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Originally Posted by zip2play This amount of supplementation of FREE-FORM phenylalanine is quite common and many people benefit from supplementation.
As for the oft repeated methanol/formalin internet "poison", you get more from a piece of ripe fruit than a can of diet soda. |
As I mentioned, free-form phenylalanine is obtained from both aspartame and supplements. It makes a much larger change in plasma when taken in liquid form such as diet sodas. It has been shown to cause a significant brain chemistry change and is used by many as an anti-depressant and analgesic and is, for some, addictive. Also, keep in mind that when many people take phenylalanine supplements, they take other large neutral amino acids (LNAA) in free form as well. Therefore, the Phe/LNAA ratio does not change as much as when taking aspartame by itself.
The methanol in fruit statements are just outdated public relations from the manufacturer. Even as early as 1984, independent researchers pointed out that methanol in alcoholic beverages and fruit juices were not converted into formaldehyde to any significant extent because of the significant amounts of ethanol is these substances:
"Ethanol, the classic antidote for methanol toxicity, is found in
natural food sources of methanol at concentrations 5 to
500,000 times that of the toxic. Ethanol inhibits metabolism
of methanol and allows the body time for clearance of the
toxin through the lungs and kidneys."
"There is no ethanol in aspartame. The FDA and the
NutraSweet Company know this and their excuse is a smokescreen. "
[Journal of Applied Nutrition, Vol 36, No. 1, 42-54]
It is not only the ethanol in fruits, however that act as protective factors.
Aspartame is the only ingested substance that has been shown to cause a significant accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain, liver, kidneys, etc. after a relatively small ingestion:
"These are indeed extremely high levels for adducts of formaldehyde, a substance responsible for chronic deleterious effects that has also been considered carcinogenic.
....
"It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts."
[Life Sciences, Vol. 63, No. 5, pp. 337+, 1998]
The amount of formaldehyde *exposure* (not just accumulation) is twice what has been shown in human studies on formaldehyde to cause irreversible genetic damage after years of exposure whether clinically-obvious symptoms appear or not.
Differences in metabolites of aspartame breakdown products (and other chemicals in certain food additives) as compared to foods have been known for many years, but sometimes industry
PR gets in the way of getting independent scientific information out.
Hope that clears it up.
Twoggle
that would be me. however, just regular pop, not diet. i have been drinking pepsi and mountian dew for evAR now and i swear i just want more and more.
Re: Diet Coke addiction....sounds silly, but it's uncontrollable!!!!! 
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