Know about Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is sold as many brands of sugar free tablets and diet foods all over the world. Many of the popular sugar substitutes in India are also made of Aspartame. While it still remains a popular product; despite it being FDA approved (maximum daily intake of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight), Aspartame has given rise to many controversies time and again. It has been a part of so many people and still many cannot decide whether it is good or bad for you.

So what is Aspartame? It is made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine; both are naturally occurring amino acids.

The physiology of the human body breaking down Aspartame:The body breaks down Aspartame in to a very small amount (smaller than most of the foods we consume) of methanol. The amount is so small that it is negligible when it comes to being hazardous to us.
Aspartame came under scrutiny when other artificial sweeteners like cyclamate and saccharin were raising health-related issues and eventually banned. Though ban on cyclamate was lifted, saccharin is still banned in America.
But as with everything, Aspartame too has its side-effects if consumed more than the FDA approved daily intake; especially in people who suffer from:

 Phenylketonuria: People with this condition have too much phenylalanine in their system. Since it is an essential component of Aspartame, it can prove to be highly toxic on consumption

Schizophrenia: People who are on medication for this condition should avoid taking Aspartame

Tardive dyskinesia: It is thought to be a side effect caused due to some schizophrenia medication. The phenylalanine in Aspartame may worsen the condition and therefore it must be avoided

People still are skeptical about Aspartame even when some studies and many food quality control bodies have approved it. This has lead to some trust amongst the end consumers.


Therefore, it is advisable to consume Aspartame or any other sugar substitute in moderation. Most importantly, you should work on having a healthier lifestyle as just having Aspartame is not an answer to that.

Image Credit: DrAxe.com, medicine-science-and-more.com

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