-Caveat Lector-
Here are a few articles on a new study of the well-known link between
aspartame and brain cancer.
Peace out,
Charles Overbeck
ParaScope
http://www.parascope.com
UK scientists to study sweetener's link to cancer
By Clar Ni Chonghaile
LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - British scientists said on Tuesday they would carry
out a three-year study into the artificial sweetener aspartame, marketed as
NutraSweet, which has been dogged by allegations that it is linked to brain
tumours.
"We are not trying to conduct a war against NutraSweet. This is a serious,
scientific study to try to re-examine something that is already in the
scientific realm," Peter Nunn, a senior lecturer in biochemistry at King's
College, London told Reuters.
Aspartame became a major scientific talking point in 1996 when a professor at
Washington University in St. Louis said it appeared to be a promising
candidate for explaining a surge in brain tumours in the mid-1980s.
NutraSweet AG, which markets the sweetener in Europe, welcomed the new
British study, saying it hoped it would lay to rest the "groundless rumours"
surrounding aspartame, widely used in low calorie soft drinks and foods.
The British scientists said they were interested in examining the possibility
that some people were genetically disposed to be more sensitive to aspartame
than others.
"We are just trying to find a different way to look at it," Nunn said.
NutraSweet is a unit of life sciences firm Monsanto Co <<A
HREF="aol://4785:MTC">MTC.N</A>>. The parent company said on July 1 it was
planning to sell its NutraSweet artificial sweetener and biogum businesses.
"There is already an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence which
confirms the safety of aspartame, but scare-mongerers have continued to claim
that aspartame is linked to brain tumours," the company said in a statement.
It said there was no way aspartame there could be such a link. "It is
physiologically impossible for aspartame to cause brain tumours because it
never enters the blood stream and thus cannot travel to essential organs,
including the brain."
Aspartame is made up of amino acids much sweeter than sugar but has not been
shown to aid dieters much in losing weight.
NutraSweet was approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in 1981. Monsanto held the patent until it expired in 1992.
In 1996, John Olney of Washington University said other risk factors common
to industrialised nations like higher levels of ionizing radiation, smoke in
the air, pesticides and industrial chemicals could also be responsible for
rising tumour rates.
But he cited the "need for a reassessment of the carcinogenic
(cancer-causing) potential" of aspartame.
Nunn said his team wanted to look at the effect of aspartame on different
cell types.
"We were interested in looking at the situation again because it is now known
that there are a number of mutations which are available in cell culture
which could be much more sensitive to possible carcinogens than unmutated
cells."
He said the way different people reacted to cigarette smoke was an example of
what they would be examining.
"We just don't know why it is that some people are resistant to carcinogens
in tobacco smoke while others are very sensitive. It may be something like
that (with aspartame)."
10:50 08-03-99
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is
expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters
shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any
actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted
by AOL.
Scientists to Study Possible NutraSweet Cancer Link, Paper Says
London, Aug. 3 <A
HREF="aol://4344:30.bloombrg.389091.602536905">(Bloomberg)</A> -- Scientists
from London's King's College will begin a three-year study this fall into a
possible link between Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, and brain cancer,
the Evening Standard reported, citing neurochemist Dr. Peter Nunn. U.S.-based
Monsanto Co., the No. 1 maker of artificial sweeteners, makes Aspartame under
the NutraSweet brand and denies it causes cancer, the newspaper said.
Neurologists conducting the study suspect the sweetener may harm people with
a particular genetic makeup; a Nutrasweet AG spokeswoman said today more than
200 tests worldwide have found the substance to be safe, the newspaper said.
Monsanto said July 2 it will sell its artificial-sweetener business to pay
debt and focus more on its drug and agricultural products.
(Evening Standard 8/3 www.thisislondon.com)
Aug/03/1999 15:38
For more stories from Bloomberg News, <A
HREF="aol://4344:30.BLOOMBRG.5288278.602602747">click here</A>.
(C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P.
Any redistribution of Bloomberg content, including by framing or similar
means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Bloomberg
L.P. Any reference to the material must be properly attributed to Bloomberg
News.
The information herein was obtained from sources which Bloomberg L.P. and its
suppliers believe reliable, but they do not guarantee its accuracy. Neither
the information, nor any opinion expressed, constitutes a solicitation of the
purchase or sale of any securities or commodities.(C) Copyright 1999
Bloomberg L.P. BLOOMBERG, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Financial Markets,
Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg News Radio are trademarks, tradenames and
service marks of Bloomberg L.P.
NutraSweet AG welcomes new study into aspartame
LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - NutraSweet AG, which markets the artificial
sweetener aspartame in Europe, said on Tuesday it welcomed a new study into
allegations of a link between aspartame and brain tumours.
``There is already an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence which
confirms the safety of aspartame, but scare-mongerers have continued to cliam
that aspartame is linked to brain tumours,'' the company said in a statement.
The study will be carried out at King's College in London. It will start in
October and last three years.
NutraSweet said that if the study was well-designed and well-conducted, it
was sure that it would show there is no link.
The controversy surrounding aspartame, which is contained in many low-fat
drinks and foods, was given an extra boost in 1996 when a professor at
Washington University said there should be further study into the effects of
the artificial sweetener.
John Olney, a professor in psychiatry, said aspartame appeared to be a
promising candidate for explaining a surge in brain tumours in the mid-1980s.
NutraSweet, which is a unit of life sciences firm Monsanto Co (MTC.N), has
always denied the possibilty of any link.
``It is physiologically impossible for aspartame to cause brain tumours
because it never enters the blood stream and thus cannot travel to essential
organs, including the brain,'' the NutraSweet statement said on Tuesday.
Aspartame was introduced in 1981 and NutraSweet held the patent until it
expired in 1992.
Monsanto said on July 1 this year that it planned to sell its NutraSweet
artificial sweetener and biogum businesses.
08:08 08-03-99
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is
expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters
shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any
actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted
by AOL.
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