CKNW Editorial
for August 3, 2000

We are continuing to deal, on an ongoing basis, with the question of aspartame and in fairness to my guest from The Canadian Diabetic Association who will be with me shortly, I want to state clearly where I’m coming from. I am not, as you know, a doctor – I am, by trade, a lawyer. As such I’m trained to look at evidence and evaluate it. I am also a Type II diabetic and the importance of this will be clear as we go along … I am also under treatment for clinical depression.

Because, starting about 6 years ago, I knew that I was diabetic I had to make a number of adjustments to my diet. My first port of call was the Diabetic Clinic at Lions Gate Hospital. While I understand it is not directly connected with the Canadian Diabetic Association you could easily get the impression it was as you look at their materials. But after the simple method of testing your blood is taught you, you are then shown an array of special diabetic foods including such pleasant thoughts as diabetic ice cream bars and fudgsicles. You come away from this experience convinced that aspartame or nutra sweet is certainly not harmful.

I became a consumer of Diet Coke and aspartame laden ice cream bars and fudgicles.

I became concerned about aspartame when I first spoke to Dr H.J. Roberts from Florida who has a string of qualifications that would choke a horse. Unlike most people pronouncing on this subject, this man is a certified expert. He plainly and simply calls aspartame "poison", especially for diabetics. It is bad for diabetics especially because it raises blood sugar and causes your pancreas to release insulin thus encouraging a craving for sweetness which, of course, you satisfy with more aspartame.

I then read everything I could on aspartame including that put out by its manufacturers. I invite everyone to do the same by simply entering the word "aspartame" on your search engine.

Now it’s important to know what standard I used in making my judgment. I simply ask if aspartame has demonstrated, beyone a reasonable doubt, that it’s safe to consume. Surely that is a reasonable test. I found, to my own satisfaction, that it is not only probably unsafe that indeed it’s unsafe beyond a reasonable doubt.

There are a number of factors.

There is no question that it was approved by the FDA under false pretences and the approval was the result of a political decision by a man who, shortly after quarterbacking the approval, was working as a PR man for the manufacturer.

There is no doubt that about 75% of all complaints to the American Federal Drug Administration about food additives relate to aspartame.

The FAA has expressed deep concern about air crew using aspartame products.

The anecdotal evidence of brain lesions and other physical and mental health complaints is enormous. That doesn’t make them fact but it does add great weight to the doubts I have.

There is no question whatever that in many cases – and in my case dramatically – aspartame raises the blood sugar.

According to Dr Russell Blaylock, a noted American neurologist, aspartame inhibits the production by the brain of seratonin, thus aggravating or even causing depression. I can tell you that since stopping the intake of all aspartame I’ve noticed a marked improvement.

Both the American Diabetic Association and the Canadian Diabetic Association, who by implication if not formally endorse aspartame, receive funding from Monsanto who makes aspartame. So does the American Multiple Sclerosis Association which approves aspartame.

Now where is this all leading?

For today, no further than this. I believe that the Canadian Diabetic Association and Diabetes clinics across the country ought to warn diabetics that aspartame may in fact be bad for them. I ask that not because I or anyone else has proved aspartame does all these bad things but because credible evidence has created a very substantial doubt as to its safety. The Canadian Diabetic Association, in my view, has a duty to inform people about that substantial doubt.