What Is Aspartame?
Aspartame is a low-calorie, artificial sweetener invented by James M. Schlatter in 1965. It was an accidental discovery made during his research on antiulcer drugs. Large-scale production of aspartame began in the 1980s. The main attractiveness of the product was that it was 200 times sweeter than sugar and had a low-calorie value. The taste is not the same as regular sugar; it has an aftertaste, too.
Aspartame is a synthetic chemical that consists of amino acids - aspartic acid and phenylalanine and also a methyl ester. On consumption, the methyl ester breaks down to methanol, which may convert to formaldehyde.
The acceptable daily intake of aspartame for human consumption as per the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), is 50mg per kg body weight in the United States for both children and adults. As it is used in multiple food products, children and adults may surpass the daily recommended dosage, leading to adverse health effects. So all products that contain aspartame should be labeled as “contains phenylalanine” and should be mentioned as “not recommended for baking and cooking.”
What Is the Link Between Aspartame and Cancer?
One of the important allegations against aspartame is its carcinogenic potential, mainly attributed to its breakdown into formaldehyde with carcinogenic properties. Consuming 1 L of diet soda in a day (which contains approximately 600 mg of aspartame) leads to 60mg of formaldehyde, which far exceeds the recommended dose of 0.15mg per body weight.
Studies suggest that aspartame slows down cancer cells' apoptosis (cell death) and further increases their proliferation. Studies suggest it to be a multipotential carcinogenic agent even when consumed within the daily recommended dosage.
Certain rodent studies suggest that prenatal (before birth) exposure to aspartame increases the risk of cancer in the offspring.
However, studies suggest that aspartame is not linked to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, aspartame may even reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer when used as a substitute for glucose. However, aspartame increases the chance of multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in men.
What Is the Effect of Aspartame on Children and Fetuses?
A healthy diet is significant during pregnancy for proper development of the mother and baby. A 2010 cohort study conducted in Danish pregnant women found no link between consuming artificially sweetened non-carbonated and carbonated soft drinks and increased preterm delivery risk.
Recent studies suggest that aspartame metabolites can cross the placenta, but these did not produce methanol poisoning due to increased phenylalanine levels in the offspring's blood. The study suggested that consuming artificial sweeteners within the recommended levels does not adversely affect the fetus. Studies also suggest that the consumption of beverages containing artificial sweeteners during the pregnancy period is linked to the development of higher body mass index in babies.
What Are the Other Health Risks Associated With Aspartame?
The health risks associated with aspartame are:
1. Behavioral Disorders:
Aspartame is found to produce neuropsychiatric effects in humans that can lead to depression, headache, and convulsions. Within the body, aspartame gets broken down into phenylalanine, methanol, and aspartic acid. These metabolites affect the neurotransmitters. A drop in dopamine and serotonin levels occurs, leading to depression.
Studies in mice, in which mice were exposed to aspartame at a dose 15 percent lower than the FDA-recommended dose, suggested the development of anxiety-like disorder in males. The study further suggested that this anxiety behavior was passed down to two successive generations from this exposed male.
Certain animal studies also suggested daily consumption of aspartame at doses 7 to 15 percent of FDA-approved doses resulted in learning deficits; these were also passed down to the next generation.
2. Cardiovascular Diseases:
Aspartame was not found to have weight loss benefits and was linked to obesity and weight gain, as per some studies. This further increases the risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular events, diabetic mellitus, and metabolic syndrome.
3. Stroke:
Those who consume diet sodas containing aspartame are three times more likely to develop dementia and stroke than those who consume it less frequently. An ischemic stroke occurs due to a clot dislodging blood vessels, thus restricting blood flow to the brain. Studies suggest that aspartame consumption increases the risk of developing ischemic stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. The development of Alzheimer’s disease is linked to the formation of formaldehyde from methanol, a metabolite of aspartame.
4. Seizures:
Animal studies suggest that aspartame has seizure-promoting activity. Aspartame consumption increases the risk of seizures in susceptible individuals.
5. Migraines and Headaches:
Studies suggest that aspartame can cause headaches in susceptible individuals who consume aspartame. The study found that some groups of people were more susceptible to developing headaches due to aspartame consumption than others.
6. Obesity:
Many studies suggest the link between aspartame increased appetite, obesity, and diabetes. Studies suggest that aspartame can bring dangerous changes in the gut microbiome.
7. Diabetes:
Aspartame is also linked to the development of diabetes mellitus and thus cannot be referred to as a healthy alternative to regular sugar. More well-designed studies are needed to draw the exact relation between diabetes Mellitus and aspartame consumption, as most studies were unreliable due to unclear inclusion criteria (criteria for including a person in clinical research) and lack of consideration of other risk factors.
8. Early Menarche:
Menarche is considered early if it happens before or at the age of 10 years. Studies suggest that using caffeinated and artificially sweetened soft drinks increases the risk of early menarche.
Conclusion
Some studies suggest that aspartame may not be a healthier alternative to regular sugar as it is claimed to be. It has been linked to increased cancer risks, diabetes, obesity, stroke, cardiovascular diseases etc. However, more well-designed studies are needed to get appropriate conclusions. And it is always better to reduce sugar consumption as a whole and to try more natural sugar alternatives.
