In light of the deaths of several American Airline pilots who were heavy users of aspartame (one had a stroke), Dr. Blaylock has provided this pilot alert. Mission Possible continually gets complaints from pilots about seizures, cardiac problems, vision loss, vertigo, confusion, disorientation, etc. triggered by the use of aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal/Spoonful, Canderel, E951,etc.)
I have reviewed some of the reports from airline and private pilots concerning adverse effects of aspartame on various physiological systems. It is interesting to note that several of these complaints are related to the nervous system, which puts this in a category of great concern to the pilot as well as the general public. Some of the more common complaints include, disorientation, difficulty thinking and concentrating, visual blurring or even monocular blindness, seizures and heart failure. It is well known that the ingredients in aspartame, as well as its breakdown products, have deleterious effects on the nervous system and retina. For example, phenylalanine is a precursor of the catecholamine neurotransmitters in the brain and elevated levels in the brain have been associated with seizures. It should also be pointed out that these catecholamines are metabolized to form other excitotoxins and peroxide products that can lead to elevated free radical formation and lipid peroxidation within the neurons.
Likewise, aspartic acid (an excitotoxin) acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter and can lower the seizure threshold making a seizure more likely. The additive effect of aspartic acid and phenylalanine would significantly increase the likelihood of a seizure, especially under hypoglycemic conditions. This would occur if a diet drink is substituted for a meal, or if one is on a stringent diet. It is well known that hypoglycemia greatly magnifies the excitotoxic effects of these ingredients.
The combination of hypoglycemia and aspartame would also increase the likelihood of mental confusion and disorientation. In the pilot's situation, this could be disastrous. It must be recognized that pilots would also be frequently exposed to other excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed proteins, etc, that have a synergistic effect that greatly increases the likelihood of an adverse reaction.
One of the intriguing associations with excitotoxins of all types is the occurrence of sudden death. For example, we know that one of the primary sites of action of these excitatory substances is the hypothalamus and that sudden cardiac death can be induced by stimulating the hypothalamus. It is entirely possible excitotoxic stimulation of these hypothalamic centers could also lead to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. Hypothalamic stimulation has also been shown to produce an ECG pattern exactly like that of a myocardial infarction. Combinations of excitotoxins, such as aspartic acid and glutamate, greatly increased the risk.
Finally, a scientific study demonstrated that aspartame exposure significantly increases the level of formaldehyde in all tissue, including brain and retina and that this breakdown product of aspartame, is very toxic to proteins and DNA, leading to permanent injury to these vital cellular components. Even more important, was the finding this highly toxic substance accumulates in these tissues with chronic exposure to aspartame. This could lead to significant injury to the brain, retina and other organs long after the exposure. Also, the effects appear to be dose related. That is, the more aspartame you consume, the greater the danger. It should be appreciated that formaldehyde is a powerful carcinogenic agent.
In my book on excitotoxins, (Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills), I explain in detail how excitotoxins damage the nervous system, leading to severe disorders, and what can be done to reduce your risk. It is my opinion that aspartame is a dangerous neurotoxin, as well as a significant carcinogen for many organs, and that it should be avoided at all cost.
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
Mission Possible Aviation
Dr. Betty Martini, Founder
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Ga. 30097
770 242-2599 Voice
770 242-2596 FAX
Bettym19@mindspring.com
Books by Dr. Russell Blaylock, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills and Health & Nutrition Secrets To Save Your Life,
Tapes: Ignored Health Hazards For Pilots and Drivers by H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P.
Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, 1038 pg medical text
Papers by Doctors Roberts and Blaylock, (1) and (2) - click on aspartame
Aspartame Documentary: Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. Attorney James Turner explains how Don Rumsfeld got aspartame approved. Movie includes Dr. H. J. Roberts, Dr. Russell Blaylock, Dr. Ralph Walton, Dr. James Bowen, and info on Dr. James Olney
Contact Dr. Betty Martini with regards to aspartame brain tumors for litigation in New York and New Jersey.
