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What Is Aspertame?

Aspartame is an additive that is used to sweeten low calorie foods and drinks. It is popular among people who want to avoid the pitfalls of adding sugar to their food or drinks, including increased risk of tooth decay, added calories, and increased blood sugar. Despite its popularity and widespread use, aspartame is one of the most controversial additives on the market.

  1. History

    • James Schlatter discovered aspartame in 1965. The scientist was trying to develop a treatment for ulcers using amino acids. He did not realize that he had aspartame on his hands until he licked his finger to help him pick up a piece of paper. The sweet flavor caught his attention. After extensive testing, aspartame was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an additive in 1981.

    Benefits

    • Aspartame is a low calorie alternative to sugar. Because of that, it is used to help people lose weight. Some diabetics like it since it allows them to add the sweetness of sugar to their food or drinks without having to worry about the affect it will have on their blood sugar. The most common benefit of aspartame is that it makes food taste sweeter.

    Products With Aspartame

    • More than 6,000 products contain aspartame. It is in carbonated soft drinks, yogurt, pudding, dessert mixes, frozen desserts, gum, and gelatins, to name a few. It is the sweetener in Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Any product that contains aspartame must either have it listed as an ingredient or state that it contains phenylalanine.

    Phenylketonuria (PKU)

    • Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disease in which the body cannot metabolize phenylalanine, which is an amino acid that is essential for normal growth and development. Much like too much cholesterol can create plaque buildup on the arteries and lead to problems, an excess of phenylalanine can lead to health problems, including mental retardation. This is a balancing act since phenylalanine is necessary, but is not formed by the body. It is only obtained through food and drinks.

    The Food and Drug Administration

    • The FDA has reviewed over 100 toxicological and clinical studies of aspartame. It has not found any evidence to support the claims that aspartame causes cancer or other health problems outside of the aforementioned PKU. Aspartame has also been deemed safe by the American Diabetes Association, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission, and other organizations.

    Controversy

    • For every government agency that states aspartame is safe, there is a person, email, or website who states that it is not. Aspartame has been named as a contributing factor in birth defects, seizures, brain tumors, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other diseases. Some of the studies that have deemed aspartame as safe were funded by the company that makes aspartame. Although the company's name was kept from the researchers until the results were in, this has led to the suggestion that the company simply bought the results they wanted. Concerns about the dangers of aspartame have taken on a life of their own even though there has yet to be definitive scientific evidence that it is, in fact, dangerous.

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