Dear listfriends,
Aspartame has been on my mind for quite some time, and I've been seeking
references that might indicate adverse reactions are possible for some
people. Thanks to a professional listserve and some diligent work on the
part of other concerned RDs, a study has indeed surfaced. Although a
single study is rarely conclusive, I believe that the results of this
study warrant further research, and that PWP would be well advised to
discontinue use of aspartame, at least if they experience mood
disorders.

For those interested, here it is:


Walton RG, Hudak R, Green-Waite RJ.  Department of Psychiatry,
Northeastern
Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Youngstown.
Adverse reactions to aspartame:  double-blind challenge in patients from
a vulnerable population.
 Biol Psychiatry 1993 Jul 1-15; 34(1-2):13-7.

This study was designed to ascertain whether individuals with mood
disorders
are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of aspartame.  Although
the
protocol required the recruitment of 40 patients with unipolar
depression and
a similar number of individuals without a psychiatric history, the
project
was halted by the Institutional Rview Board after a total of 13
individuals
had completed the study because of the severity of reactions within the
group
of patients with a history of depression.  In a crossover design,
subjects
received aspartame 30 mg/kg/day or placebo 7 days.  Despite the small n,

there was a significant difference between aspartame and placebo in
number
and severity of symptoms for patients with a history of depression,
whereas
for individuals without such a history there was not.  We conclude that
individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this
artificial
sweetener and its use in this population should be discouraged.




--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
"Nutrition you can live with!"
Medical nutrition therapy
Tel: 970-493-6532 // Fax: 970-493-6538