Aspartame Toxicity Center, Aspartame
Pilots should not use Splenda as it is a chlorocarbon poison. Article by Dr. James Bowen on The Lethal Science of Splenda
From Captain Fred Fox
Subject: Comments on Aviation and Aspartame
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a retired Captain from American Airlines. I was using Equal in my coffee from the time American took Sweet and Low off the planes in the 80"s during the saccharin scare. In 1995 I was grounded for 9 months with arterial fib/arrhythmia caused by aspartame poisoning. Before I retired, 6 pilots died of aspartame-related poisoning, one in flight from a seizure. They all were heavy users of Equal or diet drinks. Another captain who used to fly with me as a co-pilot had a seizure on a 767 trip to Paris. The co-pilot had to make an emergency landing in Las Vegas where the captain woke up in the hospital. He never got his license back and had to retire early. He was a heavy user of Equal and/or diet drinks.
I sent numerous letters to the CEO, Medical, the pilots' and flight attendants' unions, and VP of Flight concerning this potential disaster, and they chose to disregard my warnings. How many other pilots have since been affected is unknown. Aspartame causes carbohydrate craving and you only have to look at those who over-indulge, or more aptly, are addicted, to see how overweight they are. Some apparently suffer from bipolar disorder, one of the side effects.
Pilots and flight attendants please contact Mission Possible Aviation for further information. (Bettym19@mindspring.com - Dr. Betty Martini, Founder, web sites: www.wnho.net and www.dorway.com )
With Regards, Frederick Fox, Captain, AAL Retired.
Bill Deagle, M.D., wrote on Feb 15, 2006:
I have been a civil aviation examiner and have personally examined pilots who suffered dangerous absence seizures, blackout and dangerous lack of judgment. It was an unwritten rule that Aspartame was not to be used at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and most commercial pilots knew of the danger years ago of this excitoneurotoxin.
Aspartame generates peroxynitrile free radicals that produce chromatin DNA clumping and neuron apoptosis or brain cell death. Co-toxicity with mercury, Splenda, depleted Uranium nanoparticles, and other toxin amplifies the truncation of dendritic spike and interneuron connections via the GTP neurotubulin subunits that are blocked in assembly forming new neural growth cones. I wrote an article in the News section of NutriMedical.com on "Mercury is Not Vitamin M".
The best way to characterize Aspartame is "mind Tenderizer", as ELF Mind control technologies make it illogical for the insane use of Aspartame in injectable vaccines and many thousands of already sweet food and medicine products.
Information from neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D., on Aspartame and Aviation:
Note: If Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World is purchased by June 30, 2006 all profits will go to the attorney of Diane Fleming who is interviewed in the movie. Her husband died of aspartame and seeing the methanol on autopsy they thought Diane poisoned him even though she passed a lie detector test and was the one who called the police. Aspartame liberates free methyl alcohol, which causes chronic methanol poisoning. It affects the dopamine level of the brain and causes addiction. Methanol is classified as a narcotic. No one knew this at the time of the trial. Experts on aspartame who reviewed the autopsy wrote affidavits her husband died of aspartame. Fleming was a body builder and athlete playing basketball sometimes four times a week.
Even though it took two days for Charles Fleming to die (not sudden death) there are constant reports of athletes who die of sudden cardiac death. Aspartame triggers an irregular heart rhythm and interacts with all cardiac medication. It damages the cardiac conduction system and causes sudden death. Here is the report by Dr. Blaylock. As Dr. H. J. Roberts said recently it is outrageous that this innocent woman (a Sunday school teacher) has been imprisoned for 4 years for a crime committed by the manufacturers of aspartame.
Aspartame was never proven safe and here is the actual 50-page document of the FDA revoking the petition for approval. A short commentary with a clip from Sweet Misery explaining how Don Rumsfeld called in his markers and got NutraSweet on the market when the FDA said no.
Captain Fred Fox, now retired from American Airlines has been interviewed for the sequel of Sweet Misery to be released shortly.