Excessive intake of phenylalanine and aspartic acid 6. The efsa ans panel provides a scientific opinion on the safety of aspartame e 951. Although past animal studies found evidence of chronic toxicity, human studies did not produce the same data. The carcinogenic effects of aspartame science in the public interest. Diane flemings husband was an aspartame addict and used three times the amount of creatine on the first occasion of use which also had aspartame in it unlabeled. Background aspartame laspartyl lphenylalanine methyl ester is a lowcalorie, intense sweetener. No aspartame has ever been found in the blood or any organ after ingestion. Aspartame is an artificial nonsaccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose, and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages.
The safety of aspartame usurj university of saskatchewan. The excess of phenylalanine blocks the transport of important amino acids to the brain contributing to reduced levels of dopamine and serotonin. Aspartame is commonly found in sweeteners syrups, sugar substitutes, etc. Aspartame has been a sweetener in many lowcalorie, sugarfree foods and beverages since the 1980s.
Aspartame e951 is a synthetic, dipeptide, intense sweetener. The structural formula of aspartame is from left to right, the functional groups are a carboxyl group, cooh an amine, nh. The vulnerability of patients with preexisting liver disease to aspartame was noted in the introduction of this section. It is one of the most commonly used food additives in this country, and so it comes as no surprise that its use has been viewed with som. Acek, unlike its popular rival sweetener aspartame, is stable in highheat situations and is. Look for the word aspartame on the label and avoid it.
This labcreated sweetener is 200 times sweetener than sugar, making it dangerously addictive. Aspartame market global industry analysis, size, share. In efsa s 20 scientific opinion of the safety of aspartame, the authority concluded that aspartame and its breakdown products pose no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure. At this level, for example, a 150pound 60kilogram person would need to consume 3,000 mg of aspartame or about 16 12ounce cans of a beverage containing aspartame to reach this level of intake. In previous evaluations by jecfa and the scf, an adi of 40 mgkg bwday was established based on chronic toxicity in animals. Rumors have circulated social media sites that aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in soft drinks and food, is made from the feces of genetically modified gm e. Aspartame e 951 is a sweetener authorised as a food additive in the eu that was previously evaluated by the joint faowho expert committee on food additives jecfa, the eu scientific committee for food scf and the european food safety authority efsa. As calls for us defense secretary donald rumsfeld to resign are prompting questions from senators, about possible breakdowns in the pentagon chain of command leading to prisoner abuse in iraq, betty martini founder of mission possible, an international aspartame resistance movement, writes to senator biden to explain that allowing. Aspartame is a lowcalorie sweetener and sugar substitute. Aspartame approval history janet starr hull phd, cn. Only methanol amongst aspartame degradation products presents any risk to normal peoplephenylalanine and aspartate are found in greater concentrations in normal foods, like milk and meat. The ntp has explored the use of genetically altered mouse. Merisant could not be immediately reached for comment. Also, it is a good idea to avoid acesulfamek or sunette.
This is some of the most important information you could read on aspartame nutrasweet, aminosweet, e951, canderel, benevia, naturataste, spoonful, neotame, etc. In europe, it is authorised to be used as a food additive in foodstuffs such as drinks, desserts, sweets, dairy, chewing gums, energyreducing and weight control products and as a tabletop sweetener. However, the amounts set by both the efsa and the fda are far more than most people consume in a day. Aspartame is most often labeled as containing phenylalanine.
Depending on who you listen to, aspartame is either a safe aid to weight loss and diabetes control or it is evil incarnate a deadly poison that is devastating the health of consumers. Aspartame was first made in 1965 and approved for use in food products by the u. Lncs as food additives aspartame, neotame, acesulfa mek. Exposure assessments combine data on concentrations of a. The controversy surrounding the neurological effects of aspartame began in the 1980s. Searle chemist, james schlatter, discovered aspartame as a sweetener while originally testing the chemical compound for an ulcer drug. The efsas adi for aspartame is 10 mg lower than the amount the fda consider safe. The dietary products and food products are the main segments which are preferred on the ingredients used. This pdf document is the level 2 of a greenfacts digest. Oct 02, 2004 aspartame s safety was convincing to the european scientific committee on food in 1988, 2 but proving negatives is difficult, and it is even harder to persuade vocal sectors of the public whose opinions are fuelled more by anecdote than by evidence.
The functional groups in aspartame are carboxyl, primary amine, amide, ester, and phenyl. The history of this synthetic sweeteners approval by the u. Aspartame, lowcalorie sweeteners and disease obesity day. Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener that has been used safely in food for more. Jun 08, 2016 a spartame is a low calorie sugar substitute marketed under brand names such as equal and nutrasweet. Popular sweeteners and their health effects worcester. Indeed, adding sugar to coffee may negate many of its positive effects on mood, and adding the artificial sweetener aspartame found in equal and nutrasweet or saccharine in sweetn low was also associated with an increased risk of depression. If you have ever tried a diet soda then you have consumed aspartame, a chemical with quite a history. Versions of the fact sheet in other languages and extensive additional information about efsas evaluation of aspartame are available from the efsa web. Methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formateboth are chemically directly converted by the tetrahydrofolate vitamin system into very valuable methyl. It is authorised worldwide, including in the european union. Aspartame is a sweetener authorised as a food additive in the eu. Aspartame is safe and approved for people with diabetes, pregnant and nursing women, and children.
