Aspartame Poisoning: Is This

Sugar Really Sweet To You?

CureJoy Editorial Nov 7, 2017

8 Min Read

aspartame poisoning

Despite approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the
scientific community is divided on aspartame poisoning mainly due
to the association of its ingredient 'phenylalanine' with neurological
disorders. While no valid results have come out of the studies on
cancer risks of aspartame, the sweetener is for sure a potent threat
for those with phenylketonuria.

If you suffer from diabetes or are health conscious and are looking
for ways to cut calories, you probably know what aspartame is. The
most common artificial sweetener used in the world, aspartame has
been widely used since the approval of the United States Food and

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 Drug Administration (USFDA) came along in 1974. It was deemed to
be much safer than its predecessors, cyclamate and saccharin,
which came with many side effects. Aspartame slowly made its
presence felt and began to be used as THE artificial sweetener in
several commercial food products.1

An odorless, white crystalline powder, composed of two amino

acids, L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine, aspartame is 160–220
times sweeter than sucrose.2 Today it is used in several diabetic
desserts and sweets, diet colas and beverages, as a tabletop
artificial sweetener, cookies, breakfast cereals, ice cream, frozen
yogurt, and more. It provides all the sweetness of sugar with only a
fraction of the calories.3

For this reason, it was not only embraced by diabetics but also
weight watchers. It offered them a convenient way to enjoy sweet
nothings without the risk of elevating blood sugar levels or
expanding the waistline. But everything is not as peachy as it
sounds. Aspartame has been associated with a number of side
effects and even with cancer. Hereʼs a look at whether aspartame
poisoning is a real thing.

Does Aspartame Cause Headaches?

Some people are more sensitive to certain substances than others.

A study reported that among individuals with self-reported
headaches after ingestion of aspartame, a subgroup of the
individuals monitored actually reported more headaches when
tested under controlled conditions. It concluded that some
individuals are particularly likely to suffer from headaches caused
by aspartame and may want to limit their consumption.4 This 1995
study, however, has later been critiqued by several other

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 researchers for the sampling and methodology and it hasnʼt yet
been replicated. Some think that headaches caused by aspartame
could also be attributed to the anxiety surrounding the supposed ill
effects of the sweetener.

Can Aspartame Cause Cancer?

In a 2007 study, groups of 70–95 rats were administered aspartame

with their regular feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural
death. It was observed that aspartame led to an increased incidence
of malignant tumors, leukemia, and mammary cancers. It concluded
that when life-span exposure to aspartame begins as early as fetal
life, its carcinogenic effects are increased.5

However, the USFDA places aspartame in the GRAS (Generally

Recognized As Safe) category. Human studies linking aspartame
with cancer and tumor formation are not concrete enough to
support the hypothesis that aspartame is carcinogenic, as reported
by the American Cancer Society.6

Should Overweight People Have Aspartame?

Itʼs a vicious cycle – people often switch to foods with artificial

sweeteners to cut calories and stay away from diseases like
diabetes. But it is often these practices that make them susceptible
to the deadly disease. According to a study of 2856 individuals, it
was observed that those who consumed aspartame tended to have
a higher BMI and poor glucose tolerance than those who did not
have aspartame at all. The researchers surmised that aspartame
impairs glucose tolerance in obese people.7 So if you have been
guzzling diet soda or stirring in aspartame in your coffee instead of
plain old sugar for weight management, you need a better game
plan.

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 Can Aspartame Trigger Seizures?

Researchers claim in one study that frequent consumption of

aspartame is associated with seizures. According to the study
conducted on mice, aspartame can elevate phenylalanine (a
metabolite of aspartame formed inside the body) in the brain, and
thereby inhibit the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters that
protect us against seizure activity.8 However, subsequent studies
have not been able to establish the link between aspartame intake
and seizures.9 10

Does Aspartame Affect Mood?

Aspartame has also been linked with mood or behavior changes.

A 1993 study had found that aspartame (30 mg/kg body weight)
worsened depression symptoms in patients with a history of
depression so severely that the study had to be stopped midway.
But aspartame seemed to have no such effects on people without
such a history. However, in a 2014 study on healthy adults, 25
mg/kg aspartame seemed to make the participants more irritable
and depressed. A diet entirely lacking in aspartame or a low dose of
10 mg/kg did not have such effects.11

Should Those Phenylketonuria Have Aspartame?

Though aspartame is largely considered to be safe for those with

type 2 diabetes, it should be avoided by people with
phenylketonuria as they cannot metabolize phenylalanine, a
component of aspartame, which can result in brain and nerve
damage.12

Phenylketonuria is a rare genetic condition in which the amino acid

phenylalanine gets accumulated and built up in the body. In fact,

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 almost every diet soda can mentions that the carbonated beverage
should not be consumed by people with this birth defect as it
contains aspartame.

