Aspartame and Vision Problems

In a study which appeared in the Journal of Applied Nutrition 
authoried by Dr. H.J. Roberts (Vol. 40, page 85-94, 1988), the
following eye problems were found in persons who complained of
adverse reactions to aspartame use:

                                              % of people
                                              with aspartame 
                                                reactions

- Decreased vision and/or other eye problems      (25%)
    (blurring, "bright flashes," tunnel vision)
- Pain (or or both eyes)                           (9%)
- Decreased tears, trouble with contact lens,      (8%)
    or both
- Blindness (one or both eyes)                     (3%)

Dr. Roberts details the effects of aspartame on the eye in his book, 
"Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe."

In 1987, Dr. Morgan Raiford, M.D., an ophthalmologist and an expert 
on the effects of methanol toxicity on the eye testified before U.S. 
Congress about the large number of patients he treated with vision
loss due to aspartame (65 cases as of July 10, 1986).  At that time,
aspartame had been on the market for a short period of time and in
relatively small amounts.

Here is a statement from Dr. Raiford:

  Facts About Aspartame
  May 20, 1987

  The above product is also manufactured as NutraSweet.  This 
  pharmological spin-off is a highly profitable item, with a growing 
  market.  These products are used as a sweetener, some 200 times as 
  sweet as regular can sugar.

  This product has some highly toxic reactions in the human visual 
  pathway, and we are beginning to observe the tragic damage to the 
  optic nerve, such as blindness, partial to total optic nerve atrophy. 
  Once this destructive process has developed there is no return of 
  visual restoration.  We are beginning to see and observe another 
  toxic reaction which affects the central nervous system which is 
  related to phenylalanine levels in the central nervous system.  These 
  observations are more vague, however, it stimulates the damaging to 
  the brain and the central nervous system, having the manifestations 
  as PKU Neuro Damage.  Over 3,000 cases have been reported, and the 
  FDA to date has ignored this existence.

  Human Visual Pathway Damage

  The human visual pathway admists ninety percent of our intellectual 
  input to the brain and central nervous system.  All of the learning 
  processes are centered during ones life time.  The mechanism of this 
  tragic damage to the human visual system from this product is and has 
  been known for over a decade that visual loss takes place.  When this 
  drug enters the digestive tract, largely the upper portion, this 
  aspartame molecule spins off a by product known as methanol or 
  methyl-alcohol.  This product enters the bloodstream and when these 
  portions reach the highly metabolic region of the optic nerve and 
  retina, partial atrophy can and does take place.  The vision can not 
  do without oxygen and nutrition for more than ninety seconds without 
  revealing some damage.  Total loss of vision is present and there is 
  no return.  In the very early stages in which is referred to as the 
  "wet stage", treatment can be given and will reserve the destructive 
  pathology to the optic nerve and retina.  This must be in the mind of 
  the physician and he must understand the chemical ongoing process.  
  The writer has seen many cases where the patient was allowed to go to 
  the degrees of blindness, as this diagnosis of optic neuritis was 
  rendered, as the term idiopathic neuritis of optic nerve was given, 
  usually steriods until systemic gross body and facial moon developed. 
  This therapy has demonstrated the total lack of understanding of the 
  basic lack of biochemical physiology at the molecular level.
  
  The variability or onset of the optic nerve atrophy is of a type that 
  one must first think of this pathology, and it requires a certain 
  amount of listening to the patient.  The quantity of symptoms vary 
  with each patient.

  Over the past year the writer has observed the fact that any portion 
  of the central nervous system can and is affected.  Since the 
  chemical phenylalanine is mixed up with some metabolic mess, we have 
  seen symptoms of varying hue in the extremities, sensations of 
  dullness of the intellect, visual shadows, evidence of word structure 
  reversing and some hearing impairment is noted by the individual.  
  This can and will in time cause problems in learning.  The medical 
  community must alert itself that we have a problem that has surfaced 
  due to the factor of the drug industry.  Parents must be alerted to 
  the side reactions of this toxic product and its reactions.

Recently, an ophthamologist in India reported improvement in a number
of his patients' conditions after the elimination of aspartame for a 
period of time.  That ophthamologist and a surgeon (J. Barua and A. 
Bal) published a article in the Journal of the Diabetic Association 
of India (Vol. 35, No. 4, 1995, page 92-107) which discusses the 
dangers of aspartame use.

Of course, it is important to find substitutes for aspartame.  It is 
equally important, in my opinion, to avoid going from one toxic 
sweetener to another.  I put together what I feel are healthier 
sweeteners for the general population on a sweetener resource list on 
my web page.  Diabetics can safely use some of these sweeteners and 
others in moderation (depending upon their condition).