A Million Votes for your Health

August 23, 2010 - Last Modified: August 23, 2010 by noaspa

The Beginnings Of Noaspa

To cut a long story short a young friend developed a brain tumour – and wanting to understand what could cause such a terrible thing to happen …. I googled.

The information that I came across about the use of both aspartame and sodium fluoride in our everyday lives was, to say the very least, quite shocking.

Let me tell more about what I have found!

Aspartame

Maybe you’ve heard of aspartame , maybe you haven’t. It’s an artificial sweetener that’s found in over 6,000 products. Most people, and probably you, consume quite a bit of it most days. You’ll find it in diet drinks, chewing gum and yoghurts for example.

So what’s the problem? Well, aspartame may taste very sweet but a lot of people believe that it causes a whole range of diseases including brain cancer. If you don’t already know about the controversy, I really suggest that you watch the first two videos in the side bar by Alex Jones – and then follow some of the links in the current aspartame twitter stream to start informing yourself even more about this topic.

And then, please, vote on the issue at the noaspa site.

Sodium Fluoride

Maybe you’ve heard of sodium fluoride, maybe you haven’t. It’s used in most toothpaste brands and often added to water supplies – supposedly because it has a positive effect on dental health.

So what’s the problem? Well, many people cast doubts about the validity of this claim – and also point out that sodium fluoride is a poison. If you don’t already know about the controversy, I really suggest that you watch the third video in the side bar – and then follow some of the links in the current fluoride twitter stream to start informing yourself even more about this topic.

And then, please, vote on the issue at the noaspa site

The Truth

What is the truth? That’s the question. The ideal situation, of course, would be that people came forward with evidence that completely discredits the information presented both here and on sites such as dorway.com and farmwars.info. Unfortunately real hard evidence seems hard to find – and in its absence there seems to be good reason to inform as many people as possible about the controversy surrounding these issues. Don’t you think?

A Million Votes

Well, I really am hoping to get a few famous bloggers comments here – and am also very interested to see how this new campaign will be received by the internet community at large.

My own opinion is that

(a) there are serious doubts about the safety of both aspartame and sodium fluoride
(b) large numbers of people are already genuinely concerned about their health implications
(c) people everywhere have the right to – and should – know about these issues
(d) a large scale poll is achievable through the power of blogs and social networks &
(e) the results of such a poll can only be beneficial ( whatever the outcome )

What’s your opinion?

Are these important issues that need addressing?
Or am I over-reacting to unreliable information & the loss of a fine & funny friend?
Please telll me straight!

But if you do agree that a large scale poll is a good idea, just put your best brilliant blogging brain into action, suggest sensational strategies – and spread the word. A million is a small number when compared to the 7 billion (or so) on earth according to the United Nations.

And we all deserve to know exactly what we’re eating and drinking, don’t we?

About noaspa

Follow @noaspa

Will McCulloch started Noaspa in July 2010 to spread awareness about the serious health concerns surrounding the use of aspartame and sodium fluoride in our everyday lives. An Invitation To Join Noaspa 2.0 is open to all Famous Bloggers - with thanks and link recognition being given to supportive sites. The ambitious aim is to reach the 1,000,000 vote target in the online poll by the end of 2010 - with the help of Famous Bloggers and social networks.

{ 63 Responses }

Ben says:

It seems that all of the 'good' gum or mints have aspartame. Its been hard to stay away from this stuff as the only mints I really like are loaded with it. Any mints I have gotten that doesn't have aspartame, they usually crumble in your mouth and the minty flavor doesn't last long at all.
NoAgendaShow says:

This all part of what is called the Codex Alimentarius, which is pushed by the WHO. It's not mass food producers , but governments that want to control what you eat / consume and how much of it you want. Such things like Lithium in the water. Did you know that small doses of Lithium can make you a calmer person and help people with ADHD? Okay great. But we all don't need to be ingesting it. Please go listen to the NoAgendaShow with Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. The weekly information, from the news organizations, they give people is so beneficial and really opened my eyes.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo, Yes, there's a very interesting "Codex Alimentarius" on the "About" page at http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/about.html which everyone should watch really. Thanks for the NoAgendaShow - am giving it a listen as I type ... Cheers Will
Udegbunam Chukwudi says:

At some point in time, we've all got to stop stressing with stuff like this and live as normal a life as possible. One day Vitamins are good for you and the next day, you're told by some scientist they are not. We're all gonna die someday anyway.
- Will says:
  
  Hi - and thanks for commenting here. Yes, there's a lot ( a very big lot!) to be said for a "Don't worry, be happy" attitude. That's great - but isn't information regarding health sort of useful too? And hopefully free of any stress! Cheers Will
  - Aaron says:
    
