Aspartic

acid

Barbara Amsler, Jean Denton, Margie Girton

Introduction: Aspartame (L-asparty-Lphenylalanine methyl ester) is a non-nutritive

sweetener. Compared to sucrose, which has 4
kclas/g, non-nutritive sweeteners provide no
energy. Aspartame is a dipeptide composed of
phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol; it
is 200x sweeter than sucrose (1, 2, 3, 4).







The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is the
level of consumption that has been
determined to be safe for human
consumption every day over an entire lifetime.
In 1983 the ADI was established for use of
aspartame in carbonated beverages at
50mg/kg body weight per day (5).
When aspartame is ingested it is quickly
hydrolyzed into its component amino acids
and methanol, then absorbed by the body (6).

Phenylalanine
residue

Methanol
residue

The Controversy: Since its approval by

the FDA in 1981 until present day, the
use of aspartame in food and beverage
products remains a controversial topic.
Many individuals and organizations have
raised concerns over the potential risks
associated with the consumption of
aspartame. Most of the consumer
concerns are anecdotal and include risk
of cancer, multiple sclerosis, blindness,
seizures, memory loss, depression,
anxiety, obesity, birth defects and death,
with anxieties regarding both acute and
chronic exposure (6). Although most of
the older scientific studies do not
support these claims, newer research is
bringing to light aspects of methanol
metabolism previously unknown (1). The
manufacturers of aspartame claim that
the products of metabolism are identical
to amino acids and methanol found in
other commonly eaten foods and can be
a valuable weight-loss tool (2, 7, 8).

Pros:

Aspartame is quickly metabolized to phenylalanine and aspartate which are amino acids
found in all foods (2).
There are no environmental consequences as a result of aspartame use (7).
Weight loss can increase the desire for the sweet taste and aspartame can mitigate that
desire (8, 9).
Aspartame is less expensive than sugar, is preferred to other sugar substitutes in taste
tests; its taste profile matches that of sucrose better than any other sugar substitute,
and it is highly soluble (10).
Aspartame, along with other non-nutritive sweeteners, has been shown to aid subjects in
short-term weight loss when used in beverages (9, 11).

Cons:

Dangerous for individuals with the rare genetic defect Phenylketonuria (PKU) (12).
It is not an effective sweetener for cooking due to its quick degeneration (10).
Large number of complaints to the FDA regarding aspartame including cancer,
blindness, seizures, memory loss, depression, anxiety, obesity, birth defects and death
(6).
As a result of metabolism aspartame is broken down to phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and
methanol. For every molecule of aspartame, one molecule of methanol is produced.
Although foods contain methanol, they also contain ethanol, which is the antidote for
methanol poisoning. One liter of aspartame-sweetened soda produces about 56 mg of
methanol, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends limiting consumption to
7.8 mg/day (5). Humans lack the enzymes uricase and formyl-tetrahydrofolate
synthetase, which make us more sensitive to higher levels of methanol than laboratory
animals. (1, 2, 12, 13).
There is some evidence to suggest that consumption of sugar substitutes may cause
weight gain as aspartame may interfere with learned responses that normally contribute
to glucose and energy homeostasis (14, 15, 16).
Early studies showed high incidence of brain tumors in animals fed aspartame which
was discounted by the FDA citing normal tumor development in rats (17).
Increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma found for men (18).
In 2005, researchers demonstrated a dose related, significant increase in lymphomas and
luekemias in female rats at dose levels very near those to which humans can be exposed
(400 100,000 ppm) (18).
Studies conducted for initial approval of aspartame by G.D. Searle, were never subjected
to peer review (19).

C o nclu si on : Aspartame is still a controversial non-nutritive sweetener. It is

interesting to note that it is no longer marketed as NutraSweet, but is now
marketed by a different company as AminoSweet. The debate goes on in the
scientific community about the safety of aspartame. Possibly, at very low
consumption rates, it is indeed safe. The fact that the initial studies
supporting aspartame were never published in peer review journals, and
not made available to anyone outside the FDA or the conducting lab until
2011 is concerning. The FDA should revisit the approval of aspartame for
general use (19). Because aspartame is also used in many
pharmaceuticals, true levels of consumption may not be known (19). It may be best if
individuals who are looking to reduce their sugar consumption consider other alternatives.

References

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