Aspartame Essay

708 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of aspartame

Aspartame has been known as one of the most famous sweeteners and additives to food. Since its discovery in 1965-1969, it has now been developed into a commercial product in which several products use it to enhance its sweetness and taste. Because of this, it has also been a very prosperous commercial product where its company developers get much profit on. Nonetheless, it has been the subject of issue and controversy. Several reports and studies rebuke the suitability of it being a food product stating that it is more known as a poison. Therefore, in this essay, the advantages and limitations of Aspartame as a chemical food additive will be analyzed and evaluated with regards to Economic and environmental factors. Also, the physiological effect of this chemical additive will be looked upon and discussed. Aspartame or known by its chemical formula of C14H18N2O5, is a very common chemical food additive usually added in artificial sweeteners for coffee and other products like Splenda and Equal. It is also mixed with other food products like candy, gum, vitamins and supplements. Its molar mass is 294 grams per mol or it has 294 as its molecular mass. Its chemical structure forms a dipeptide-methyl ester (Walters, 2001). Aspartame is known as a synthetic chemical combination which is built approximately on phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol (Wells, 2011). It is a solid and can dissolve with water (Walters (2)). It is chemically manufactured by using tritylation and chlorination ("Chemical Process Steps," n.d.). But when its manufacturing process is discussed, its patent reveals that it uses by-products of genetically-modified cells and later treated with chemicals and methanol to produce aspartame (Butler, 2013). The three c... ... middle of paper ... ...rtame is several times sweeter than sugar, it then means that it needs less amount to add flavor to food. It results to less packaging usage, lesser emissions from factories in the long run and reduced carbon footprint (Sustainability: Aspartame and the environment, n.d. para 2). Also, it uses lesser fertilizer and pesticide. It is chemical based therefore, the use of land area and pesticides can be ignored. However, it is said that aspartame is produced from genetically modified organisms therefore these organisms may do the opposite to the environment. There are chances that it can cause land pollution. As a conclusion to the whole essay, aspartame is a food additive embedded with unfavorable effects. It seems as a good product to the economy and to the environment, but speaking of its human physiological effects, it is adverse to the development of good health.

Show More
Related

  • Nutrasweet, Equal, Spoonful And Equal Measure

    1485 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aspartame, or more commonly known as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal Measure; was discovered purely by chance in 1965 by a chemist named James M. Schlatter, who was testing an antacid drug (Prantini; 2014). The commercial industry believed that “a wonder product” had been discovered, which stood to revolutionise the food industry as an artificial sweetener. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener which is found in many of our foods and beverages universally. Aspartame is two-hundred times sweeter than sugar and is commonly used as a tabletop sweetener, a sweetener in prepared foods, diet foods or drinks, flavored waters, chewing gum, condiments and is even found in flavoring of medicines. It is found in majority of our food products marketed for weight control (Prantini; 2014). Aspartame has a sweeter taste in comparison to sugar, and therefore less of the sweetener can be used in food products in order to achieve the same level of sweetness as if sugar was used; which results in an individual consuming fewer calories and less sugar (American Cancer Society; 2014).

    Read More

  • The Toxic Turth About Sugar by Lustig et al.

    1642 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lustig, Robert, Laura Schmidt, and Claire Brindis. “The Toxic Truth About Sugar.” The Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition. Ed. Thomas Cooley. 8th ed. New York: Norton, 2013. 284-289. Print.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Synthetic Sugars

    2766 Words  | 6 Pages

    We are all aware of sugar, the sweet delicious substance commonly used in food and beverages, but table sugar is not the only sugar there is. There are many artificial sugars that many people now-a-days aren’t aware of. In this research paper I will be identifying four different types of synthetic sugars which are: Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose, and Sodium cyclamate. Synthetic sugars, or artificial sweeteners, have both positive and negative effects that can either make a big impact in our body or a small impact. Synthetic sugars can be used in many ways but are most commonly used in regular everyday foods and beverages or they can be mixed with other artificial sweeteners. Synthetic sugars tend to look very similar to real sugar so sometimes it may be hard to distinguish them with the naked eye.

    Read More

  • Essay

    1936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale are dystopian novels, however, these books are a lot more complex than mere portrayals of dystopia, it can be argued that they are explorations of dystopia rather than mere portrayals. In order to explore dystopia, many themes must be considered, such as; feminism, love and repression. Nonetheless, it is apparent that human characteristics are the driving point of the two novels, predominantly, the depiction of human resilience. In an imperfect world, it is important to have certain qualities which, if plentiful, it can mean success, whereas if it lacks, it can mean failure, this characteristic is resilience. The protagonists in each novel, Winston in 1984 and Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale face situations which leave them both in disarray, and both even consider suicide. The authors tentatively highlight human resilience, its limits and most importantly its strengths into the two novels.

    Read More

  • Accutane Essay

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    What would you give to rid yourself of acne? What would you do? The bane of every adolescent’s existence, these red spots develop to some degree in 85% of the population between ages 12 and 25 (Lamberg). Teenagers wake up every morning, look at the mirror, and sigh at the acne on their faces and often other places on their bodies. They dread these awful things that are absolutely ugly. They get desperate and eventually, if the acne grows worse than ever before, they resort to Accutane. Accutane, also known as isotretinoin, is a medication for acne. However, despite isotretinoin’s helpfulness in controlling acne that is unresponsive to other treatments, this medication should not be used because of its harmful physical side effects, its association with psychiatric adverse effects, and its effects on reproduction.