    I think if we ignore stuff like this we are going to see people "dying anyway" a lot sooner than necessary. Food manufacturers would love it if no one stressed with stuff like this. They'd be free to use whatever they wanted with no concern of public health or safety.
    - Will says:
      
      Hi Aaron, And food manufacturers really wouldn't love it at all if people just all laughed out loud together in a non-stressy, non-buying way about some of the stuff ( and nonesense) they put in our food. Cheers Will
Aaron says:

To answer your two questions, yes, and yes. Anything that affects our food supply is something that needs to be addressed and we all should be better educated about what we are consuming. There have been too many food recalls happening with common, natural products, we don't need resources tied up due to lab food too. Everyday I can go into the supermarket, pick up a package and find a new compound that requires research to find out what it is and what it does. Unfortunately, there are so many food items that contain ingredients that are there for one reason only-profit. It either makes it easier on the equipment to process the food, or it is a cheap flavoring compound, or it makes the food last longer. All reasons to help the manufacturer make more profit. The consumers' health is not the concern or priority in these cases. Ernest asked you if you thought all artificial sweeteners are hazardous. I think that they all are. Acesulfame, saccharin, sucralose, xylitol, aspartame. They are laboratory creations- Frankensteins of the sugar world. Why would you want to put something into your body that is going to convert into something that has been used in the past to embalm dead bodies? Look up any of these compounds and you will find they can or have caused complications in otherwise healthy people, not just lab rats or pets. Some people can consume them for extended lengths and probably not notice adverse effects taking place, but for some it's like one bad dose from a tainted batch using a dirty needle. I have no use for them, and thankfully I can recognize their unpleasant taste which helps me avoid anything that has tried to sneak it in. Given their main purpose, zero calorie sweetening, I can't see any benefit to them. I think there are far better tasting, more nutritious sweeteners that are better worth the amount of calories they might add to someone's diet count. I even think plain sucrose is healhtier than any of the artificial sweeteners available, empty calories and all. Great job spreading a good word!
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Aaron, Thanks for a great reply - and words of encouragement. Yes, it's certainly getting pretty tricky ( and time-consuming) in the supermarket checking everything .... and who wants to be embalmed before time?! Very best wishes Will
Gail says:

When we used to work all night on major mainframe upgrades and installs it was common for us to drink Diet Coke or coffee with sweetener in it. More than once I have seen consuming too much Aspartame cause muscle weakness, headaches - once so seriously that my co-worker ended up in the hospital. They did a CAT scan and the Doctors wanted to do an MRI but our insurance wouldn't approve it because they claimed it was experimental at the time. For a long time they told him he had M.S. It was years before we made the connection between those long hours and consuming Aspartame in large quantities and those symptomos. Substances such as Aspartame are cumulative poisons. Our bodies can eliminate only so much so fast. Whenever we consume more than we can tolerate we get symptoms. Some people get instant headaches from even tiny amounts. While it does seem that there might be nothing we can do that is not actually true. We can start eating healthier foods grown naturally and organically that provide higher nutrient levels. We can avoid as many toxins as we can. We can make different choices instead of living our lives as we have been conditioned to live. It is up to us to decide what is important in life. There is nothing like a medical emergency or almost dying to put things into perspective. If you want to know what else we can do, visit my blog and read my posts about the economy the Depression, Word of Mouth, and Supporting Small Businesses. There are some great links in them for finding healthy foods, avoiding toxins, and creating an economy where ALL prosper and not just the few.
Justin Germino says:

I study and read medicine journals, homeopathic remedies and such. I also read the New England Journal of Medicine and all studies as a hobby. I think that most "artificial or chemicals" cause problems. Aspartame does affect brain chemistry, they even have a disclaimer. Sodium Fluoride is toxic (you can see ingestion warnings and poison control labels on toothpaste if kids swallow more than a pea sized amount) That being said, everything is bad for you and at some point there isn't much you can do. #1 PCB's found in plastic now exist in every cell in the human body, these damage reproductive hormones and have been shown to cause fertility issues in men and women. In reptiles and alligators in the US alone the effect is so dramatic that entire species are only able to produce female eggs and the males are so damaged by the plastics/toxins that many reptile/amphibian species are in danger. Meanwhile in humans, baby bottles and other plastics are still tainted with this chemical. #2 Saccharine (Sweet & Low) has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats in high doses since the 1950's but is still on the market and with 60 years of being available to the public, if it were as deadly as claimed wouldn't it have been pulled? Splenda is a total sugar substitute but is still a chemical creation, nobody knows the side effects, while I hear Stevia is the only true "safe" non calorie sweetner since it is the only all natural one that doesn't metabolize the same way. Sodium Nitrites and Sodium Nitrate may be the worst of them all, this preservative is used in all processed meats and is supposedly associated with Stomach, Colon, Rectal and other cancers as well as causing or aggravating IBS, Crohn's and other intestinal and digestive illnesses. Lead poisons seep into imported candies, eColi and Salmonella in Chicken, Beef and Eggs running rampant. Bottom line, there is so many harmful and dangerous things out there that you can spend your whole life avoiding "Aspartame" only to have any number of the other chemicals be your downfall.
- Will says:
  
