Aspartame Concerns Continue

Adverse Effects Encountered in Clinical Practice

Jul 9, 2009 James Pendleton

Aspartame is a sweetener backed by industry dollars, and plagued by anecdotal controversies. While some accusations remain unproven, others have clinical relevance.

Aspartame is a non-caloric sweetener -referred to as Nutrasweet- that has been around for several decades. Its scientific name is aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester and its chemical formula is C14 H18 N2 O5. A molecule of aspartame is composed of methanol, aspartate, and phenylalanine bound together.

Sweetening Agent

Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than ordinary sugar so small amounts may be used in eliciting a sweetening effect. In contrast to caloric sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) it has negligible caloric contribution in concentrations used. Upon ingestion, aspartame is completely absorbed and broken down into its three components. It has a European Union designation of E951 and has been approved for use throughout the world. The company that produces aspartame claims it is in over 5000 products and is consumed by over 250 million people worldwide.

Researching Aspartame

Much controversy exists regarding the safety of aspartame and many studies have explored the possibility of toxic effects. Some of these studies are independent, while others are funded by the multi-billion dollar industry. The trend in substantiation appears to move towards little substantiation in large, industry-funded studies, and positive correlations in smaller clinical and case studies. This means that in the clinical setting, when the substance is removed, the signs and symptoms desist.

Breakdown Products of Aspartate

Aspartame is unsuitable for cooking and products experiencing heat or acidity due to its propensity to decompose and lose its sweetening effect. When aspartame breaks down it produces methanol and two amino acids: aspartate and phenylalanine. Methanol (wood alcohol) is a toxic molecule that may be processed into other toxins like formaldehyde and formic acid which must be neutralized by the liver. Phenylalanine and especially aspartate are amino acids that have excitotoxic effects in high concentrations.

Excitotoxins and Illness

Excitotoxins are substances that overstimulate nerves, causing them to release inordinate amounts of enzymes that induce cell damage and eventually culminate in cell death. They are implicated in degenerative neurological conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. They are also associated with attention deficit disorder, and fibromyalgia.

Aspartame and Human Health

Claims, mostly anecdotal in origin, have been made associating aspartame with sundry medical conditions. Many of these claims are yet to be proven but several case studies from medical practice appear to associate elimination of dietary aspartame with cessation of pathological conditions like migraine headaches and cardiac arrhythmias.

Conditions Clinically Associated with Aspartame

• Atrial Fibrillation
• Attention Deficit
• Acute and Chronic Eczema
• Fibromyalgia
• Liver Enlargement and Cirrhosis
• Memory Dysfunction
• Migraine Headaches

Animal studies have correlated aspartame with neural dysfunction during brain development. Apparently younger, developing brains are more prone to the miswiring that occurs with excitotoxin exposure.

Aspartame is a relatively new non-caloric sweetener with plenty of research and controversy. While many large studies and government reviews have cleared it of disease etiology, implications from smaller clinical studies still connect it with several conditions.

Sources

Burkhart, C. G. (2009). "'Lone' atrial fibrillation precipitated by monosodium glutamate and aspartame." Int J Cardiol.

Ding, X. C., L. N. Ma, et al. (2009). "[Effect of aspartame on the liver cirrhosis mode induced by the complex factors]." Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi 17(3): 229-30.

Fernstrom, J. D. (2009). "Aspartame effects on the brain." Eur J Clin Nutr 63(5): 698-9; author reply 695-8.

Humphries, P., E. Pretorius, et al. (2008). "Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain." Eur J Clin Nutr 62(4): 451-62.

Jacob, S. E. and S. Stechschulte (2008). "Formaldehyde, aspartame, and migraines: a possible connection." Dermatitis 19(3): E10-1.

Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, and Jessel TM. 2000. , 4th Edition, Page 928, McGraw Hill

Robert, H. J. (2006). "Aspartame-induced Sjogren syndrome." South Med J 99(6): 631-2.

Robert, H. J. (2008). "Overlooked aspartame-induced hypertension." South Med J 101(9): 969

The copyright of the article Aspartame Concerns Continue in Nutrition is owned by James Pendleton. Permission to republish Aspartame Concerns Continue in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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