Side Effects of Aspartame in Flavoured Water

Aspartame and many other artificial sweeteners are often talked about concerning their health benefits and more importantly their side effects. Gossip, blogging and news have all caused people to begin speculating about the harm that can come from consuming too much aspartame especially since it is used in many diet or no-calorie drinks and foods today. People think of water as the nutritious refreshing drink that can do only good for our bodies. However, with the new fad of no calorie, flavored water, it is being viewed in a different light. Is aspartame in our flavored water doing more harm than good?

What is Aspartame?

• Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener and flavor enhancer used in many diet or no calorie foods and drinks on the market today. It is nonnutritive meaning that it does not add anything new or extra to the diet and it is digested the same as protein is digested in the body. Aspartame is made up of two amino acids known as aspartic acid and phenylalanine and is almost 200 times sweeter than regular sugar.

History of Aspartame

• James Schlatter, a researcher from G.D. Searle and Company discovered aspartame in 1965 while working to find a cure for ulcers. He was working with amino acids when he happened to lick his finger and realized that the product he was working with was sweet.
  The Food and Drug Administration officially approved aspartame as a food additive in 1981. The agency employed the Public Board of Inquiry and many noted scientists to determine the safety of aspartame. The scientists reported that they could find no specific data that determined that aspartame caused cancer or brain damage. However, they were inconclusive on the data determining the results in rats. Therefore the agency approved aspartame but it was deemed an "unqualified approval." In the following years multiple agencies around the globe and other independent researchers have conducted many tests to determine the safety of aspartame using the most up-to-date equipment and knowledge.
  Since then, aspartame has become extremely popular in many countries allowing diabetics to eat sweet foods without endangering their health and dieters and eaters alike to watch their sugar intake while still enjoying sweet foods. It is now used in 6,000 products in 90 countries across the globe.

Aspartame Rumors: Myth and Truth

• Recently aspartame has received a bad reputation in society today. Rumors have spread that it causes brain damage in rats and humans, that it causes many kinds of cancer and even causes depression. The result of all these rumors has led many countries and researchers to conduct scientific tests to determine once and for all if aspartame is dangerous to our health. The French Food Safety Agency, Health Canada and The European Scientific Committee on Food have all recently conducted their own tests and scientific research to determine the effects of aspartame. They have all reaffirmed the safety of aspartame. The European Scientific Committee conducted studies in 1984, 1988 and 1997 and consulted over 500 documents, abstracts and scientific findings to determine their results. The American Dietetic Association published a paper in 2008 reassuring Americans that aspartame is safe even during pregnancy. The National Institute of Health together with the National Cancer Institute determined through scientific studies that aspartame is not linked to the development of leukemia, brain tumors or lymphoma.

Benefits of Aspartame

• The are multiple benefits of aspartame in the diet. Because aspartame contains no calories, sugar or fat, it is an excellent alternative to sugar for those watching their calorie intake or those who are dieting. It is also a good substitute for diabetics who can still enjoy the sweetness of foods without worrying about their sugar intake. Aspartame's sweet flavor is very similar to sugar and can also enhance the flavors of fruits therefore making it ideal for chewing gums. It is approved by the American Dental Association because it does not cause tooth decay.

Guidelines for Consumption

• The acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 50 mg/kg of body weight each day. However, that comes to be about 15 cans of soda for a 120 pound woman a day, so most humans generally consume much less than the acceptable amount of aspartame per day. Aspartame is beneficial to those trying to limit calorie consumption and burn fat because it offers an alternative. However, consuming aspartame alone will not cause a person to lose weight. Physical exercise and a healthy balanced diet are the key to weight loss. Aspartame can aid this process by adding low calorie or no calorie drinks and foods to the balanced diet.