Aspartame, the killer sweetner ?

Aspartame is one of the main ingredients used in Diet Soda. It is used as a sweetener as it has no calories and is about 180 times sweeter than sugar. It has had a long history of testing and FDA involvement in finally approving it as a food additive in carbonated drinks apparently due to the push it received in approval by former Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. See the timeline of how aspartame became legal for human consumption.
Some of the dark truths of aspartame are :

It is a brain drug that stimulates your brain and is known to cause brain tumours
It causes you to crave carbohydrates. So, in effect, you won't lose weight using it.Quite the opposite!
It breaks down into Methonol inside the body which is highly toxic
Its breakdown products attack the bodies tissues and create Formaldehyde which builds up in the tissues forever

Aspartame poisoning is a contentious issue.Scientific papers have reported on research performed at companies that have a vested interest in sales of aspartame.However, the Aspartame Information Service.In view of the conflicting issues prevailing,it is better to view the product and its food chain with caution.