Aspartame is the key ingredient found in artificial sweeteners. It is an odorless white powder that is soluble in water and alcohol.
Aspartame is approximately 160 to 220 times sweeter than sucrose and has acceptable flavor with no bitter aftertaste.
Scientists have found that aspartame is generally safe for most people to consume. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been intensively studied for its safety to ensure the safety of the food and drinks sold in the United States, approved aspartame in 1981 after extensive studies found that it was safe for use as a sweetener.
Since introduction in 1981, aspartame has become by far the most popular sweeter in virtually all canned and bottled diet soft drinks in the United State.
When aspartame was first developed, many people had concerns about whether it was safe. After all, it didn't have the track record of other natural ingredients that had been safely consumed for hundreds of years.
Rumors have spread for at least a decade, that aspartame is responsible for epidemic health problems.
Almost everyone has a sweet tooth, and kids are certainly no exception. Because excess sugar consumption has been linked to weight gain, tooth decay, and other health problems, many people reach for foods, drinks, and candy that contain artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, which offer lots of flavor with fewer calories.
In 1996 the Food and Drug Administration published a list of 92 adverse aspartame reactions that included seizures, blindness, obesity, testicular, mammary and brain tumors; sex dysfunction and death acquired from consumers complaints.
The most common complaints about aspartame is that it causes severe headaches among sensitive individual.
Aspartame is one of the most popular man-made sweeteners on the market. It is used in beverages, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, and desserts. It is also available in packets of tabletop sweetener, like the kind typically offered by restaurants.
Although some people have alleged that aspartame is linked to birth defects and illnesses ranging from multiple sclerosis to Parkinson's disease, government authorities and medical groups throughout the world have evaluated aspartame and approved it as safe for human consumption.
Recent reviews of studies confirm that aspartame consumption is safe over the long term and is not associated with serous health effects.
Aspartame and Health Issues
