Dirt Doctor Weekly Newsletter – NutraSweet (Aspartame) – Fire Ant Killer and Much More.

Several people have reported to me that the artificial sweetener in the blue bags will kill out fire ant mounds.  I have always joked that's the only way the stuff should be used, but it is not a joke, and it is time for me to comment a little stronger on this dangerous product.  There's a huge amount of disturbing information about aspartame, and I do not understand why it is still on the market.  Use it for ant killing, but please don't add it to your tea or coffee.  Also read the labels and do not buy products that contain it.  It is a neurotoxin.

According to the book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, aspartame's deadliness comes from its ability to destroy brain cells by over stimulating them.  The term "excitotoxin" basically means that cells get excited to death.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.  Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.  A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include:  headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain.

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:  brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia and diabetes.

Aspartame consists of three chemicals held together very weakly.  They are:

• phenylalanine (50% of aspartame)
• aspartic acid (40% of aspartame)
• methanol (10% of aspartame)

Breaking the weak chemical bonds can be as simple as extended storage as with candy or diet soda or exposure to heat in excess of 86°F or 30°C.  The problem with aspartame poisoning is that each of the three above parts causes the body to react differently.  Aspartame can affect people and animals in different ways.

What are the alternatives?  I don't sweeten with anything but honey.  I use honey in teas, in oatmeal, on toast, etc.  But here are some alternatives if honey doesn't calm your sweet tooth.   
 

Established brands like SweetLeaf have stevia in easy to carry packets and even stevia tabs.  


                                     
The Miracle of Stevia by James A. May is one of the best books on the subject. Herbs for Texas tells you how to grow it - it's very easy.

The Mayo Clinic website states - aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) is NOT okay for cooking!  Why?  It turns out that aspartame partially breaks down to methanol when it is heated above 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

When you drink a diet soda, the aspartame is broken down to methanol in your small intestine.  Heating aspartame to above 86°F creates free methanol which is absorbed faster by your body!  Free methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body.  Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin - another reason it shouldn't be added to hot coffee or tea.

Naturally yours,


Howard Garrett
The Dirt Doctor