From the New York Times:
WHEN Dr. Morando Soffritti, a cancer researcher in Bologna, Italy, saw the results of his team’s seven-year study on aspartame, he knew he was about to be injected into a bitter controversy over this sweetener, one of the most contentiously debated substances ever added to foods and beverages…..
He theorized that the tumors in his study were related to the methanol, or wood alcohol, that is produced as the body metabolizes aspartame. When the body breaks down methanol, the result is formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. “I know that when I treat animals with methanol, you end up with lymphomas and leukemias,” he said.
Spacebunny and I have avoided aspartame for years, as my father – who was on the low-carb thing back when low-fat was all the rage – looked into it years ago to explain why he was getting headaches after switching to diet Coke. After he explained how aspartame can be converted into formaldehyde, we figured it simply wasn’t something you want to put in your body.
I have little doubt that this will prove to be yet another lesson in the idiocy of putting your trust in government agencies to keep you safe and healthy.