What Is Aspartame And Is It Safe?
Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that is 180 times sweeter than
sucrose and is marketed under several trademark names. These trademarks include Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel. Despite the extensive studies that have been conducted, there are still many myths about the safety of aspartame.
Aspartame is made by joining two amino acids, L-aspartic and L- phenylalanine, with a third a methyl ester group. As a result, the chemical formula of aspartame is C14H18N2O5. The discovery of aspartame was made by a G.D. Searle & Company chemist named James M. Schlatter. This discovery occurred when he licked his finger, which had accidentally become contaminated with aspartame, during the course of producing an anti-ulcer drug. Due to the concerns of aspartame and its relation to cancer in rats, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve its use for several years. It was not until 1996 that the FDA allowed aspartame to be used in all foods by removing all restrictions that were previously standing.
After being approved for use in all foods and beverages by the FDA, aspartame is now used in a wide variety of products. These products may include beverages, tabletop sweeteners, frozen desserts, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, candies, puddings, and baked goods (Henkel). Although aspartame has been classified as a general purpose sweetener and is approved for use in all foods and beverages, it is not suitable for purposes requiring an extended exposure to high temperatures. This is because aspartame may lose its sweetness depending on temperature and also time ("Aspartame Fact Sheet"). However, it can be added to recipes successfully and other forms are now available for certain recipes. For example, an encapsulated form is accessible for baking.
As for the safety of aspartame, the web articles present information that contradict one another. Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of the Total Health Program, states that when the G. D. Searle company,...
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