Aspartame Scientific Research Summary Continued...

Additionally, a postmarketing surveillance program was developed to document and further evaluate anecdotal reports of adverse health effects from some consumers. Although a cause-and-effect relationship could not be established from these reports, the information was used to guide additional research efforts.

• Further studies evaluated possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood, as well as allergic-type reactions.

• Studies were also done to evaluate the safety of aspartame use by potentially sensitive subpopulations (i.e., individuals heterozygous for the rare genetic disease, phenylketonuria, individuals with Parkinson’s disease, dizziness, depression, liver disease, and renal disease).

• Additionally, further evaluations of aspartame and the endocrine system were completed. In addition, an allegation that aspartame may be associated with brain tumors in humans was raised by a long time aspartame critic almost 20 years after he first raised the same issue in animals. This allegation was evaluated by scientists and regulators with the conclusion that the claims were not valid.

Much of the scientific research, both before and after regulatory approval, has focused on the safety of the components of aspartame – amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and a small amount of methanol – all of which are found naturally in the diet. It is important to note that these components are used by the body in the same ways as when they are derived from foods, such as meat, milk, fruits, and vegetables. Further, the components of aspartame are derived from these common foods in much larger amounts. For example, a glass of milk provides about 6 times more phenylalanine and 13 times more aspartic acid and a glass of tomato juice provides about 6 times more methanol than an equivalent volume of beverage sweetened 100% with aspartame.

Thirty years of research has been conducted on aspartame safety. The testing of aspartame has been far beyond the standard safety testing required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the pre-marketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use.

Adapted from Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, Vol. 35, Number 2, April 2002.

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