The History of Aspartame

Aspartame is a widely used sugar substitute. Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful and Equal--Measure are all brand names for aspartame. The sugar substitute can also be found in sugar-free gum, soda, breath mints, cereals, shake mixes and yogurt.

Creation

• In 1965, while working on creating an anti-ulcer drug, chemist James M. Schlatter stumbled upon the substitute. He mixed two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and created the no-calorie sweetener. Schlatter was working at the time as an employee of Illinois-based pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle & Co.

FDA Approval

• In 1973, Searle began to manufacture aspartame. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initially approved the substitute in 1974 for use in dry foods only, with several conditions. All aspartame products had to be labeled in compliance with the FDA as containing phenylalanine and could not be used for cooking or baking. The FDA's objections to Searle's testing methods spurred medical debates and trials, which prolonged the product's full approval. Amid medical controversy, the FDA finally approved aspartame for use in beverages in 1981 and then for use, without restriction, in 1996.

Warnings

• As listed by the FDA, aspartame has 92 side effects. Some of those side effects include memory loss, nerve cell damage, bloating, nervous system disorders and joint pain. Aspartame has also been linked to possibly triggering or worsening chronic illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's.