What is aspartame?
After several decades of research on artificial sweeteners (ASW) to reduce obesity and diabetes rates, aspartame was discovered in 1965 and eventually brought to market in 1981. Aspartame is between 150-200 times sweeter than sugar and, as a result, does not increase the caloric value of food and drink products.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame is 50 mg/kg, whereas European regulatory bodies recommend an ADI of 40 mg/kg for aspartame for both adults and children. Throughout the world, aspartame can be found in over 6,000 products, including food and beverages, cough drops, and some toothpaste, thus indicating the ubiquitous nature of this chemical in many everyday items.
Although most food and drink products with aspartame are advertised as ‘healthy’ or ‘diet’ alternatives to sugar-sweetened products, the ability of these products to reduce the risk of diabetes or obesity has never been confirmed. Instead, some evidence suggests that the flavor of both sugar- and artificially sweetened-beverages increases hunger sensations and, as a result, causes weight gain.
Doea aspartame cause cancer?
After consuming aspartame, this chemical is hydrolyzed and absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This process leads to the release of methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine.
The metabolism of methanol begins in the liver, where it is first oxidized to formaldehyde then again to fovic acid. In addition to the direct damage methanol causes to the liver, formaldehyde is also directly toxic to liver cells and associated with cancer-causing properties.
Several studies have investigated the carcinogenic potential of aspartame. For example, one study in rats found that aspartame exposure early in life increased the risk that rat pups subsequently developed cancer.
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