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Aspartame Hazards

Dr. James M. Schlatter developed aspartame by accident in 1965. He was working on formulating an anti-ulcer drug when he mixed aspartic acid and phenylalanine together. He tasted the substance, and it was sweet. In 1974, the Food and Drug Administration approved aspartame as a sweetener for certain types of foods. Though mainstream sources may state that aspartame is either safe, or its hazards are debated, numerous studies point to risks associated with intake.

  1. Prenatal Hazards

    • A research study published in "Environmental Health Perspectives" in 2006 stated that doses of aspartame within a daily human intake do have carcinogenic effects. A related study by the same research team in 2007 revealed that risks are even higher in prenatal and perinatal exposure. The 2007 study examined lab rats through the course of their natural life that were given proportioned doses of aspartame each day -- from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death. Compared to the 18.7 percent of exposed rats who developed malignant tumors in the first study, 31.4 percent of rats in the second study developed malignant tumors.

    Cancer Risk

    • A long-term study published in the "European Journal of Oncology" supported an earlier study that aspartame ingestion contributes to formaldehyde production in the cells by reacting with cellular proteins like enzymes and DNA. The formaldehyde accumulates with each dose, so people who consume aspartame daily are at significantly higher risk. The study also showed an increase in malignant brain tumors in rats given aspartame. The higher the dose given, the more cancers appeared.

    Hazards to the Brain

    • Dr. Timothy Barth's study on aspartame at Texas Christian University found that while subjects who consumed diet sodas regularly did not show any short-term memory loss, they reported long-term memory lapses more often. Information forgotten included details of a personal routine or if a certain job had been completed. Barth cited previous research finding no lapses in memory due to aspartame as looking at only one type of memory.

    Weight Gain

    • The University of Texas Health Sciences Center concluded that for every bottle of diet soft drink a person drinks each day, his risk for being overweight increases by 41 percent. Another study conducted by Dr. H.J. Roberts published in the "Journal of Applied Nutrition" held that subjects who reported aspartame symptoms also reported weight gain. Females who consumed aspartame had a higher caloric intake immediately after than those who consumed sugar or water instead. This is because aspartame creates a caloric deficit in the body, so it tries to make up for it by triggering hunger.

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