Whatʼs The Safe Limit For Aspartame?

The USFDA has established an acceptable daily intake limit

(expressed in mg/kg body weight) for every available nonnutritive
sweetener (NNS). The acceptable daily intake limit for aspartame is
set at 50 mg per kg of body weight. The European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA), on the other hand, has allowed a slightly lower
acceptable daily intake for aspartame, at 40 mg per kg of body
weight.13

A 12 oz can of diet soda usually contains about 192 mg aspartame

and a sachet of the tabletop sweetener contains about 35 mg. A
typical adult weighing around 75 kg would have to consume more
than 19 cans a day to go over the limit!14 However, anecdotal
evidences point to the fact that long-term use of aspartame can
have side effects.

In Conclusion: The Jury Is Out On Aspartame

Despite the high availability and seals of approval from food

regulatory organizations like the USFDA and EFSA, the scientific
community remains divided about aspartame. Some say that
aspartame is metabolized into phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and
methanol. Phenylalanine, in particular, has been associated with
neurological disorders.

But some researchers argue that these metabolites are found in

much higher quantities in foods and beverages consumed on a daily
basis as well. For example, a glass of non-fat milk provides

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 approximately 6 times more phenylalanine and 13 times more
aspartic acid. A glass of tomato juice has roughly 6 times more
methanol than the same volume of any beverage sweetened with
100 percent aspartame.15

Until the scientific community reaches a conclusion, we wonʼt know

for sure if aspartame poisoning is real. However, it still has side
effects, especially in the long term. So it is best to minimize the
consumption of aspartame and use it sparingly. You can try other
alternatives of sugar that are more healthful such as honey, jaggery,
cinnamon, and brown sugar.

View Article References (+)

1, Stout, Laura P. “Let Them Eat Cake? A Historical Analysis of

↑
3. FDAʼs Decision to Approve Aspartame.” (1997).
Roberts, Michael W., and J. Timothy Wright. “Nonnutritive, low
caloric substitutes for food sugars: clinical implications for
2,
↑ addressing the incidence of dental caries and
12.
overweight/obesity.” International journal of dentistry 2012
(2012).
Van den Eeden, S. K., Thomas D. Koepsell, W. T. Longstreth, G.
Van Belle, J. R. Daling, and Barbara McKnight. “Aspartame
4. ↑ ingestion and headaches A randomized crossover trial.”
Neurology 44, no. 10 (1994): 1787-1787.

Soffritti, Morando, Fiorella Belpoggi, Eva Tibaldi, Davide Degli

Esposti, and Michelina Lauriola. “Life-span exposure to low
5. ↑ doses of aspartame beginning during prenatal life increases
cancer effects in rats.” Environmental Health Perspectives
(2007): 1293-1297.
6. ↑ Aspartame. American Cancer Society.
Kuk, Jennifer L., and Ruth E. Brown. “Aspartame intake is
associated with greater glucose intolerance in individuals with
7. ↑
obesity.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41, no.

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 999 (2016): 1-4.
Pinto, Judith MB, and Timmothy J. Maher. “Administration of
aspartame potentiates pentylenetetrazole-and fluorothyl-
8. ↑
induced seizures in mice.” Neuropharmacology 27, no. 1
(1988): 51-55.
Jobe, P. C., S. M. Lasley, R. L. Burger, A. F. Bettendorf, P. K.
Mishra, and J. W. Dailey. “Absence of an effect of aspartame on
9. ↑
seizures induced by electroshock in epileptic and non-epileptic
rats.” Amino acids 3, no. 2 (1992): 155-172.
Rowan, A. James, Bennett A. Shaywitz, Linda Tuchman,
Jacqueline A. French, Daniel Luciano, and Colleen M. Sullivan.
10. ↑ “Aspartame and seizure susceptibility: results of a clinical study
in reportedly sensitive individuals.” Epilepsia 36, no. 3 (1995):
270-275.
Lindseth, Glenda N., Sonya E. Coolahan, Thomas V. Petros, and
Paul D. Lindseth. “Neurobehavioral effects of aspartame
11. ↑
consumption.” Research in nursing & health 37, no. 3 (2014):
185-193.
Butchko, Harriett H., and Frank N. Kotsonis. “Acceptable daily
13. ↑ intake vs actual intake: the aspartame example.” Journal of the
American College of Nutrition 10, no. 3 (1991): 258-266.
14. ↑ Aspartame. American Cancer Society.
Roberts, H. J. “Aspartame disease: A possible cause for
15. ↑ concomitant Gravesʼ disease and Pulmonary hypertension.”
Texas Heart Institute Journal 31, no. 1 (2004): 105.

Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in

nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use
the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified
medical or healthcare professional.

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