Aspartame is made of two amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid which are also found in all proteincontaining foods such as meat. New study finds that aspartamesweetened diet soda causes stroke, dementia risks to skyrocket is aspartame destroying brain function. Roberts, a lonely sunday school teacher sits in a cell in a hardened prison. If you believe some online sources aspartame is an exworld war 2 nerve agent smuggled under the fda and causes numerous autoimmune diseases, if you read others, it is a perfectly harmless sugar substitute that has been thoroughly tested and approved by many countries. These disorders include hepatitis, cirrhosis case ixk5, hemochromatosis iron storage disease, and the liver dysfunction complicating many infections and drug reactions.
The adi for aspartame is 50 milligrams per kilogram mgkg of body weight per day. Aspartame is marketed as nutrasweet, equal spoonful, benevia, natrataste and since the patent on it has now expired it likely will come on the market under many different names. The european population of 375 million consumes about 2000 tonnes annually of aspartame nutrasweet, canderel an artificial sweetener, which contains two amino acidsaspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame news aspartame news aspartame information. Aspartames history reveals the answer, and that involves a complex and alarming chronicle of events. Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener which consists of two ordinary amino acids. Thus, the use of aspartame lowers the calories in foods or beverages. Scientific opinion on the reevaluation of aspartame e. Statement of efsa on the scientific evaluation of two.
Replacing highcalorie foods in your diet with lowcalorie alternatives is a proven method to lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Study linking aspartame, cancer causes controversy. Additive approval process followed for aspartame gaohrd8746. The food additive aspartame is a lowcalorie, artificial sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. The food standards agency takes public concerns very seriously and thus pressed the european. Therefore, it has an industrial production of 30006000 metric tons every year. Unfortunately that information is criminally false and misleading. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acidphenylalanine dipeptide with the trade names, nutrasweet, equal, and canderel.
Sigmaaldrich offers a number of aspartame products. Direct and indirec t cellular effects of asparta me on the brain p humphries 1,2, e pretorius 1 and h naude 1 1 department ofanatomy, universitypretoria, gauteng, south africa and 2 the limpopo, south africa the use of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, has long been contemplated and studied by various researchers, and people are. A copy of the fact sheet prepared by efsa, which summarises the authoritys findings, is available here pdf file, 3. Buy this book just how safe is the artificial sweetener aspartame more commonly known as nutrasweet and equal, currently used in some thousands of products and consumed by hundreds of millions of people. Aspartame has the chemical structure as described in figure 1. Aspartame is used worldwide as a single sweetener and in blends with other high intensity sweeteners. The panel concludes aspartame is a wellcharacterized, highintensity sweetener, thoroughly studied, with a long history of safe use in the food supply, magnuson said. It is available as individual packets for adding to foods and it is a component of many diet soft drinks and other reduced calorie foods. The urgent need for regulatory reevaluation morando soffritti, md, michela padovani, mph, eva tibaldi, phd, laura falcioni, dmv, fabiana manservisi, phd, and fiorella belpoggi, phd aspartame apm is an arti. Efsas opinion on aspartame is a good example of how scientists are working to better explain and outline their risk assessment approaches in their scientific outputs.
Aspartame and its effects on health pubmed central pmc. The latest research about aspartame food and health. Report of the meeting on aspartame with national experts. Aspartame, sold under the brand names nutrasweet and equal, has been promoted as a safe alternative for those who wish to avoid using sugar or saccharin. The current adi for aspartame is deemed to be safe for the general population. Animal trials find zerocalorie sweeteners during pregnancy wreck gut health and cause liver toxicity. Aspartame and its breakdown products have been the subject. Made available in the year 1981, in the us, this synthetic sweetener has turned into the most sought after and widely utilized sugar alternative. Review direct and indirec t cellular effects of asparta me on the brain p humphries 1,2, e pretorius 1 and h naude 1 1 department ofanatomy, universitypretoria, gauteng, south africa and 2 the limpopo, south africa the use of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, has long been contemplated and studied by various researchers, and people are. Nutrasweets exit leaves merisant as a major player in the aspartamebased artificial sweetener business. Efsa statement on the scientific evaluation of two studies related to the safety of artificial sweeteners efsa journal 2011. Any effect reported to occur in the body following ingestion of aspartame will be caused by one of more of the three constituents, aspartic acid, phenylalanine or methanol. You may be surprised to learn that a number of medical problems are likely to be.
Greenfacts digests are published in several languages as questions and answers, in a ed. Aspartame prepared at the 25th jecfa 1981, published in fnp 19 1981 and in fnp 52 1992. An amide group, conh an ester group, coor a phenyl group, c. Janet starr hull provides aspartame research articles and studies supporting the claim that aspartame is a toxic artificial sweetener. We are leading aspartame manufacturers, producers and suppliers. Aspartame is an important ingredient in 5000 consumer goods and beverages worldwide. Aspartame has been approved in more than 90 countries and is widely used throughout eastern and western europe, the usa, canada, south america, australia, and japan.
Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 57th jecfa 2001 an adi of 040 mgkg bw was established at the 25th jecfa 1981 synonyms aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester. Press releases efsa draft opinion on aspartame reconfirms safety atlanta january 8, 20 the calorie control council is pleased that the european food safety authority efsa today released a draft opinion report that reaffirms what scientists and healthcare professionals have known for years. This sweetener is included in many types of beverages and foods and is the. This finding has important implications on how scientists assess the safety of aspartame. Google scholar efsa european food safety authority opinion of the scientific panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food afc on a request from the commission related to a new longterm carcinogenicity study on aspartame.
Nov 07, 2016 aspartame, commonly sold as nutrasweet and equal, is typically found in diet foods as well as gum, yogurt, processed honey, and fruit juice its made by joining together the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine and has been on the market since the 1980s. Date o lab menting nstructor report sheet distance traveled mm solvent front mm phenylalanaine25 mlm phenylalaaine aspartic acid leucine aspartame 25 mm 3 mn 72 hydrolyzed aspartame mm m 50 diet cocacola3mm 3mms atameo mm 2. Aspartame apm, a widely used artificial sweetener discovered in. Review direct and indirec t cellular effects of asparta me.
Nutrasweet to exit artificial sweetener aspartame business. Susan adams ms rd is a seattlebased dietitian serving the food, nutrition and related medical needs of the elderly. Because aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, less can be used to give the same level of sweetness. It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose, supplying a sugarlike taste to a range of food and drink. Aspartame turns into formaldehyde and methanol in the body. Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested food ingredients. The history of aspartame 2000 third year paper abstract these two opposing tensions, the market desire for lowcalorie foods including sugar substitutes, and the fear of consumer manipulation by a burgeoning industry and a collusive fda, drive the fascinating history of aspartame.
In their article on lifetime exposure to aspartame in rats, soffritti et al. Aspartame side effects according to the american cancer society, aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. Name the amino acids you found in the hydrolysate of the sweetener equal b. She is a former national media spokesperson for the academy of nutrition and dietetics and regularly provides expert counsel to the aspartame resource center. Undoubtedly you have heard that aspartame is a safe sweetener and people use it to loose weight. Review direct and indirec t cellular effects of asparta me on. Sep 11, 2007 the panel concludes aspartame is a wellcharacterized, highintensity sweetener, thoroughly studied, with a long history of safe use in the food supply, magnuson said. It is a white, odourless powder, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. Aspartame, also known as nutrasweet or equal, is an artificial noncarbohydrate, zerocalorie sweetener that is the methyl ester of dipeptide laspartic acid and lphenylalanine. Aspartame is a methyl ester of a dipeptide used as a synthetic nonnutritive sweetener in over 90 countries worldwide in over 6000 products. Skeptic reading room aspartame safe sweetener or perilous. Oct 26, 2012 a study linking the artificial sweetener aspartame which is found in lots of diet sodas to a possible cancer risk in people was set to make a splash earlier this week.
Aspartame interacts with all antidepressants according to dr. Aspartame is an intense, lowcalorie, artificial sweetener. Anartificialsweetenerisalowcaloriesubstanceusedassweetenertoreplacesugars. It breaks down into, according to one paper, phenylalanine 50%, aspartic acid 40% and methanol 10% during metabolism in the body. The european food safety authoritys panel on food additives and nutrient sources added to food has some interesting things to say about aspartame. It is one of the most commonly used food additives in this country, and so it comes as no surprise that its use has been viewed with some concern. Aspartame s history reveals the answer, and that involves a complex and alarming chronicle of events.
The increase in the health conscious food products and government regulations forces manufacturers to use specified ingredients specifically coloring and flavorings agents. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used throughout the world in food and beverages. A study linking the artificial sweetener aspartame which is found in lots of diet sodas to a possible cancer risk in people was set to make a splash earlier this week. The following pages are taken from a chapter on aspartame and its interference with drug action. Food and health communications is a national strategic partner with the. Turner many healthconscious people believe that avoiding aspartame, found in over 5000 products under brand names such as equal and nutrasweet, can improve their quality of life. Aspartame is used in drinks, desserts, sweets, dairy products, chewing gums, energyreduced and weight control products, and as a tabletop sweetener. Artificial sweetener maker nutrasweet said on wednesday it would exit its aspartame business by the end of the year, citing increasing foreign competition. Aspartame methanol and the public health article pdf available in the journal of applied nutrition 361 january 1984 with 862 reads how we measure reads. Did you know that aspartame literally turns into formaldehyde and methanol inside your body. Conventional 2year rodent cancer studies of aspartame are considered nega tive, although a small number of neoplasms of the brain were observed in a rat study fed. Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 57th jecfa 2001 an adi of 040 mgkg bw was established at the 25th jecfa 1981 synonyms aspartyl. The ans panel has opted to use what is known as a mode of action, or human relevance approach in its risk assessment of the safety of aspartame. Aspartame apm is an artificial sweetener used since the 1980s, now present in 6,000 products.
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