The safety of aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in many sugar free products, is a topic that is hotly debated. Aspartame is a low calorie sugar replacement product that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Aspartame is a popular sugar substitute in many foods, although it's not usually used in cooking because heating breaks it down. Although regarded as safe to consume in the FDA-established acceptable intake amounts, there are still concerns that it can cause cancer with long-term use.
Aspartame and Phenylalanine
Aspartame is broken down during digestion into several other substances, including the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine, needed for the synthesis of proteins, is an essential amino acid, meaning it must be consumed in the diet because it is not manufactured by the body. A rare metabolic disease, phenylketonuria or PKU, affects people who lack the enzyme necessary to use phenylalanine, resulting in high blood levels of phenylalanine. If you have phenylketonuria, you cannot eat foods that contain phenylalanine or convert to phenylalanine, including aspartame-containing products.
Uses
Phenylalanine exists in several forms. L-phenylalanine, the naturally occurring form, is found in beef, pork, poultry, fish, soy, eggs, cheese, yogurt, seeds and nuts. It is also a breakdown product of aspartame. L-phenylalanine is used to treat vitiligo, a skin pigment disorder, and depression. D-phenylalanine, a mirror-image form made in the lab, is used for chronic pain and Parkinson's disease.
Aspartame is used as a sugar substitute in many foods including gelatin, pudding, yogurt, chewing gum, cereals, nondairy creamers and on the tabletop. It is also used in beverages such as diet cola, flavored soda, coffee, iced tea and fruit drinks.
Side Effects of Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine supplements are available in capsule, tablet and powder form. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends taking the supplement before meals; for vitiligo in children 22 to 125 mg/kg body weight and for adults, 14 to 39 mg/kg of body weight. The side effects associated with phenylalanine include nausea, heartburn, headaches, anxiety, hyperactivity and a jittery feeling. Do not take phenylalanine, or aspartame-containing products, if you have PKU, are pregnant or breastfeeding, take antipsychotic, antidepressant or antispasmodic medication.
Side Effects of Aspartame
Aspartame was approved for use by the FDA in 1981. The agency then determined the acceptable daily intake to be 50 mg/kg of body weight, equivalent to 21 cans of diet soda, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, following its approval, the FDA received numerous complaints of side effects, including headaches, stomach upset, dizziness, mood alteration and seizures. More serious concerns concerning aspartame arose when several studies showed an increased risk of some cancers associated with its use. In 2006, "The New York Times" reported the results of a seven-year study conducted on rats by Dr. Morando Soffritti in Bologna, Italy, which indicated that the human equivalent of drinking four to five cans of diet soda per day showed an increase in the occurrence of lymphomas and leukemia in rats. Other studies, such as a 2006 study published by the National Cancer Institute that surveyed the effects of aspartame use on a half-million people over a five-year period, refuted those results.
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