Aspartame

It is a low-calorie sweetener and about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Aspartame consists of the amino acids L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine, two protein building blocks that occur naturally in most protein-rich foods such as meat, dairy products and vegetables. During digestion, aspartame is broken down into the two protein building blocks L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine and small amounts of methanol. Phenylalanine is a vital amino acid. Methanol is found naturally in the human body and also in many foods. The methanol content of aspartame is extremely low compared to the content in many natural foods. For example, a glass of tomato juice contains six times more methanol than the same portion of a soft drink sweetened with aspartame. Because aspartame consists of protein building blocks, it is not completely calorie-free, but contains - like any protein - 4 calories per gram. However, due to its high sweetening power, these calories are not significant. While a liter of sugar-sweetened lemonade, for example, has a good 400 calories, the equivalent lemonade sweetened with aspartame has only 2 calories.

By providing sweetness without calories, aspartame can make a useful contribution to weight control. For example, an aspartame-sweetened soft drink can contain less than one calorie per serving. Governments and doctors are increasingly concerned about overweight and obesity. Right now, it does little good to stir up unfounded fear about a widely available alternative that helps people control their calorie energy intake. It is estimated that obesity causes 70,000 new cases of cancer each year in Europe alone. Aspartame was classified as a food additive by EU legislation and introduced after animal studies showed no evidence of cancer even at high doses. In this context, it is also important to know that most cancers are caused by damaged DNA, which then leads to cell mutations. At the same time, however, there is no evidence that aspartame damages DNA. In 1996, a doctor then put forward the theory that the increase in brain tumors since 1980 was due to the intake of aspartame. This theory was based on an FDA study of 320 rats, twelve of which developed malignant brain tumors after two years of a dietary program that included aspartame. According to another theory, aspartame became mutagenic when combined with nitrates, substances that form naturally in the body. Critics, however, claim that the introduction of aspartame and the increase in brain tumors have nothing to do with each other, that it is an ecological coincidence, so to speak. After all, there was no evidence that people with brain tumors had consumed more aspartame than others. Even the brain tumors in rats could not be confirmed in later studies. A study of children with brain tumors also showed no evidence of a connection with aspartame - not even when the mother's diet was taken into account. The safety assessment includes the analysis of the effect in the body, taking into account the expected consumption quantities. Additives classified and approved as safe are given a uniform EU-wide E number, that of aspartame is E-951. Aspartame has been approved in over 90 countries around the world and is therefore also suitable for diabetics, pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding and children. It has been declared safe by such renowned regulatory authorities as the American FDA and the joint FAO/WHO Expert Commission on Food Additives. Aspartame, on the other hand, brings with it completely different problems that have nothing to do with health. The special composition of aspartame is also responsible for the fact that this sweetener slowly loses its sweetening power when heated or stored for a long time. It is then partially broken down, but this does not affect its safety. In the human organism, the resulting substances are metabolized or excreted. However, the small disadvantage in terms of stability is compensated for by the good taste of aspartame. For this reason, protein products containing aspartame as a sweetener should be stored in a cool, dry place.

Can anyone use aspartame?

There are people with a very rare hereditary disease, known as phenylketonuria, in which the amino acid phenylalanine plays a critical role and who therefore have to avoid aspartame, as the sweetener contains this amino acid. However, you can recognize foods containing aspartame at any time, as aspartame is subject to mandatory labelling throughout the EU and is listed accordingly on the list of ingredients. These foods containing aspartame must be labeled "contains a source of phenylalanine". This means that consumers are free to choose between these calorie-reduced or other products. However, there are indications that people who are sensitive to aspartame (or phenylalanine) may experience migraine attacks, for example.

Dosage

Based on the results of numerous clinical studies, laboratory tests and consumption studies, the sweetener has so far been considered safe. The EU Scientific Committee on Food last assessed the safety of aspartame in 2002. The findings on carcinogenicity in humans and animals available at that time were also taken into account. The tolerable daily intake of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight was confirmed. This is the amount of aspartame that can be consumed daily for a lifetime without health concerns.

Lurid stories and rumors are available around the globe at lightning speed via the Internet. Although the Internet is a fantastic source of information, it should sometimes be used with caution. Recently, unfounded allegations about aspartame have been circulating on the web. Aspartame is accused of being a trigger for various diseases such as Alzheimer's. One campaign, spread via the Internet, attempted to establish a link between aspartame and multiple sclerosis without any scientific justification. Many health organizations reacted negatively to this campaign. Dr. David Squillacote, medical advisor to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, made it clear that there is no scientific evidence that aspartame could in any way trigger or promote multiple sclerosis or worsen the situation of MS patients. Critics demonize aspartame the most because it contains this small amount of methanol. Methanol is undoubtedly toxic - but ONLY in large quantities. Opponents of aspartame like to point this out, but according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), methanol is only harmful above 200 to 500mg per kilogram of body weight: only then is a sufficiently large amount of the metabolic product formit produced, which can turn into toxic formaldehyde in the body. To accumulate this amount in the body, you would have to drink 600 to 1700 cans of a light drink containing aspartame. So "the dose makes the poison". Minerals and vitamins are also toxic in high doses, not to mention alcohol, which you can buy freely at any kiosk. You should be more concerned about cigarettes and alcohol instead of worrying about little things like aspartame, because drinking 600 cans of a light drink would make you choke before aspartame forms the toxic formaldehyde in your body. I don't want to reserve this sentence that I found on the Internet for you, because I think it will amuse you very much: "Aspartame was on a CIA list as a potential biochemical warfare agent until the mid-1970s." Oh, didn't you know that nuclear bombs will soon be built with aspartame!!!!

Compared to that, it's downright frightening how much nonsense is being spread about it on the Internet.