Aspartame

Aspartame (or APM, a.k.a., E951, Tropicana Slim, Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, Canderel, Benevia, Equal Measure, etc.) is the name for an artificial, non-carbohydrate sweetener made of:
1.) aspartic acid (around 40%)
2.) phenylalanine = PKU (around 50%), a known tumor agent
3.) methanol = wood alcohol (10%) = poison
For over eight years, the FDA refused to approve aspartame because of the seizures and brain tumors this drug produced in lab animals. In 1981 President Reagan forced FDA to approve aspartame.
APM is commonly used in diet soft drinks and is provided as a table condiment in some countries. It is also used in some brands of chewable vitamin supplements and common in chewing gums (eg. Dentyne, Eclipse, Extra, FreeDent, Ice Breakers, Orbit, Stride, Trident,...). Aspartame is also one of the sugar substitutes used by people with diabetes. It keeps the blood sugar level out of control, causing many diabetics to go into a coma.
Aspartame appears to cause slow, silent damage in those unfortunate enough to not have immediate reactions and a reason to avoid it. It may take one year, or even 40 years, but it seems to cause some reversible and some irreversible changes in health over long-term use.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Memorandum includes the list of 92 aspartame symptoms and health conditions reported by physicians and consumers, including death.