Aspartame is one of the most controversial sweeteners in the world. On the one hand it is claimed to cause severe health problems rang-ing from weight gain to liver damage and even cancer.
On the other hand, food safety authorities consider it to be safe. We tell you the bittersweet truth about aspartame.

First of all, what is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, mostly denoted as E951. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar but stimulates the taste buds on the tongue in the same way. Aspartame was introduced into the food market in the 1980s.Today it is used in beverages, food, yogurt, sweets, chewing gums, and light-products.

How dangerous is it really?

Once ingested, the body converts the aspartame to methanol, which is then converted to formaldehyde before being converted to formic acid. How your body reacts to aspartame depends on the amount and frequen-cy of usage. Many aspartame-consumers experience different symptoms, but they don’t know what it’s related to. Fact is, there have been several studies over the years that established a link between aspartame con-sumption and several diseases.

Diabetes

A study published in the journal Nature found that aspartame changes the gut bacteria in a way that increases the risk of diabetes. It also could be detrimental to the health of people with diabetes, as artificial sweeteners increase blood sugar levels in the body.

Heart disease

Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Miami found that a single diet soda daily over a period of 10 years increased the risk of heart attack and stroke by 43 percent.

Allergies

Researchers at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science found that mice fed artificial sweeteners developed glucose intolerance.

Weight gain

A study at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found those who drank diet sodas were more likely to become overweight than those who drank regular sugary sodas. For each can of diet soda consumed each day the risk of obesity increased by 41 percent. After 10 years, those who drank two or more diet sodas a day increased their risk of obesity by 500 percent. Other studies found that drinking two diet sodas every day could cause an increase in belly fat.

Chronic diseases

Aspartame can trigger or worsen many chronic illnesses including head-aches, migraine, chronic fatigue, stomach pain, digestion problems, Alz-heimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or Fibromyalgia.

Any further questions?

Nevertheless, the Food and Drug Administration still insists aspartame is safe. So you have to decide on your own if it is safe for you or not. All in all: We’ve got to be aware of what’s going on by watching what we’re putting into our body.