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Aspartame: Decades of science point to serious health risks

Since aspartame was first approved in 1974, both FDA scientists and independent scientists have raised concerns about possible health effects and shortcomings in the science submitted to the FDA by the manufacturer, G.D. Searle. (Monsanto bought Searle in 1984).

In 1987, UPI published a series of investigative articles by Gregory Gordon reporting on these concerns, including early studies linking aspartame to health problems, the poor quality of industry-funded research that led to its approval, and the revolving-door relationships between FDA officials and the food industry. Gordon’s series is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand the history of aspartame/NutraSweet:

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Thursday's announcement from WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, reclassifies aspartame, which has been in wide use since the 1980s and is sold under such brand names as NutraSweet and Equal.

Articles of Interest

Pepsi is ditching aspartame — based on no evidence whatsoever

Yet this trend appears to be driven by a widespread — and largely unfounded — fear the public has about the dangers of aspartame. This move might be good for Pepsi's business. But it probably won't help dispel any of the myths about artificial sweeteners as carcinogens that have persisted for decades.

Aspartame—True or False? Narrative Review of Safety Analysis of General Use in Products

Aspartame is a sweetener introduced to replace the commonly used sucrose. It was discovered by James M. Schlatter in 1965. Being 180–200 times sweeter than sucrose, its intake was expected to reduce obesity rates in developing countries and help those struggling with diabetes. It is mainly used as a sweetener for soft drinks, confectionery, and medicines. Despite its widespread use, its safety remains controversial.

Chemistry debunks the biggest aspartame health myths

Aspartame has a bad rap. It has been suspected of causing cancer and depression. However, a new video from the American Chemical Society pulls together the latest research on the food additive, and it’s not as bad as you might think.

Diet soda may be hurting your diet

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere, but the jury is still out on whether these chemicals are harmless. Also called non-nutritive sweeteners, these can be synthetic – such as saccharin and aspartame – or naturally derived, such as steviol, which comes from the Stevia plant.

Everything You Need to Know About Aspartame

Aspartame’s impact on and association with chronic metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes has been extensively studied. Observational studies linking low-calorie sweeteners to weight gain inherently cannot demonstrate a causal relationship and suffer from methodological issues like confounding and reverse causality.

Is Aspartame Bad for You?

Despite its extensive use, the popular sugar substitute has come under fire with several recent studies claiming the sweetener has adverse health effects.

The Safety of Aspartame

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener used by more than 200 million people around the world, has passed numerous safety evaluations in the past quarter-century. It is used as a tabletop sweetener (Equal, NutraSweet) and as an ingredient in more than 6,000 processed foods, including diet sodas, desserts, candy and yogurt, among others. But now comes a provocative if inconclusive report that says aspartame may cause cancer, even at levels long considered safe.

What You Need to Know About Aspartame, the Sugar Substitute

Millions of people choose artificial sweeteners each year to replace sugar in their coffee, tea and other dishes. But what do we know about aspartame, the compound used in some of our favorite brand names?

Why Did the FDA Ever Approve Fake Sugar?

Keep in mind that since the substance has only been in the food supply since the 1980s, long-term effects are only beginning to be understood, including aspartame's effects on the microbiota as well as the potential for cancer over the course of decades of consuming it.

Resources

Aspartame

Aspartame is unique among low-calorie sweeteners in that it is completely broken down by the body into its components. Learn more about the production of aspartame and safety precautions around this sweetener.

Equal

Equal® has brought delicious 0 calorie sweeteners to the world.