  Hi Justin, Thanks for a very detailed comment , you obviously know a lot about this sort of thing - and , of course, the problems ( or possible problems) extend way beyond aspartame and sodium fluoride. As you say "you can spend your whole life avoiding “Aspartame” only to have any number of the other chemicals be your downfall" & "everything is bad for you and at some point there isn’t much you can do" Individually you're spot on - people are very small and practically powerless. But when they have a vision together they can move mountains - or empires. Ghandhi. Martin Luther King. Malcolm X. Mandela. Biko. Small people who did quite a lot - and mostly just with words. Do you also know about "Codex Alimentarius" by the way? And Monsanto? ( videos on the "About" page at noaspa) Ok, thanks again - hope to hear from you again soon, I'm off to visit your site now to invite you to join Noaspa 2.0. And hoping you'll want to be there... Very best wishes Will
Ernest says:

This is the most unselfish post that I have read so far. Sharing this very important health issue is somehow really an eye opener for us who are fond of using Aspartame and Sodium Fluoride. I am really guilty as charged here with Aspartame. I am a diet colas and zero drinker. Since coke launched the product, I was really a fan of it. Do you think all artificial sweeteners are hazardous? This will be the biggest sacrifice for me. I will do my best to stop drinking diet colas and other products that are using aspartame or artificial sweetener.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo, Thanks for your comment and the question - " Do you think all artificial sweeteners are hazardous?" Really, it's a hard one to answer but the results of the online polls so far certainly suggest that people don't trust them ... so glad to hear you're making what's very likely a good, sensible sacrifice. Better safe than sorry ! Best wishes Will ( now off to have a look at window boxes ...)
Ileane says:

Hi Will, Your support of this project has certainly made me more aware of the issues. Many times you see things on the news and overlook them, sorry this had to hit so close to home for you. My condolences to you and your friend's family. Thanks for spreading the word and creating an awareness. Cheers!
- Will says:
  
  Hi Ileane, Thanks a million for your kind words - and all the support you have given. You're a star - and I wish you a wonderful weekend Cheers Will
Dan says:

Your post grabbed my attention when I read aspartame. I have hear alot about it recently and noticed that the mints I love to eat, all of the time, has aspartame in it. So does most gum. I guess its time to find a different brand of mints that doesn't have aspartame in it, but its hard finding ones that actually taste good!
- Will says:
  
  Dan, thanks, you're right - it is relatively hard to find stuff in the shops without some very dubious ingredients - but if you google something like " great tasting mints without aspartame" you'll maybe have better luck....Best wishes, Will
cameron says:

I am really on the fence and don't know what to think. I grew up with a southern family who eats what they want, smokes cigarettes, and drink. My family history is speckled with various ailments or a cancer here and there, but nothing consistent. The Doctors tells my mom she smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish and he doesn't understand how she is as healthy as she is. So i guess if you are going to get something, you are going to get something, whether you provoked or intensified it. Just live your life day by day and do your best to enjoy it.
- Will says:
  
  Hi Cameron, There's a good view from the fence and completely agree with your observation that some people just don't get sick like others do - be it alcohol, food, drink or drugs. But in these cases there is (a) very good pre-knowledge & (b) freedom of choice for the individual ( apart from passive smokers perhaps) But what do people know about what's in their food and drink and toothpaste. For most the answer is next to nothing. They rely on blind faith - and that's the problem. You can't really complain if you've knowingly smoked, ate, drank & drugged yourself silly - but if someone were to knowingly put poison into an unknowing person's food or drink .... that would be a criminal offence , wouldn't it ? (and a very serious one too!!) So it's important to find out the truth about these matters isn't it - especially when so many are convinced that these substances are very very harmful Thanks again & best wishes from Hamburg Will
Joy says:

