What is the scientific deal with Aspartame?

Question

Some people 'claim' it is bad for you, others think it has been tested thoroughly, yet others still think it is a huge conspiracy between the government and soda companies.

So what is the deal with aspartame, is there any REAL scientific evidence for its harmful effects? There are some sites out there that are dedicated to bringing down aspartame but they can not seem to provide any real scientifically controlled experiments to prove anything. It's just a bunch of people who "think" for 100% certain that aspartame is causing them all their problems.

I don't want to hear anything about individual cases of people's ailments and how they 'think' it is caused by aspartame. I mean look at those medical bracelets that have not been proven to do anything but sit there on your arm. And look at what the placebo effect can do for people if they think a drug is going to help them.

So just to reiterate, can anyone provide any scientific evidence or links to such evidence proving that aspartame is indeed bad for your health?

Answer 1

As I think you've already figured out, there is no deal. The claims and conspiracy theories come from people who apparently didn't learn much about the scientific process when they were in grade school. Just like the recent cell phone flap, in which a doctor who should know better posited a shaky hypothesis as fact before she even suggested a possible study design to answer her questions. So much of  "science" these days is better positioned under the heading of religion that I often wonder if we aren't still in the Dark Ages and just don't realize it.

Answer 2

methanol is a breakdown product of aspartame, and methanol is further oxidized into formaldehyde and formic acid which are actually the more toxic substances. I remember hearing a case about a woman who was convicted for allegedly murdering her husband with methanol. His dietary history included that he consumed 10 cans of aspartame containing sodas per day, and the defense wasnt aware that a breakdown product of aspartame is methanol.  

Answer 3

I have been told that when aspartame is heated to a certain degre inside your body, it turns into formeldahyde, which is used to embalm bodies, so I dunno.  Take a chance u only live once.

Answer 4

THe Government says it is safe.   It is a neurotransmitter, and there are a lot of people who question this.  

Cell phones were safe, too, until now they warn you to use an ear bud.  

RIght now, no one is sure. It is a huge $$$ business, so it will be hard to convince anyone taking a neurotransmitter that degrades to a toxic compound is not safe.

Answer 5

Aspartame, at the levels found in soft drinks, etc., is not harmful at all.  Aspartame is just a small molecule consisting of two amino acids linked together (aspartic acid and phenylalanine).  There are individuals who can not eat aspartame because of a genetic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU), that renders them unable to metabolize the phenylalanine.  This is why there are warnings on products containing this additive.  PKU occurs about once in every 10,000 births.   But for the rest of us, aspartame is safe.