I was watching Peter Mansbridge (CBC) speak with Bob McDonald the other night and they were answering some very interesting questions submitted by viewers. I thought this was an interesting question/answer to post:
Aspartame Breaks Down in the Body to Form Formaldehyde.
Aspartame Breaks Down in the Body to Form Formaldehyde.
Is it true that aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and if so, what are the consequences of that in the human body? (from Luc Lavack)
The answer is yes. Aspartame first breaks down in the body to methanol. Methanol is then broken down into formaldehyde. The body will then turn the formaldehyde into carbon dioxide and we then breathe it out, and also release it as sweat and urine. The amount of formaldehyde released is much higher than the safety standards for drinking water. At the time Aspartame use was proposed and pushed through (very quickly) for human consumption in the USA, the person who stood to benefit financially from this was the owner of the company who was making Aspartame — Donald Rumsfeld…hmmmm…interesting. A little conflict of interest perhaps? The company that he owned was eventually sold to Monsanto. Again, something to ponder….
Dr. Mercola speaks of the dangers of Aspartame in depth on his website: The Hidden Dangers of Aspartame.
To your health,
You Be Healthy
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld
http://www.cbc.ca/mansbridge/2009/03/bob_mcdonald_part_2.html
