The toxic effect of aspartame on the immune system appears to be secondary to its methanol component, which is metabolized to formaldehyde that binds tightly to all tissues, especially to DNA and RNA, making it carcinogenic.

Because it is difficult to remove from the body, each aspartame-sweetened product adds to the body’s accumulation of this extremely toxic substance. Therefore, even a single can of aspartame-sweetened diet cola each day can be dangerous to your health.

In one study, researchers fed aspartame to rats for 15 days, 30 days, and 90 days at a dose similar to what people would consume. The researchers observed a dramatic increase in the steroid hormone corticosterone, which persisted throughout the study.

In addition, high levels of lipid peroxidation occurred throughout the immune system, including in the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, and progressively worsened during the three-month exposure to aspartame.

Nitric oxide levels also increased dramatically and rose more rapidly as time passed. The animals’ antioxidant enzymes increased at first, but by 30 days into the study they began to fall precipitously, and were severely low by day 90. On days 30 and 90, the researchers observed extensive immune cell damage, especially in the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow of the animals.

Interestingly, they also observed a severe depletion of vitamin C in the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. The low vitamin C may have been caused by the extremely low glutathione levels.

Finally, severe pathological damage was seen in the spleen at 90 days.

This extensive damage to the immune system puts a person at a high risk of lymphatic cancers and leukemias, as well as causing increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmune diseases.