MovieChat Forums > Hungry for Change (2012) Discussion > There IS a pilot/aspartame connection

There IS a pilot/aspartame connection

posted 11 years ago by piquebu
1 reply | jump to latest

Despite what the other reviewer said.

"Many pilots appear to be particularly susceptible to the effects of
aspartame ingestion. They have reported numerous serious toxicity
effects including grand mal seizures in the cockpit (Stoddard 1995).
Nearly 1,000 cases of pilot reactions have been reported to the
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Pilot Hotline (Stoddard 1995).
This susceptibility may be related to ingesting methanol at altitude
as suggested in a letter from Dr. Phil Moskal, Professor of
Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Pathology, Chairman of the Department
of Pathology, Director of Public Health Laboratories (Moskal 1990),
or it may simply be that some pilots tend to ingest large quantities
of aspartame during a flight. Whatever the case, numerous warnings
about aspartame dangers have appeared in piloting journals including
The Aviation Consumer (1988), Aviation Medical Bulliten (1988),
Pacific Flyer (1988), CAA General Aviation (1989), Aviation Safety
Digest (1989), General Aviation News (1989), Plane & Pilot (1990),
Canadian General Aviation News (1990), National Business Aircraft
Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), International Council of
Air Shows (ICAS 1995), and the Pacific Flyer (1995). Both the U.S.
Air Force's magazine "Flying Safety" and the U.S. Navy's magazine,
"Navy Physiology" published articles warning about the many dangers
of aspartame including the cumlative deliterious effects of methanol
and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that
the ingestion of aspartame may make pilots more susceptible to
seizures and vertigo (US Air Force 1992)."

The source of this material? The FDA. Here's the link: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/Jan03/012203/02P-0317_emc-000199.txt

[–] proteus122 10 years ago

The intro says it all:

To: FDA Dockets Submittal

From: Mark D. Gold
Aspartame Toxicity Information Center
12 East Side Dr., Suite 2-18
Concord, NH 03301
603-225-2110

He submitted this to the FDA, he's got an axe to grind and they probably had to publish it in the public interest. That doesn't mean the FDA endorses it.

See this at the end: "I include these comments about the FDA to demonstrate why no
independent scientist familiar with the aspartame issue takes
statements from the FDA such as "11 reported reactions in 1995"
seriously."

So it's obviously not the FDA's view. They believe it has little to no effect on the population. Using this as proof for the films assertion is like using a drug dealers claims that cocaine and heroin is good for you as proof that they are.

I'm not calling you out here, I believe these artificial sweeteners should be avoided as well but this doesn't prove the movies point at all. The man said something that just wasn't true. He should have checked his facts before saying what he did.