior in animal models.
33. ADHD-like Symptoms: Hyperactivity in pediatric trials.
34. Delayed Reflexes: Neuromuscular latency increase.
35. Tinnitus: Associated with phenylalanine neurotoxicity.
36–45: CARDIOMETABOLIC & IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION
36. Insulin Resistance: Alters gut-brain axis signaling and glucose homeostasis.
37. Weight Gain: Paradoxical increase due to insulin spikes and craving cycles.
38. Fatty Liver Disease: Increases hepatic lipid deposition in rodents.
39. Hypertension: Chronic sympathetic activation via excitotoxins.
40. Stroke Risk: Higher incidence in high consumers in cohort studies.
41. Chronic Inflammation: Elevates CRP, TNF-alpha, and IL-6.
42. Autoimmunity Risk: Disrupts T-cell and B-cell regulatory balance.
43. Endothelial Dysfunction: Impairs nitric oxide synthesis.
44. Renal Strain: Elevates renal workload and toxic burden.
45. Immunosuppression: Diminishes natural killer cell activity.
46–50: OTHER RISKS & PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS
46. Phenylketonuria Hazard: Even trace levels are life-threatening to PKU individuals.
47. Pregnancy Caution: No long-term safety data for fetal development.
48. Cumulative Exposure: Found in multiple sources—diet soda, gum, meds.
49. Labeling Loopholes: Hidden under "natural flavors" or blend names.
50. Existence of Safer Alternatives: Stevia, monk fruit, erythritol offer viable replacements without toxic metabolites.
Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by chemist James M. Schlatter, who was working for the G.D. Searle & Company (later acquired by Monsanto and now part of Pfizer's spinoff company, NutraSweet).
Timeline of Aspartame:
1965: Discovered accidentally by James Schlatter while researching an anti-ulcer drug.
1974: Initially approved by the FDA for limited use (in dry foods).
1975–1981: Approval was delayed due to public safety concerns, neurological side effects, and scrutiny over Searle's studies.
1981: FDA re-approved it for dry goods.
1983: Approved for use in carbonated beverages.
1996: FDA lifted all restrictions, allowing aspartame in any food product.
Now, let's correlate that with the cancer diagnosis - cancer mortality ratio with my infographic:
This is a call for action and my message to the city of Detroit is let's get this started and save our people.