Nice call out on the FDA. And i do agree with you that we have the right to know what we are putting in our bodies. i think some of those items are in Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi but i am not sure. I had better check on it. Thanks Noaspa.
- Will says:
  
  Thank you Joy, Yes, there's a lot of things that need checking out with regards to food ( and lots of other things too !) One great source for food is at http://farmwars.info by the way. Not exactly comfortable reading but definitely important in my opinion Best wishes Will
Laura Davis says:

Wow! What a call to action! And using social media to do so is a great idea! Hopefully we'll see some positive effects from this.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Laura, It would be difficult to try this without social media, that's for sure. Looking forward to seeing your site soon - but right now ...got to dash!! Thanks & very best wishes Will
Dr Joe says:

Aspartame? Nasty stuff. Fluoride? As a dentist I can tell you it has some clear benefits. It substantially strengthens your teeth . Stats are clear that tooth decay rates are far lower in fluoridated vs. non-fluoridated areas. That being said, too much ingested fluoride is a problem for health, and for teeth. It's an aging factor. Some people are getting too much and some are sensitive to even low dosages of it. By the way, the chlorine in the water is much nastier stuff. So why not insist on removing that? Because people would start dying, that's why. The fact that teeth would be dying from lower fluoride levels just doesn't have the same level of repercussion. Just as a warning, children under the age of 3 should NEVER use fluoridated toothpaste. They'll swallow it. Joe :D
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Joe , Thanks for the aspartame comment - and the fluoride one too! Would it be possible to send the stats and the source - I'd love to see them. I'm absolutely no expert myself on these matters .... it's just that you hear very passionate and convincing arguments on both sides - and mostly from obviously intelligent people. So what to believe? Anyway, a source of real hard evidence - one way or the other - would be just what the doctor ( or dentist) ordered. Very best wishes Will
Lennart Heleander says:

Hi Noaspa, Great post, but it’s a little of an I-country problem, clean water and food for today is a bigger and a huge problem around the world today which I burning more for. I see it everyday here in Spain, illegal people coming in small boats from Africa, many drown on the way over. But they take the risk for maybe get clean water and food.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo & thanks for your comment - yes, you're right the problems are far reaching - and what happens to boat people in many areas of the world is nothing short of scandalous. How can "we" let these situations arise? Best wishes, Will
  - Lennart Heleander says:
    
    Hi Noaspa, Yes, you are right on it, I have been on your site, read and vote. Someone must also fight for "smaller thing", but still important things – Fight on.
    - Will says:
      
      Thanks for voting etc Lennart - and please let others in Marbella & the internet know about this health issue/vote too. Together we'll keep doing our best - and through social networking anything is possible I believe. Many thanks too for your encouragement. Best wishes Will
Tinh says:

Nice head up on this. Sometimes the normal thing in our daily life can be a great thing too. The problem is how to address it in the right way. I love this article!
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Tinh, Thanks for the fine words - and if you'd like to add your site at Noaspa 2.o , please just leave a message etc at http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/noaspa-20.html Best wishes Will
Liz Amason says:

You're right on track, Will! Your passion is contagious!
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Liz, Thanks for your encouragement & very much hoping your site will appear at Noaspa 2.0 soon. http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/noaspa-20.html - Just leave a message if you want to be there , ok?! Best wishes Will
Cindy says:

great post noaspa... I didnt know fluoride can be a contributing factor to brain cancer.. looks like my switch to a new toothpaste was right on time. I was unaware about fluoride until I also found out its also bad for acne prone skin. Sensodyne Original, the one in pink is the one I use now eversince since it has no fluoride in it. Unprocessed foods are the safest to eat, and make sure you dont have any leftovers so you can eat them the next day. Eat them while theyre fresh.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Cindy Thanks for your nice reply here - and here's hoping the new toothpaste helps to make your smile even bigger & brighter. Will drop by your site a little later. Many thanks - and yes, fresh is fine Will
Kissie says:

Better late than never ... as long as I live, I live to learn. Thanks for teaching us. I work for an NHO (National Health Organization) and though I may be bombarded with information at work - it's work and lessons I get outside of work, tend to stick and this probably hit home more because the message is from a friend. Thank you, Will, for sharing with us.
- Will says:
  
  Hi Kissie, I'd hardly call myself a teacher here ( but it is what I do in Germany helping them to speak our lovely language!). It's brilliant that you were one of the first to help set this ball rolling by the way. Best wishes Will ;) (grins)
element321 says:

Will, Thanks for sharing this information. My wife and I believe these productions/chemicals are bad news and we try our best to avoid eating any products that have them in them. In fact, we try our best to avoid anything processed. At most we may eat out once a week, if that. We mostly stick to fresh fruits and vegetables. We also try and shop at grocery stores and farmer's markets that are environmentally friendly to by organic products.
- Will says:
  
