How many of you have heard about aspartame? Aspartame is a type of food additive, a low-calorie sweetener, which gives off 4 calories per gram when it is metabolized. It is extremely sweet and produces the equivalent caloric amount as sucrose. Therefore, Aspartame is put in low-calorie foods, such as soft drinks, desserts, cereals, and chewing gums, in small quantity to enhance the sweetness, being a direct additive. Since 1981, Canada has approved the use of Aspartame in foods and since then, caused controversies regarding the risks it possesses.
- Composition of aspartame. Image from NutraSweet company.
Aspartame is created through binding aspartic acid and phenylalanine, forming dipeptide, which is then esterified with methanol. Because our body takes in Aspartame’s constituent components, which are aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol, some question the risk the three components pose to our body. However, Health Canada evaluated that Aspartame poses a very little to no threat to people’s health while it accommodates diverse functions and benefits.
First, people pose that intake of methanol would be dangerous, causing health problems such as lupus, blindness, and sclerosis. However, people have digested methanol through fruits and vegetables even if it is not from Aspartame. For instance, a cup of tomato juice includes methanol six times more than that is contained in a cup of soft drink with Aspartame. Methanol does not build up on our body system but is metabolized to formaldehyde, and then to formic acid, which breaks down to water and carbon dioxide in the end.
Tomato juice. Picture by Elise.
Furthermore, although some identify Aspartame as a toxic substance that can possibly damage those with diabetes, and a causation of cancer, brain tumors, seizures, and allergies, further research done states that they are untrue. Health Canada has done research on safety regarding the possible risk Aspartame present, but the result indicates that it is false.
Nevertheless, intake of excessive amount of phenyalanine can be damaging to people with phenylketonuria, which is an inherited metabolic disorder. People diagnosed with phenylketonuria cannot digest or metabolize phenylalanine. Therefore, all products containing Aspartame should always exhibit the existence of phenylalanine. Those with phenylketonuria can be aware of the fact and be careful in what they consume to prevent sickness.
Nutrition facts of Tab. Image by Steve.
Other than this, Aspartame is safe to consume in its acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is 40mg per kilogram of body weight. For me, I weigh 50kg, which translates into that I can take 2000mg (40mg x 50) of Aspartame per day. Since drink in Canada usually contains 49mg Aspartame per 100ml soft drink, my acceptable daily intake of soft drink with Aspartame is 4.1L (2000mg / 490mg Aspartame per L). I even do not drink that much of water in a day, therefore, the acceptable daily intake of Aspartame is set very broadly and most of people would not intake Aspartame over their daily limit.
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