Aspartame is a man-made substance that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. However, unlike sugar, aspartame has almost no calories. This, of course, is why it is used by food manufacturers and individuals as a substitute for sugar and other caloric sweeteners. Aspartame was once the most popular artificial sweetener in the world, but this distinction now goes to sucralose (Splenda). Even so, there are more than 6,000 products made with aspartame, including beverages, foods, chewing gum, sweets and medicines.
Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965 and was first introduced into our food supply in 1981. It is often mixed with acesulfame potassium to make it taste more like sugar and/or with maltodextrin to make it more stable to taste. heat and to prolong shelf life. Aspartame is available to people to sweeten the table like NutraSweet and Equal.
From day one and to the present, aspartame has been the subject of intense health scrutiny and controversy. This is the reason Aspartame is renamed to AminoSweet. The new name was not randomly pulled out of a hat. On the one hand, aspartame is synthesized from two amino acids: L-phenylalanine and L-aspartate. And on the other hand, the term “amino acid” sounds natural, healthy, safe and important.
Aspartame’s checkered history began during the FDA approval process when the product was first introduced to the public. It is alleged that Donald Rumsfeld had to rely on his close personal relationship with Ronald Reagan to pressure the FDA to approve aspartame despite the questionable science behind it. Rumsfeld was then the CEO of Searle, the company that owned and manufactured aspartame, and Reagan was the new president of the United States. Since then, there have been repeated accusations of flawed science, disregard for unbiased research, and reliance on biased studies funded by the manufacturer and/or related organizations.
In response to these criticisms, the FDA claims that aspartame is the most studied substance in FDA history. In total there have been a total of 26 reviews, the last one was in 2015. They all draw the same conclusion: that aspartame is safe for human consumption. The WHO (World Health Organization) says that aspartame is safe. The FAO United Nations says that aspartame is safe. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) states that it is safe.
That said, the empirical claims of individuals about neurological problems go on and on in full force. The most common and minor complaints are headaches and sleep disturbances. The most serious complaints are seizures, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis. Some doctors suggest that aspartame and other excitotoxins may also be contributing to the epidemic behavior in autism and in overactive and degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
As noted above, aspartame is an excitotoxin, and this is what makes it different from, and potentially more dangerous than, any other artificial sweetener or reduced calorie sweetener. The name excitotoxin was coined by scientists who observed that a certain group of chemicals had the ability to overstimulate (excite) brain cells, which depletes and then damages or kills cells.
More than 70 types of excitotoxins have been discovered. Besides aspartate (the aspartame excitotoxin), the other most prevalent excitotoxin is glutamate. Glutamate is the main ingredient in MSG (monosodium glutamate), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable protein, autolyzed protein, and general substances generically referred to as “natural flavors” or “spices.”
Independent researchers criticize the current aspartame studies for being conducted over a period of two years or less. This produces a false-negative result because the study is too short to reveal the problem of slow, cumulative brain damage. Years may pass before a tipping point is reached at which clinical signs become more apparent. For example, “…the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease do not manifest until more than 80 to 90% of the neurons in the involved nuclei…have died. The neurons did not all suddenly die at the same time, but it slowly and quietly deteriorated over many years. The same goes for Alzheimer’s disease.” [From Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L Blaylock, MD, page 92].
Longer and deeper studies and a more advanced understanding of how excitotoxins break down brain and placental barriers are needed. Until this happens, and it will likely take years, it’s best to avoid products made with aspartame/aminosweets. The population groups most vulnerable to brain cell damage from excitotoxins are young children, unborn children who obtain excitotoxins from their mothers, the elderly, and people with a family history of neurological disorders.
Why take the risk? Fortunately for the consumer, there are many other low-calorie or artificial sweetener options available, all of which are less objectionable than aspartame. Ideally, consumption of any artificial sweetener or low-calorie sweetener should be limited to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) per day.
Although aspartame has a new name AminoSweet, it is still the same old excitotoxin. Do not be fooled! Always check the ingredient list of any packaged food or beverage to see if it is listed there.
