URGENT: NutraSweet(tm) Destroys Usenet!!!!

[Jody K. Hirsh]

In article <3vj15r$9cs at curly.cc.emory.edu>, libcm at curly.cc.emory.edu 
says...
>
>Jean-Francois Avon (jf_avon at citenet.net) wrote:
>
>: >just no one to warn him of the dangers and he didn't know that 
NutraSweet 
>: >is a seizure triggering drug, and produced grand mal seizues in lab 
animals.
>
>: Dear Betty, would you please post substantial pharmacological and 
stastical  
>: data on the subject. I am very interested in hearing about it.  I would like 
>
>Aspartame (Nutrasweet) was originally developed as an experimental 
>neurological drug. It's sweetness was an unexpected side effect. 
>    It was a dud as a neurological agent, except that in large doses, it 
>causes brain lesions in lab animals. 
>   Some humans experience neurological problems with reasonably small 
>doses of aspartame. I personally get a headache if I drink a lot of diet 
>Coke. It passed FDA muster because side effects are not widespread and 
>not *usually* severe. 
>    I work at Emory's Health Sciences Library. I heartily recommend that 
>you use one of the free Medline search programs on WWW- look under 
>"aspartame", extend your search back 10 years. 
>
>-- 
>                    visit
>http://www.hidwater.com/RDR/milkenzie/m&khome.html
>                    please
This is BOGUS. Nutrasweet was an accident, but it was discovered during 
the synthesis of GASTRIN peptides for Stomach disorders not neurological 
peptides. The old-time chemists used to taste everything. (BTW,Saccharin 
was accidentally dicovered in the synthesis of paint because it got on a 
cigarette; Sherwin-Williams holds the patent).  
My guess is that  your headaches were the result of consuming excess 
CAFFEINE in the diet Coke, and/or hypoglycemic from not eating enough.
Nutrasweet is not absorbed as-is, your body breaks it down first in the gut 
to the amino acids.  If you have Nutrasweet with any protein-containing food 
there will be MUCH more aspartic acid and phenylalanine from the 
FOOD in your system. 

BTW, I don't work for Nutrasweet or have any other connection to them or 
Searle. I'm just a scientist concerned with the dissemination of  false 
information.