Aspartame is a sugar substitute that is widely used in soft drinks, candy, ice cream, baby food, chewing gum, gelatines, dessert mixes, puddings, frozen desserts, yogurt, package tabletop sweeteners, vitamins, cough drops, and other processed foods labeled as low-fat, sugar-free, or weight loss. It is a neurotoxin that kills brain cells. In the body it breaks down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, and diketopiperazine. Studies have shown that it causes obesity and brain tumors in mice. It stimulates appetite.

For eight years the FDA refused to approve aspartame, but in 1980 after President Reagan took office he replaced the head of the FDA and then it was quickly approved. The company that fought for its approval was G. D. Searle who's CEO at the time was Donald Rumsfeld. It is banned in all children's products in the European Common Market. In the U.S. aspartame can be found in the following children's products:

• Dimetap Cold and Allergy Chewable Tablets

• Childrens Chewable Acetiminophen

• Equate Chewable Vitamins Animal-Shaped (with Iron)

• Health Balance Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

• Zoo Chews Animal-Shaped Chewable Multivitamin

• Mylanta Natural Fiber Supplement, Sugar Free

• Lifeline Nutritional Childrens Chewable Multivitamin

• Sugar Free Natural Fiber Laxative

• Childrens TYLENOL acetaminophen Fruit Flavored Chewable Tablets

• Tempra 3 Chewable Tablets, 80mg acetaminophen tablet

• Mediguard Childens Multivitamin Supplement (Cherry,Orange and Grape)

• Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-time Cold Medicine

• Bugs Bunny Vitamin Products

• Flintstones Plus Calcium Multivitamin Supplement

• Childrens Non-Aspirin Pain Reliever

Aspartame use has been reported to cause the following symptoms:

Following are companies that use aspartame in their products and should be boycotted for health and political reasons:

Restaurants - Applebee's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Dominos Pizza, Pizza Hut, Quiznos Subs, Starbucks, Subway, Arby's, Cici's Pizza, Jack in the Box, Krystals, Long John Silver's, Steak 'n Shake, A&W, Sonic, Dairy Queen, Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, La Salsa Mexican Grill, Blimpie, Braum's, Boston Market, Burger Street, Captain D's, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Church's Chicken, Culver's, Del Taco, Donatos Pizza, Wienerschnitzel, In-N-Out Burger, Jimmy John's, Johnny Rockets, Little Caesar's, Panda Express, Papa John's, Popeyes, Raising Cane's, Rally's, Sbarro, Taco Bueno, Waffle House, Whataburger, White Castle, Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Outback Steak House, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, Chili's, IHop, Denny's, Bennigan's, Chedder's, O'Charley's, P.F. Chang's, Ponderosa, Bonanza, Red Robin, Romano's Macaroni Grill, On The Border, Maggiario's, Taco Cabana, Corner Bakery Cafe, Ruby Tuesday, Shoney's, Sizzler, Tony Roma's, Bob Evans, Buca di Beppo, California Pizza Kitchen, Carrabba's , Roy's, Fleming's, Bonefish Grill, The Oceanaire, Peter Piper Pizza, Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Coca-Cola, Pepsico, and Dr. Pepper products - Frito Lay, Tropicana, Quaker Oats, Gaterade, Minute Made, Hi-C, Sprite, Coca-cola, Pibb, Tab, Fanta, Fresca, Vault, Lift, Full Throtle, Burn, Powerade, Aqua+, Aquarius, Enviga, Dasani, Wilkins, Kiwi Blue, Godiva, A&W Root Beer, Cactus Cooler, Canada Dry, Country Time, Deja Blue, Diet Rite, Hawaiian Punch, IBC Root Beer, Mott's, Nehi, Orange Crush, Raging Cow, Red Fusion, Schweppes, 7Up, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Squirt, Stewart's, Sunkist, Sunny Delight, Welch's, Yoo-hoo.

Altria products - Tobacco (Philip Morris, Parliament, Virginia Slims, Benson & Hedges, Alpine, Basic, Best, Bristol, Bucks, Cambridge, Chesterfield, Classic, Collector's Choice, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Marlboro, Merit, Players, Saratoga, etc.) Food (Ritz Crackers, Teddy Grahams, Del Monte, Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Boca Burger, Chips Ahoy!, Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Kraft Foods, Miracle Whip, Nabisco cookies crackers and snacks, Oreo cookies, Oscar Mayer meats and lunch products, Post Cereals, Philadelphia cream cheese, Shake 'n' Bake, Tang, Tombstone pizza, Toblerone, Vegemite, Lenders Bagels,  etc.) Beverage (Miller Beer, Henry Weinhard's, Icehouse, Leinenkugel's, Mickey's, Olde English, SKYY, Gevalia coffee, Jacobs coffee, Kaffee HAG, Maxwell House, Milka, Onko, Suchard cocoa, Tang.

Nestles products - Alpo, Baby Ruth, Beneful, Bit-O-Honey, Bottle Caps, Butterfinger, Cat Chow, Chunky, Caffee-Mate, Croissant Pockets, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Gobstoppers, Goobers, Hi Pro, Hot Pockets, Kibbles, Lean Cuisine, Mighty Dog, Moist & Meaty, Nerds, Nescafe, Nestea, Carnation, Toll House, Oh Henry, Ortega, Pixy Stix, Powerbar, Pro Plan, Purina, Raisinets, Runts, Sno-caps, Spree, Stouffers, Sweetarts, Taste's Choice, Tender Vittles, Tidy Cats, Wonda, 100 Grand.

General Mills products - Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Green Giant, Haagen-Dazs, Hamburger Helper, Jeno's Pizza, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Progresso, Totino's Pizza, Yoplait yogurt, Colombo yogurt, Bugles, Chex Mix, Gold Medal Flour, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Fruit Roll-Ups, Pop Secret popcorn, Cheerios, Boo Berry, Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kix, Lucky Charms, Raisin Nut Bran, Reese's Puffs, Total cereal, Trix cereal, Wheaties, Fiber One.

Unilever products - Ben and Jerry's, Breyers, Bertolli, Hellmann's, Imperial, Knorr, Lawry's, Lipton, Colman's, Country Crock, All, Axe, Brut, Dove, Caress, Lever 2000, Lux, Pepsodent, Close-Up, Degree, Comfort, Persil, Pond's, Q-Tips, Signal, Skip, Suave, Sun, Sure, Surf, Vaseline, Wisk, Popsicle, Fudgsicle, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.