-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
sensitivities
aspartame
nutrition
definition
Aspartame (NutraSweet®)
Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener used in foods and beverages and as a tabletop sweetener. It is sold under the name NutraSweet® and is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is made by joining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine and a small amount of methanol.
Aspartame is sold to food processors for use in numerous products such as cold cereals, drink mixes, gelatine, puddings, dairy products, and toppings. It loses its sweetness during long periods of storage and is not suitable for baking since heat causes the loss of sweetness.
Many physicians do not recommend the use the use of this product. While there have been numerous studies which argue its safety, many patients have experienced some very uncomfortable reactions from its use. As with all your dietary choices, whole foods are recommended, not foods which have been "manufactured" by companies.
It must not be used by patients with phenylketonuria because of the release of phenylalanine during its metabolism.
There are now more than 4000 products which contain this substance. It is used in more than 150 major brands of beverages, foods and other products in the following categories:
tabletop sweetener
powdered soft drinks
cocoa mix
puddings & pie fillings
topping mix
fruit juice drinks
yogurt-type products
instant coffee & tea mixes
shake mix
refrigerated tea
cereal
ready-to-eat gelatin
gelatin mix
chewing gum
instant breakfast mix
frozen desserts
frozen novelties
refrigerated flavored milk beverages
milk flavor additives
wine coolers
breath mints
chewable multivitamins
over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
carbonated soft drinks
fruit syrups
fruit spreads & toppings
You may want to read, ASPARTAME (NUTRASWEET): IS IT SAFE? by H. J. Roberts, M. D. Charles Press, Philadelphia, 1990, $19.95. This book will alert you to the potential hazard of this sweetener. The book reports that aspartame may produce a wide variety of physical and mental symptoms. These may include convulsions, headaches, behavioral disorders and gastrointestinal problems. Many patients have reported similar reactions.
(adapted from Thom, p. 125-126)
footnotes