Aspartame is known to cause behavioral and mental issues like migraines, headaches, seizures, anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritable moods, and mood swings, among others.
In 2017, Res Nurs Health published findings of a study on Aspartame, warning consumers against ingesting products containing Aspartame because it can easily cause neurotoxicity, mood disorders, and even brain damage.
If you’re hearing about Aspartame for the first time, perhaps you’re wondering: What is Aspartame? Is Aspartame bad for you? What foods and drinks have Aspartame? All these concerns will be addressed in this article.
What Is Aspartame?
Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener that’s commonly used to substitute sugar in many processed foods and drinks. Many food and drink manufacturers prefer Aspartame because it’s a low-calorie inducement.
If you check the ingredients on the labels of your low-calorie foods and beverages, you’ll notice Aspartame as an additive. Manufacturers have adopted it to prevent their consumers from overconsumption of added sugars without denying them the satisfaction of eating and drinking something sweet.
It’s now a common ingredient for desserts, diet sodas, yogurts, chewing gums, sauces, nutrition bars, juices, and other types of processed foods. But is Aspartame bad for you? If so, what are its side effects?
Is Aspartame Bad For You?
Despite the alarming findings reported by Res Nurs Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Aspartame a clean bill of health, insisting that it’s “safe for the general population.”
Although the majority of studies funded by players in the food and beverage industry have found Aspartame to be safe for human consumption, over 90 percent of studies not funded by the industry have revealed some serious adverse effects of the sweetener.
The mixed evidence of the dangers posed by Aspartame has contributed to the widespread misperception around it. Even though the FDA has assured Aspartame consumers of their safety, it’ll be foolish to ignore the grim findings made by independent researchers.
Until conclusive scientific evidence proves these findings wrong, you should take the Aspartame danger warnings seriously. Better be safe than sorry!
Common Aspartame Side Effects
As discussed above, a study published by Res Nurs Health in 2017 revealed several adverse effects of consuming Aspartame. Most of these effects will affect your cognitive and social capacities.
Evidence links this sweetener to an increase in headaches, migraines, mood swings, and seizures. It has also been associated with an increase in the risk of stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological disorders.
More alarming is the claim that Aspartame can cause cancer. A study done by PLOS Medicine in 2022 revealed that synthetic sweeteners, particularly Aspartame, are linked to an increased risk of cancer.
In 1996, Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology Journal reported on the discovery of epidemiological evidence linking the use of Aspartame to rising cases of a destructive type of brain tumor.
These are just some of the main side effects and dangers paused by Aspartame. More are expected to come to light as researchers continue to study the sweetener. Another critical area that researchers are looking into is the main difference between Aspartame and sugar.
Aspartame vs Sugar
As mentioned above, food processing companies are replacing sugar with Aspartame because, according to them, it‘s more beneficial than sucrose. Here are the main differences between Aspartame and sugar.
Sweetness
Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar. So, many food and beverage manufacturers prefer it over sugar. If your favorite brand of juice or soda has suddenly become sweeter, most likely they’ve replaced sugar with Aspartame.
Besides, this sweetener reduces the cost of processing foods and drinks because they only need to add a small amount of Aspartame to sweeten a whole batch.
Calories
Aspartame has fewer calories than sugar. So, if you can’t survive without sweet foods and drinks, and you want to cut down on your sugar intake, Aspartame is a great alternative. The number of calories in a tablespoonful of Aspartame is quite negligible compared to the one in natural sugar.
In Summary
Although the FDA has approved Aspartame for human consumption, declaring it “safe”, many independently-funded studies have revealed some disturbing aspects of this synthetic sweetener, including an increase in the risk of cancer, brain tumor, headaches, depression, anxiety, and other related side effects. Sadly, these findings are too grim to be ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aspartame
How much Aspartame is safe?
According to the FDA, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for Aspartame is approximately 50 milligrams per kilogram of your body weight. However, the European regulatory body pins the daily ADI at 40 milligrams of each kilogram of your body.
What common foods and drinks have Aspartame?
Most processed foods and drinks today contain Aspartame. These items include diet sodas, yogurts, sugar-free chewing gums, desserts, biscuits, low-sugar condiments, and sugar-free gelatins.
