Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than regular sugar and has only 4 calories per gram. It is widely used in the food industry to sweeten chewing gum, soft drinks, sauces, ice cream, and cakes.
Aspartame is also sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, and health food stores. People with diabetes often use it to sweeten tea, juice, and coffee as a substitute for sugar. It is also commonly chosen by people trying to lose weight because it provides a sweet taste with very few calories.
However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), long-term consumption of aspartame does not promote weight loss and may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, dysbiosis, and type 2 diabetes.
Is aspartame bad for you?
When consumed within the recommended limits, aspartame is considered safe and may be useful for helping people with diabetes manage blood sugar levels.
Still, the WHO notes that long-term use of aspartame does not aid in weight loss and may raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and gut imbalance.
It is also important to highlight that scientific studies reviewed by the WHO, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) remain inconclusive about a possible connection between aspartame and cancer in humans.
Recommended amount
The maximum daily amount of aspartame an adult can consume is 40 mg per kilogram of body weight. For someone weighing 110 lbs (50 kg), this equals about 2 grams, or roughly 2 and a half packets of sweetener per day.
For children and pregnant women, the maximum daily intake of aspartame should be 5 mg per kilogram of body weight.
In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute (INCA) recommends avoiding any type of artificial sweetener.
Where to find aspartame
Aspartame is available in both liquid and powdered forms, which can be added to drinks and foods such as tea, cakes, coffee, bread, and juices.
It is also commonly found in diet products, including chewing gum, soft drinks, ice cream, juices, yogurt, cookies, gelatin, and ready-to-drink teas.
To reduce intake, people can choose foods and beverages that do not contain aspartame. Another option is to use natural sweeteners like stevia, which is also low in calories and approved by the FDA.
Possible side effects
Because it contains phenylalanine, aspartame may cause seizures, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, or skin lesions in people with phenylketonuria, a genetic disorder in which phenylalanine intake is toxic.