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Neotame Sweetener: Is it a Hidden Health Hazard?

It carries over aspartame’s controversial legacy. Neotame breaks down into methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid—the same byproducts as aspartame. Methanol can be converted into formaldehyde in the body—a toxic compound associated with oxidative stress and tissue damage (Monte, 1984). Phenylalanine is dangerous for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), and in high concentrations may affect neurotransmitter balance (EFSA, 2013). Aspartic acid has been labelled an excitotoxin in some animal studies, potentially over-stimulating nerve cells (Olney, 1970). Although Neotame may yield smaller quantities of these compounds than aspartame, long-term low-dose exposure remains poorly understood in humans.…

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 Cakes and drinks sweetener neotame can damage gut wall, scientists find

Industry’s sugar substitute E961 can have ‘toxic effect on health’, says study finding sweetener capable of damaging intestinal bacteria. Even a low intake of neotame might be harmful, Chichger stressed. “Even when we studied neotame at very low concentrations, 10 times lower than the acceptable daily intake, we saw the breakdown of the gut barrier and a shift in bacteria to a more damaging behaviour, including increased invasion of healthy gut cells leading to cell death. This can be linked to issues such as irritable bowel diseases and sepsis,” she said

 Neotame: The Sweetener so Small You Won’t Even Know it’s There

Opponents of the sweetener point to its origins in the sweetener aspartame and the controversy that goes along with it. There are many arguments against aspartame (and hence, Neotame) citing medical reasons, but the FDA and more than ninety countries worldwide disagree. We’ll leave the decision up to you whether to partake or not. Studies conducted on Neotame are few, and apparently all sponsored by the parent company, so the controversy extends despite the FDA’s assertions that both Neotame and aspartame are safe to eat at the levels currently being consumed in the US.

Articles of Interest

Artificial sweetener could harm your gut and the microbes that live there – new study

An artificial sweetener called neotame can cause significant harm to the gut, my colleagues and I discovered. It does this harm in two ways. One, by breaking down the layer of cells that line the intestine. And, two, by causing previously healthy gut bacteria to become diseased, resulting in them invading the gut wall. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, is the first to show this double-hit negative effect of neotame on the gut, resulting in damage similar to that seen in inflammatory bowel disease and sepsis.

Artificial sweetener neotame has shocking effects on gut health

Artificial sweeteners are appealing to those who want a sweet taste without the calories or health concerns associated with sugar. Yet, emerging research continues to uncover potential gut harm caused by sugar substitutes, such as neotame.

Effects of the Artificial Sweetener Neotame on the Gut Microbiome and Fecal Metabolites in Mice

Although artificial sweeteners are widely used in food industry, their effects on human health remain a controversy. It is known that the gut microbiota plays a key role in human metabolism and recent studies indicated that some artificial sweeteners such as saccharin could perturb gut microbiome and further affect host health, such as inducing glucose intolerance. Neotame is a relatively new low-caloric and high-intensity artificial sweetener, approved by FDA in 2002. However, the specific effects of neotame on gut bacteria are still unknown. I

The artificial sweetener neotame negatively regulates the intestinal epithelium directly through T1R3-signaling and indirectly through pathogenic changes to model gut bacteria

Recent studies have indicated considerable health risks associated with the consumption of artificial sweeteners. Neotame is a relatively new sweetener in the global market however there is still limited data on the impact of neotame on the intestinal epithelium or the commensal microbiota.