The Aspartame Report
By Peggy Huff
Aspartame Defined
Aspartame is a synthetic chemical made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine and a methyl ester that breaks down into methyl alcohol (wood alcohol). It is 200 times sweeter than sugar (but considered to be calorie-free) and was approved by the FDA in 1981 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in gum, breakfast cereals and other dry products. The use of aspartame was expanded to soft drinks in 1983 and then for use as a general-purpose sweetener in all foods and drinks in 1996. It is marketed under the names Equal, NutraSweet and Canderel and is found in over 6000 foods (including many chewable vitamins) and beverages worldwide. The current “acceptable daily intake” of 50 mg/kg body weight represents the projection of animal studies based on lifetime intake.
Metabolism of Aspartame
