Defending aspartame - An Aspartame Controversy

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to material contained in Valerie Richards' column "The Dietary Dilemma" that appeared in the July-September isue of Nutrition Health Review. In response to a question regarding " ... bloating and diarrhea after drinking soda beverages ... ," she answered, "Have you considered your problem to be allergic reactions to artificial sweetners? H.J. Robers, M.D., has written extensively about the effects of aspartame on some people ... " Unfortunately, such allegations are not supported by scientific evidence. In the interest of presenting a balanced view, I would like to provide more complete and accurate facts.

Dr. Robers' first book, Aspartame (Nutra-Sweet): Is It Safe? was reviewed in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 1990 by a physician on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. The review was scathing. I enclose it in its entirety for your information, but perhaps the most damning comment was, "Is it right for a physician with a hypothesis to write a book of this nature without first seeking scientific proof and presenting the data to a medical journal or society? I appreciate the concern and effort of the author, but my reaction to his book is as negative as it is strong. There is no place for a publication such as this one. It only adds to public misinformation, confusion, and mistrust."

With over 100 million regular aspartame consumers in the United States alone, it is statistically inevitable that some individuals who consume products containin aspartame may also coincidentally experience an allergic symptom. These isolated cases do not establish a link between aspartame and allergic reactions. There are many other factors, such as seasonals allergies, contact dermatitis, or hypersensitivity to other foods and ingredients, which may account for allergic symptoms.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reviewed the anecdotal reports of allergic reactions thought by the consumer to be associated with the consumption of aspartame. They have not identified a cause-effect relationship.

Dr. Margarita Garriga and coworkers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases undertook a 32-month study to investigate people with alleged hypersensitivity reactions to aspartame. The reasearchers advertised in local newspapers and worked closely with local allergists and dermatologists in an effort to recruit participants for the study. Even after these extensive efforts to idenfity subjects, only 12 individuals were entered into the study. These subjects were tested for allergic reactions using singl- and double-blind challenges with up to 2,000 mg of aspartame, which is approximately equivalent to the amount of aspartame in 11 cans of diet soda. The researchers concluded in their report, "No subject with a clearly reproducible adverse reaction of aspartame was identified." Based on the results of this study, hypersensitivity reactions to aspartame, if such exist at all, appear to be quite rare in the general population.

Recently, Dr. Raif Geha and associates conducted a clinical study at six major medical centers in the U.S. and Canada. Over a period of four years, individuals who reportedly experienced allergic reactions within 12 hours of consuming an aspartame-containing product were entered into the study. The clinical investigators were able to identify 21 subjects who were able to meet the criteria of the protocol. Each individual was tested with 950 mg of aspartame (50, 300, and 600 mg at two-hour intervals) and placebo on separate days. This is equivalent to the aspartame in five to six cans of diet soda. The authors concluded, "The results of the study indicate that aspartame is no more likely than placebo to cause urticaria (hives) or angioedema (itchy swelling) in individuals allegedly sensitive to aspartame."

Sincerely, Robert H. Moser, M.D. Senior Medical Consultant The NutraSweet Company Deerfield, Illinois

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