Many people believe that aspartame (the artificial sweetener in food and drinks, like Diet Coke) can cause cancer, Parkinson’s disease diabetes and multiple sclerosis. However repeated test have also proved that it is not harmful to humans at levels typically consumed.
Some Aspartame Facts
- Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide
- First sold as an artificial sweetener as NutraSweet
- Aspartame can be up to 200 times sweeter than sugar
- Under the media spotlight since 1980
Many food safety institutions (including our own Food Standards Australia New Zealand – FSANZ) have agreed that aspartame is safe at the current level of use in food. A particular study conducted by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency also concluded that participants who were self-diagnosed as sensitive to aspartame showed no difference in response after consuming it.
No matter how you look at it, consuming large quantities of sweeteners or sugars in any form is bad for you. Ultimately, it’s a personal decision. If there’s no harm done, many consumers think, why not pick up a gluten-free, GMO-free, aspartame-free product?
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