This story about aspartame written by Patricia Paris needs a response. She obviously didn't do her homework. First of all aspartame is no hoax, it’s the crime of the century: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_no_hoax.htm. You will see by this letter from Attorney Ed Johnson (along with mine) to Urban Legends and Snopes when they were warned about publishing misinformation under Title 18, Section 1001, and reported to the Justice Department. Attorney Ed Johnson is in the aspartame documentary, Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, as he suffered an aspartame brain tumor.

Patricia Paris complains about using the term "aspartame disease." It was H. J. Roberts, M.D., who coined the phrase Aspartame Disease because its use is consistent with Hippocratic writings. The symptoms are predictable and there is a pattern. "When a large number of people all catch the same disease at the same time, the cause must be ascribed to something common to all." (Rosenberg 1992). It is appropriate because this affliction fulfills these four Koch-like postulates:

There is an identifiable cause.
Symptoms and signs follow such exposure and are reproducible in a given individual.
Improvement occurs after avoiding aspartame products (not always an easy feat).
The same complaints usually promptly recur on challenge.

At Dr. Roberts' first press conference quoted in his first book on aspartame in 1990 he said that if something wasn't done then in five or 10 years we would have a world plague on our hands. And this prophecy has come to pass. He told Congress that the current wholesale ingestion of aspartame products by over half the population constitutes an "imminent public health hazard" because of the frequency and severity of reactions. He says this warning should be of particular concern for high risk groups - most notable, patients with diabetes and hypoglycemia, pregnant women, children, patients with epilepsy, liver, heart, kidney disease and eating disorders, older persons with memory impairment, etc.

It was Dr. Roberts himself who wrote the medical text, "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic." You can get a copy from 1 800 827-7991 which discusses the above.

She says "most of the allegations against these products contradicts the bulk of medical evidence.” She is wrong again. Dr. Ralph Walton did research for 60 Minutes showing 92% of independent scientific peer reviewed studies show the problems. Since Dr. Walton did this research there are many more scientific peer reviewed studies.

Publishing this type of misinformation without doing any homework is in violation of Title 18, Section 1001. For her to do no research and pick up industry propaganda is a serious thing to do. Even the FDA tried to have the original manufacturer indicted for fraud under Title 18, section 1001. FDA revoked the petition for approval.

There is a clip from the movie Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World in the commentary above this document explaining how Don Rumsfeld got aspartame marketed when the FDA said no.

Obviously after a quarter of a century we know what aspartame triggers. There are not only studies but other books by eminent physicians. Dr. Roberts new book "Protecting Mankind: One Physician's Quest" has a chapter on aspartame being an imminent health hazard.

Russell Blaylock, M.D., wrote Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. His lecture "The Truth About Aspartame" discusses the issue.

This is shameful journalism that can stumble the public into using this addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drug that interacts with all drugs and vaccines. It has a synergistic and additive effect with MSG. Even the FDA lists 92 documented symptoms including death.

I ask that you publish this letter to retract such obvious distortion of the truth. David Emery of Urban Legends has admitted being a user of this toxin. His misinformation was started when I lectured for the World Environmental Conference and the issue became world news.

Dr. Betty Martini
Mission Possible International (warning the world off aspartame)
Duluth, Ga.
Bettym19@mindspring.com