LoadingAspartame and Migraines - Some of the Background
The artificial sweetener Aspartame gained a foothold as a sugar replacement''with diabetics gaining a significant advantage. At the peak of its popularitysome 6000 foods and drinkseven certain chewing gums and vitamin productscontained Aspartame
It is marketed under several different tradenamesincluding NutrasweetCanderelEqual and Tropicana Slim. In the European Union its E-number (additive code) is E951.
The battle rages on as to whether the artificial sweetener aspartame actually causes migraine headaches. The manufacturers of NutraSweet strongly deny that there is a correlationreferring to research from Duke University which they say totally dismisses it as a possibility(1).
They usually neglect to mention that they funded the studywhich consisted of a one day dosage of aspartame or placebo to migraine sufferers. On the basis that the findings showed no statistical difference between the two groups' incidence of headache that daythe aspartame backers claimed that the suggestion of aspartame causing headaches was unsubstantiated.
The FDA accepted the study as conclusive proofand has since maintained that there is no evidence to support the theory that aspartame is in any way detrimental to humans.
The FDA first backed aspartame against critics in 1981 which is the year President Reagan first took office. Reagan had close ties with Searle drug company which manufactured the additiveand he fired the FDA commissioner who had been blocking the approvalthen appointing Dr Arthur Hayes to the position.
A Board of Inquiry convened and recommended continuing to deny approvalciting the incidence of seizures and brain tumors in laboratory animals. Hayes approved the additive against the Board's recommendationand subsequently left the FDA for a position with Searle's public relations firm.
Aspartame accounts for 75% of ALL complaints to the FDA for a food additive - with even MSG running a poor second. Aspartame has been reported in some studies to contain a carcinogen (cancer causing substance) and is suspected by many scientists of causing problems ranging from brain tumors to epilepsy.
A 13-weekdouble-blindrandomized cross-over study was conducted in 1988 by SM Koehler; the subsequent findings were amazing. Participants were given doses of aspartame or placeboand the results from the test indicated that at least 50% of the subjects given aspartame had increasing frequency and duration of migraineswhile those on placebo had decreased attacks(2).
Various other double blind studies have concluded that aspartame did indeed cause worsening of migrainesthe exception being the study financed by NutraSweet. In all aspartame research funded by NutraSweetaspartame was not proven to have been the cause of any worrying symptoms.
Other privately funded studies showed aspartame to be in fact responsible for headaches and other health problems in over 80% of testswith the majority of the ones still showing inconclusive results being funded by the FDAwhich has been accused of turning a blind eye to the dangers of aspartame since it was approved.
In a very interesting twisttwo patients studied by Newman and Lipton experienced worsening of migraine upon administration of rezatriptana medication that normally gave them relief. On examinationthe medication was actually of a new form in a dissolvable wafer rather than the normal capsule - and the wafer was sweetened with aspartame. Both patients had formerly identified aspartame as a migraine trigger. They had no idea that the rezatriptan medication in the wafer form contained the sweetenerhaving just been given the samples for ease of dosing in case of migraine onset at work or school(3).
The multiple symptoms of aspartame sensitivity don't stop with migrainesthough headaches are one of the top three complaints. Excessive fatiguedizzinessfainting spells and seizures are commonas well as depression which can reach suicidal proportions.
Critics of aspartame point to the research that found medical conditions associated with it and where the condition disappeared after patients avoided aspartame. Thousands more have testified to aspartame's negative influence on their health. On the other hand some well-respected scientists support the FDA view that aspartame is harmless.
The sweetener converts into several breakdown products including aspartic acidphenylalaninemethanolformaldehyde and formic acid(4). Wikipedia records controversy surrounding the rate of breakdown into these various products and the effects that they have on folk who eat aspartame-sweetened foods.
Even though phenylalanine is an essential amino acid and occurs naturallyit has an adverse effect on people born with phenylketonuria (PKU)a rare inherited condition which prevents correct metabolism of phenylalanine. Since individuals with PKU need to take account of aspartame as an additional source of phenylalaninefoods containing aspartame must carry warning labels. Howeveras this is a rare conditionand sufferers know they need to avoid the substancethat isn't the most worrying health concern.
The main suspect breakdown product in aspartame is methanolwhich breaks down into formaldehydehighly toxic and classified as a probable human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde is used in embalmingglueplywoodplasticscarpets and many other products. Because of toxicity concerns the EU has considered imposing a complete ban on its use even for embalming.
Defenders of aspartame point out that methanol is present in many natural foods at even higher levels than a diet sodabut fail to acknowledge that the naturally occurring methanol is ALWAYS accompanied by ethanol and pectinnatural antidotes to methanol poisoning which cancel out any ill effects. Aspartame does not supply ethanolneither do products that contain the sweetener.
The controversy is far from over. The number of people who claim aspartame causes or exacerbates their migraines continues to growand many doctors now consider aspartame a known trigger. Other symptoms are reported in increasing numbers each year. However to date (2008)the FDA insists that aspartame is perfectly safe with no plans to ban its inclusion in food products.
Could it be that it has been added to so many weight-watchers' foods that the financial and commercial implications of withdrawing it would cost a fortune? Due to tumor concerns some manufacturers are slowly replacing it with sucralosebut as recipes will need reformulating and the products will need to be repackaged and quality controlled this will be a slow process.
In the mean-time consumers may wish to avoid aspartame-containing products to check if they experience improvement of any troublesome symptoms.
(1) Schiffman SSBuckley CE IIISampson JAet al. Aspartame and susceptibility to headache. N Engl J Med. 1987; 317: 1181-1185.
(2) KoehlerSMA. Glaros 1988. 'The Effect of Aspartame on Migraine Headache' Headache''Volume 28page 10-14.
(3) Newman & Lipton: 3.75 mg aspartame in Merck Maxalt-MLT worsens migraine Oct 2001 7.28.2
(4) C. TrochoR. PardoI. RafecasJ. VirgiliX. Remesar J. A. Fernandez-Lopez and M. Alemany (1998). 'Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo'. Life Sciences''63 (5): 337'349.
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Joy Healey qualified as a nutritionist in 2000at the prestigious Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London. Her dissertation topic was migraine.
For immediate delivery of an ebook full of further recommendations for natural complementary approaches to treat and prevent migraine visit:
http://www.natural-migraine-alternatives.com