I'm not a neuroscientist (nor any other sort of scientist), but I recently
read a book called 'Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills', by Russell L.
Blaylock, that discusses the damage to neurons that can be caused by
aspartate, glutamate, and other excitotoxins. Since reading that, I keep
running into the aspartame/methanol scare with no mention of the kind of
problems I read about in the book. Is there more information available along
the same lines as Blaylock's book (especially that written for the
layperson)? I'm curious because all the attention seems to be focused on the
problem (if there really is one) with methanol, and none of it seems to relate
to the work that Blaylock writes about.
Cat
Edward Justin Modestino wrote:
> So,
> what do all of you fellow neuroscientists think about the hype that
> nutrasweet causes a plethora of diseases including brain damage and
> cancer? There is so much crap on the net about this that isn't supported
> by research. I even been threatened by people explaining to them. I spent
> three hours researching this on Medline and found no evidence of this. I
> mean at normal doses phenylalanine and aspartate are safe, unless one has
> PKU. Phenylalanine may even help those who are depressed, anergic and
> under aroused (i.e. narcolepsy, hypersomnia) by increasing catecholamine
> production.
> Ed Modestino
> M.Phil. candidate in psychobiology
> University of Pennsylvania
