Aspartame Side Effects - what FDA says?

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Aspartame is a non caloric sweetener used in a number of foodstuffs throughout the world. It is a white, odorless powder around 200 times sweeter than sugar. It has same number of calories per gram as table sugar. NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal Measure are the brand names of Aspartame and it is labeled as E951 in Europe. A number of health problems can be led by the components of aspartame. Side effects of Aspartame can happen slowly, can be instant, or can be acute reactions. In the following article, there are side effects of Aspartame.

It was discovered in 1965 by James Schlatter, a chemist of G D Searle Co when he was testing an anti-ulcer drug. In 1983, its use in carbonated drinks was finally approved. The safety of aspartame has been evaluated by many national and international organizations and an international committee of experts established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value. Dry or frozen Aspartame is steady but it smash down and loses its sweetness over time when stored in liquids at temperatures above 30°C. When metabolized by the body, aspartame is broken down into two common amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine and a third substance, methanol. In similar or greater amounts, these three substances are obtainable from eating common foods. The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] refers to aspartame: the chemical broadly called as NutraSweet as a "food additive," not a "drug."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not approve its use as a food additive in the United States for many years. In 1974, Aspartame was approved for use in dry foods but Searle was not permitted to market it until 1981. A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) consisting of three scientists charged with examining the relationship between aspartame and brain cancer was summoned by the FDA, in early 1980. It was concluded by The PBOI that aspartame does not cause brain damage, but it suggested against approving aspartame at that time, citing unanswered questions about cancer in laboratory rats. Until more testing was done under its authority, it also canceled approval for aspartame to be part of dry foods. On July 18, 1981, the FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, reversed the board judgment and approved aspartame's use in dry foods. In 1984, The FDA announced that no proof has been found to establish that aspartame's methanol by-product reaches toxic levels, claiming that "many fruit juices contain higher levels of the natural compound."

However, in 1978 the Medical World News reported that the methanol content of aspartame is 1,000 times greater than most foods under FDA control. Aspartame intake is shown by animal studies to alter brain chemicals affecting behavior, according to independent tests. The NutraSweet/carbohydrate combination increases the sweetener's effect on brain composition was founded by Wurtman's pilot studies. In January 1977, the FDA formally requested that U.S. Attorney Samuel Skinner be hired to investigate G.D. Searle's aspartame-testing procedures. The CDC announced that no "serious, widespread" side effects of aspartame had been found in November of 1984. The side effects of aspartame fell into two distinct categories: central nervous system (65%) and gastrointestinal disorders (24%).

It was believed by FDA safety regulator Dave Hattan that the study only confirmed the need for testing on humans. In independent tests, insists Hattan, aspartame aggravated spasms in laboratory animals. In 1985, an alliance of customer groups were handed a ruling by the Federal Circuit Court of requests for the District of Columbia stating that, in the opinion of the Court, the FDA had pursued proper procedures in approving aspartame for use in foods and soft drinks. A year later, it was reported by Washington Post that the Supreme Court refused to consider arguments the contrary "despite critics' arguments that the product, sold under the brand name NutraSweet, may cause brain damage."

Side effects of Aspartame

Eyes

Bulging eyes
Pain in one or both eyes
Blindness in one or both eyes
Decreased tears
Trouble with contact lenses
Decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision

Ears

Severe intolerance of noise
Tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
Marked hearing impairment

Neurologic

Epileptic seizures
Severe tremors
Headaches, migraines
Dizziness, unsteadiness, both
Severe drowsiness and sleepiness
Paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
A typical facial pain
Severe hyperactivity and restless legs
Severe slurring of speech
Confusion, memory loss, both

Psychological/Psychiatric

Severe depression
Irritability
Aggression
Anxiety
Personality changes
Insomnia
Phobias
Chest
Recent high blood pressure
Palpitations, tachycardia
Shortness of breath

Gastrointestinal

Abdominal pain
Nausea
Diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
Pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies

Itching without a rash
Lip and mouth reactions
Hives
Aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic

Loss of control of diabetes
Menstrual changes
Marked thinning or loss of hair
Marked weight loss
Gradual weight gain
Aggravated low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia)
Severe PMS

Other

Frequency of voiding and burning during urination
Excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
Increased susceptibility to infection

Daily intake of aspartame:

Even by children and diabetics, The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 40 mg/kg body weight per day is not likely to be exceeded, set by the committee of experts of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). A theoretical maximum estimate for adults’ consumption of 21.3 mg/kg body weight per day of aspartame is given by A European Commission (EC) report. Even for high consumers of aspartame the actual consumption is likely to be lower. Refined estimates for children are also given by the report which shows that they consume 1 to 40% of the Acceptable Daily Intake. Other reports in Europe use actual food consumption data and actual sweetener levels in foods to estimate that high level intakes for the general population vary between 2.8 and 7.5 mg/kg body weight per day. High consumers of foods containing aspartame are the people with diabetes, their highest reported intake varies between 7.8 and 10.1 mg/kg body weight per day.

Video of Aspartame: The Dangers & Side Effects, part 1 from youtube: