This is written in response to the article entitled, "Diet Soda Tied To Stroke Risk, But Reasons Unclear", which may be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020904807_pf.html

This is not the first study to link diet drinks (aspartame) to heart problems or the metabolic syndrome. The reason is very clear. Aspartame notoriously causes an irregular heart rhythm and interacts with ALL cardiac medication. At the same time it damages the cardiac conduction system and causes sudden death. This is well explained in a report by world famous Doctor H. J. Roberts, M.D., http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_and_arrhythmias.htm Here is the FDA's own report, and notice that change in heart rate is so prevalent its #15 of the 92 symptoms, http://www.mpwhi.com/92_aspartame_symptoms.pdf Also, note that death is listed. FDA must call it the ultimate symptom! Further the issue of obesity is so relevant that even it has been linked to diet drinks. This study at the University of Texas was reported in 2005.

Wrote Stephen Fox, Mission Possible New Mexico, "I don't know why these idiots act so surprised and say its a chemical mystery. The primary cause for heart disruption comes from the methanol and formaldehyde that aspartame releases. Accordingly I have asked both N.M. senators, Udall and Bingaman, to press FDA Commissioner Hamburg immediately to rescind the FDA approval of aspartame."

Stephen Fox further wrote: "It's absurd that H. J. Roberts, Russell Blaylock and Betty Martini have worked for years to say obviously the same thing, and these guys act like its such a surprise."

When George Carlin, well known stand up comic died it was noted that he was addicted to Diet Coke. Carlin had several heart attacks and died of heart failure. http://www.rense.com/general82/gcar.htm This article goes over other studies showing the same link.

Notice in the WBAY article: http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=14008426, the comment "Diet soda has previously been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, but experts say this is the first time a study found a link between diet soda and heart disease." As the story on George Carlin pointed out this is not the first time. Aspartame can precipitate diabetes, simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve and causes diabetics to go into convulsions. The free methyl alcohol causes diabetics to lose limbs.

Two Parliamentarians some years ago petitioned the United Nations to track sudden death because they could not understand why people for no reason were dropping dead. Athletes are also dropping dead. Steve Belcher died in West Palm Beach (2003) which prompted Dr. H. J. Roberts to call the medical examiner to ask how many diet drinks he was using. Indeed he was consuming diet pop as we learned later. So what did FDA do? Instead of banning aspartame they banned ephedra, and have refused to allow it back on the market when aspartame was the culprit that took his life. Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. wrote an Athlete Alert to allow all athletes to have the information and save their lives: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_msg_scd.htm

Even pilots drop dead from aspartame triggered problems such as myocardial infarction (heart attack or sudden cardiac death) and Dr. Russell Blaylock wrote an Aspartame Pilot Alert: http://www.mpwhi.com/pilot_aspartame_alert_with_letters.htm Mission Possible Aviation was started many years ago when Cliff Evans crashed his plane on aspartame and lived to tell about it. Captain Fred Fox who was with American Airlines for 35 years is our representative for aviation safety and himself suffered atrial fibrillation from aspartame.

The FAA's response to pilots dying from aspartame is that the FDA approved it. So what does FDA say since they are the ones who tried to have the manufacturer indicted for fraud and know how bad the studies are. In 2002 I filed a Citizens Petition for ban of aspartame. The FDA has by law 180 days to answer the petition. About a year later they sent me a letter stating they would like to advise me, in accordance with 21 CFR 10:30 (e) (2) (iii), that they had not yet reached a decision on the petition, due to a number of competing priorities. Translation: We have more important things to do, and this is our way of ignoring you. In 2007 I wrote an amendment that aspartame is an imminent health hazard. They only have a week or ten days to answer this one. They ignored it. In 2010 I wrote again, that they had not answered the citizens petition for ban. On January 11, 2011 the FDA answered:

"Lastly, in reference to your previously submitted citizen petition again, we would like to advise you, in accordance with 231 CFR 10.30(e)(2)(iii), that we have not yet reached a decision on your petition, due to a number of competing priorities. However, be advised that your petition and the comments that have been submitted to the docket are currently under active evaluation by our staff."

So for 9 years the FDA has ignored the petition saying they are too busy to do anything about it. Here is 231 CFR: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=10.30

The FDA ignores and refuses to carry out the law. They speak with forked tongue. At the same time they give you an excuse for not carrying out the law they also say: "Please be assured that the FDA continues to closely monitor scientific literature for information that might indicate potential public health concerns with artificial sweeteners like any regulated food ingredient. Should the need arise; the Agency will take the appropriate action to protect public health." What FDA has really done is put on hold concern for public health by ignoring all these petitions for ban, and the constant flow of research on aspartame showing its a killer. They also know aspartame is a drug and not an additive and interacts with other drugs and vaccines, and there is no warning. Who knows how many deaths have been caused by drug interaction in aspartame consumers.

Stephen Fox also wrote: "The astonished" attitude of journalists to this so-called "discovery" is appalling. They seem more like Rip Van Winkle, waking from a 300 year nap, than true scientific journalists.

"I am grateful to the researchers for driving another nail into the aspartame coffin, but how many more "discoveries" will it take to convince the monolithic FDA to take the obvious step: Rescind aspartame approval."

Indeed the FDA has ignored other citizen petitions for ban such as the one from Dr. Kenneth Stoller. Twelve toxicologists wrote the FDA for ban as well. Consider it was never proven safe which their own toxicologist, Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, told Congress in 1987. It had already been on the market for 6 years. She also said that all studies were built on a foundation of sand and should be thrown out. Dr. Adrian Gross, scientist and FDA toxicologist, also told Congress in 1985 that because of the brain tumors and brain cancer aspartame violated the Delaney Amendment. Further he stated against his own FDA that they should not have been able to set an allowable daily intake. Both of these toxicologists exposed the fact that most of the data used to certify the safety of aspartame have been scientifically proven inadequate, false or wrong, largely by the FDA itself, Dr. Gross' last words to Congress were "And if the FDA violates it's own laws who is left to protect the public." Consider Big Pharma using an unproven drug as a sweetener without having done studies of possible interactions.

In 1985 a bill by Senator Howard Mezenbaum would have put a moratorium on aspartame and have NIH do independent studies of what they were seeing in the population like drug interactions. Today the hands of physicians are tied because so many have no knowledge aspartame is a drug and interacts. Imagine a victim having an aspartame heart attack and his physician doesn't know to ask the patient if he is on aspartame! Worst still some drugs even have aspartame in them. So, a physician could give an aspartame victim a drug that interacts with aspartame or have aspartame in the product.

Even with petitions for ban Ajinomoto is trying to get Advantame approved, another aspartame product, plus they have Neotame on the market.

Until aspartame is recalled its only going to get worse with more heart attacks and strokes, and conditions described in medical texts.

Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.
Founder, Mission Possible World Health International
9270 River Club Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
770-242-2599
E-Mail: BettyM19@mindspring.com
http://www.wpwhi.com
http://www.wnho.net
http://www.dorway.com

Aspartame Toxicity Center: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame

Medical Text: Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, by H. J. Roberts, M.D., http://www.sunsentpress.com

Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, by Russell Blaylock, M.D., http://www.russellblaylockmd.com

Documentary: Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World, cori@soundandfury.tv