  Hi James, Many thanks for your reply, glad to hear you & you wife are eating well - and will pop by your site soon ( & ask you to add it at Noaspa 2.0 ) http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/noaspa-20.html Hoping you will ... Very best wishes Will
  - element321 says:
    
    Will, I just voted and joined your facebook network. =)
Evelyn says:

Will, I don't think you're over reacting. Fluoride is some bad stuff. I don't use toothpaste that has fluoride and we have well water. Aspartame is awful too. There are so many food products with some bad chemicals that, I believe kill people slowly. Chemicals we wouldn't be allowed to touch in a laboratory setting. The best thing to do is to eat whole foods without all the added stuff that's not needed anyway. Thanks for sharing! -Evelyn
- Will says:
  
  Thanks Evelyn & really hoping you'll add your site at Noaspa 2.0 soon - http://noaspa.blogspot.com/p/noaspa-20.html Best wishes Will
Gina Jennings says:

Wow. I heard that diet drinks had aspartame in it and were possibly a problem, but I didn't know chewing gum had it, too. Health-wise, I've been re-looking at my eating habits as well. I try to aim for the more organic foods if possible.
- Will says:
  
  Hi Gina , It sounds like you're heading in the right direction & I'm looking forward to visiting your site soon. Thanks for being here. Best wishes, Will
Karl Foxley says:

Here is wishing you every success on this campaign Will. I hope you / we can raise the awareness of these issues so that people sit up and listen, become aware and hopefully provide some concrete answers. Warmest regards, Karl
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Karl , Thanks for the comment, time is against me here but I'll come to say "hallo" again at FMS very soon - and yes, it's all about "we". Hesham has given a kick-start here but without continuity & others there won't be a thousand votes, let alone a million. But I know "we" can ( and will) do it. Cheers & best ones to Kelly & the kid Will
Robert says:

Nice post, good to see a post about this sort of thing, never knew sodium fluoride could be a bit risky, because it's in all our water supplies!
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Robert, Yes, it's fantastic of Hesham to go "off-topic" here - but maybe such issues should be "on-topic" everywhere. Thanks, will visit your site v. soon Best wishes Will
Colleen says:

Very good stuff Will. Just another reason to try to eat more natural stuff. Ya have to wonder if some of the cancers we are seeing these days are a direct result of the chemicals that we put into our bodies.
- Will says:
  
  Hallo Colleen, Thanks for your kind words & encouragement - in a rush at the moment but will check out your website very soon I promise . Best wishes Will
Dennis Edell says:

Personally I think one should have good hard evidence on either side of whatever the issue.
- noaspa says:
  
  Thanks Dennis, Yes, couldn't agree more - the sort of "evidence" that I see in this case is ... - approval made under dubious circumstances together with massive profits - a lot of website activity from people who have good reasons to be concerned & - a lack of real hard evidence proving the safety of aspartame ( & sodium fluoride) Much better to be safe than sorry under such circumstances maybe - especially if you go along with the "we are what we eat" way-of-thinking. Best wishes Will P.S Just added your site at Digg & SU
  - Dennis Edell says:
    
    Thanks for the additions, much appreciated. :)
Wayne Howard says:

I'm glad to see you still getting the word out about your project. Keep at it!
- noaspa says:
  
  We will Wayne - thanks
Gera says:

Healthy themes involved to all the world and more in products that you consume everyday supposed to be "safe" or "healthy". I don't use aspartame at all, really I use sugar or honey but I know is dangerous. Really hope to spread the word a much as possible - the best of the luck with the campaign!! All the best, Gera
- noaspa says:
  
  Hi Gera, Just to say I really appreciate all your help & encouragement in the early days of this awareness campaign. Thanks - and off to "Sweetsfoods" right now! Cheers Will
Shane says:

You are preaching to the choir on this one for me. I was diagnosed with MS which turned out to be a bad reaction to too much aspartame in a lemonade drink. I will be interested to see how much of a response you get from this post. I think people sometimes turn off as they just do not want to think about things they do not want to think about...you know what I am saying?
- noaspa says:
  
  Hallo Shane, Many thanks for being here, sorry to hear of your MS experience - and yes, I know exactly what you're saying when you say "people sometimes turn off as they just do not want to think about things they do not want to think about" That's great - and I've got it down to join your Ning in the near future by the way Very best wishes Will P.S. I'm interested in the reaction too - so far it seems like a very healthy one which is great news... ok, we'll see....

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