Association between intake of non-sugar sweeteners and health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials and observational studies. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that aspartame is safe, and there are no strong data out there to refute that. More research is required that provides evidence and raise concerns that aspartame may exacerbate prevalence of pathological physiology in the already stressed physiology of T2D. All this misinformation has been identified by various sources including Time. Stevia comes from a plant, and the Guaraní Indians of South America have been using it to sweeten their yerba mate for centuries. The full (and more detailed) production process of aspartame is available here. Here are some extra considerations about aspartame and the use of artificial sweeteners. Yes, aspartame is safe to consume. However, it is worth noting that the amounts of methanol present upon digestion of aspartame are minimal. For the low-aspartame diet, it would be 700 mg aspartame (5-6 cans). Aspartame is the result of chemically combining two amino acids; aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. She also says they're a really useful alternative for people with … Aspartame itself is not absorbed into the bloodstream, so the real question about safety centers around aspartame’s breakdown products: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Another review of nearly 600, 000 participants found there was no link to cancer . The dipeptide component of the molecule can alter brain chemistry, significantly changing the ratio of catecholamines to indolamines, with resultant lowering of seizure threshold, production of carbohydrate craving and in vulnerable individuals leading to panic, depressive and cognitive symptoms. At this point, producers use a centrifuge to separate the amino acids from the bacteria. For more information on aspartame, here are some useful resources; Nice bit of product placement…how much was in the brown envelope? Here are some of the more recent and in-depth studies on aspartame. This was a systematic review of 10 studies that provided complete histopathology (disease-related changes to body tissues). A case-control study showed that individuals with brain cancer did not have increased consumption of aspartame compared to healthy individuals. Weight, glycemic control, oral health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, general adverse effects and more, Artificial sweeteners: A systematic review and primer for gastroenterologists, Gastrointestinal effects of artificial sweeteners, IBS, gut microbiota, Metabolic effects of aspartame in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Blood glucose and insulin levels, cholesterol, energy intake, Systematic review and evaluation of aspartame carcinogenicity bioassays using quality criteria. 5 Magnuson, B. Additionally, methanol is a toxin and formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, which also gets a lot of attention (6). However, many of these sources mostly pick negative (primarily animal) studies to suit the narrative of the story rather than fairly looking at both sides. The aspartame safety data have been evaluated and found satisfactory by regulatory scientists in all major regulatory agencies and expert committees, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF), and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Dietitian Emma Carder states: "Research into sweeteners shows they're perfectly safe to eat or drink on a daily basis as part of a healthy diet." However, some individual studies do find associations between specific health conditions and aspartame, but the evidence for this is conflicting, and an association does not automatically imply causation. Children receiving aspartame had a similar or lower weight gain to children receiving sugar/placebos. Studies before and after approval of aspartame have shown that it can be used safely by people with diabetes. The EFSA ruled aspartame safe for human consumption and set an acceptable daily intake or ADI of aspartame at 40 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight. As an artificial sweetener, aspartame is of synthetic origin, meaning that it was made in a laboratory. Results showed that there were no differences between the three groups for glucose and insulin levels. No – supported by the National Institutes of Health and a US Army Research Grant. 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. So, is aspartame.org safe? Reading media headlines about aspartame can be very confusing. The findings of this review related to aspartame included; This systematic review focused on various potential adverse effects of artificial sweeteners. Aspartame intake did not affect overall daily energy intake. In 1987, the General Accounting Office investigated the process surrounding FDA's approval of aspartame and confirmed the agency had acted properly. Headaches were rare across both study groups (reported by one participant one time). NutritionAdvance.com does not provide medical advice. This has happened for aspartame several times, and again and again, they conclude that there’s no reason for worry: aspartame is safe for human consumption, including children and pregnant women, as long as the Acceptable Daily Intake isn’t exceeded. However, these were only in groups fed very high doses of the sweetener. This systematic review examined studies looking at links between artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, and cancer. Aspartame and its metabolites are safe for T2D is still debatable due to a lack of consistent data. This FDA approved consumer safe chemical has people in a tizzy about its safety. For the record, one standard can of diet coke contains about 125 mg of aspartame (5). There is no conclusive proof from human trials that aspartame can have harmful carcinogenic effects. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services They are both considered generally safe for use within their stated safe limits. Based on the systematic reviews and clinical trials listed in this article, here is a summary of the findings; Overall, the majority of the evidence for harm from aspartame comes from animal studies using extremely high doses of the sweetener. Aspartame is one of the most rigorously tested food ingredients. Overall, the researchers concluded that the sum of the evidence suggests that aspartame in food and drinks does not have carcinogenic potential. At this point, the totality of the evidence from large review studies suggests that aspartame is safe at human consumption levels, and there is no strong evidence to suggest otherwise. Methanol (which further breaks down into formaldehyde). Next, phenylalanine is mixed with methanol to produce the compound L-phenylalanine methyl ester. There appeared to be no association between aspartame and brain cancer risk.