    Read More

  • Progressive Era Essay

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Customers/Consumers were worried about the changes in the market for food and drugs because they no longer had a single clue of what was in their products. Food production was moving from household prepared to general markets. As food markets became more refined due to the improvement of technology. The difficulty in discerning the quality of their product heightened. With new and quicker ways make food, fears of the ingredients that the foods consisted grew. Preservatives and chemicals also instilled a concern to consumers. Health officials, chemists, and other individuals tested and proved the dangers of these new additives.

    Read More

  • Holland Sweetener Case Analysis

    1660 Words  | 4 Pages

    Manufacturing: Aspartame manufacturing required a high initial capital expenditure (plan construction costs $100M), and long lead production time (2-3 years to bring aspartame production to speed). The facility needed to be run at or near design capacity and experienced MES of 2,000 tones annually. Also, as the first mover, NutraSweet had the advantage of increasing their manufacturing efficiencies (manufacturing costs cut by 70% over the years).

    Read More

  • The Nutritional Effects Of Soda

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    An example is the Aspartame found in diet soda. Focusing on diet soda, it is shown that it is linked to even more diseases and causes more side effects than regular soda. Furthermore, “Numerous studies over the past several years have reported links between diet soda and weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, and other health issues. Most recently, headlines sounded alarms about a higher chance of dementia and stroke among diet soda drinkers” (Is Drinking…). The aspartame that is used in the diet soda is the main culprit for diet sodas effects. In fact, “Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death” (Aspartame…). Aspartame is a man-made chemical that is made up of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. With, aspartic acid making up 40%, phenylalanine making up 50%, and methanol making up 10%. Taking in consideration the phenylalanine in diet soda,” Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression” (Aspartame…). With the methanol, that is found in aspartame, it “…breaks down into formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin… With a recommended limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit” (Aspartame…). The effects of methanol are caused by the formaldehyde. “Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects” (Aspartame…). Overall it is shown that the aspartame that is found in diet soda is linked to a number of diseases

    Read More

  • MSG: The Risky Taste

    2479 Words  | 5 Pages

    Food additives have been around for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. They have been used for a wide variety of purposes: to preserve food to keep it from spoiling, to enhance flavor, or the simple purpose of making food look more presentable to whoever is going to consume it. But the most prominent food additive is what is called M.S.G. This food additive, whose name is short for Monosodium Glutamate, has been in the U.S. for over 60 years. This is a food additive that has been known to kill, which is why it should be removed from the market in the first place, or at least be heavily regulated by the FDA. One might not care about this topic because they think it is nothing to get worked up over, but MSG is not something to laugh about. Before anything too radical happens, one must follow the first rule of engaging the enemy; know more about the enemy, in this case, MSG. There are things that need to be known about MSG’s history and origin, the chemical composition, the risks of having it in the body, such as diseases linked to consuming it, people that want to keep it in the market (yes, there are people who want to keep this stuff), food that contains MSG, and a solution to the many problems it causes. With these key points in mind, let's explore the origins of MSG and the problems associated with it.

    Read More

  • Aspartame Poison Century

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is also found in Diet Coke and other diet sodas. Aspartame is a neurotoxin, i.e., a drug that destroys the brain and nervous system. The molecule has three components: aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. Has been shown that aspartic acid causes brain lesions in animal experiments.

    Read More

  • Essay About Steevia

    3175 Words  | 7 Pages

    The worldwide demand for high potency sweeteners is expected to rise especially with the new practice of blending various sweeteners; the demand for alternatives is expected to increase. The sweet herb of Paraguay; Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni produces; in its leave;, such an alternative with the added advantage that stevia sweeteners are natural products. The sweet steviol glycosides have sensory & functional & properties superior to those of other high potency sweeteners. Stevia is to become a major source of high potency sweetener for the increasing natural food market in the coming future.

    Read More

  • Umami Essay

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sweetness. Lower molecular weight amino acids, except proline, are sweet irrespective of their configuration, and D-enantiomers of high molecular weight amino acids are generally sweet (Kemp & Birch, 1989). D-amino acids do not occur naturally but may be produced during food processing due to racemisation. There are currently no known natural peptides with a sweet taste (Weir, 1992). The synthetic peptide most recognised for its taste is L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, i.e. aspartame, a low-caloric sweetener that is 180 times sweeter than sucrose. While several high molecular weight polypeptides are naturally sweet, their properties relate to the shape and electronic configuration of a large surface area rather than the peptide

    Read More

  • Organic Foods vs Processed Foods

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Food has been a common source of necessity in our everyday lives as humans. It helps gives us nutrition and energy to live throughout our life. Over several decades, the development of making foods has evolved. They have changed from natural to processed foods in recent years. Nowadays natural ingredients are barely used in the making of foods like bread, cheese, or yogurt. The food industry today has replaced natural food making with inorganic ingredients. The cause of this switch is due to processed foods being easier, cheaper and faster to make. Artificial nutrition and processed foods have been proven to last longer in market shelves then natural foods. Also, due to artificial additives in processed foods they help satisfy consumers taste more than natural ingredients. The method of producing processed foods is common in today's food industry and helps make money faster and efficiently for companies. Examples of this can be found in all markets that distribute food. Even though processed foods may be easier and faster to make, they are nowhere near as healthy for consumers compared to natural foods. Natural foods are healthier, wholesome, and beneficial to the human body and planet then processed foods.

    Read More

  • How food coloring affects the body

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Exposure to food colorants occurs during a majority of the meals that people consume every day, and these colorants can have certain effects on the human body. Many consumers do not show signs of being affected by food colorants; however, some specific diseases and disorders, such as ADHD, can be aggravated by colorants in addition to general ailments such as nausea, headaches, and irritability (Walford, 1984). Both natural and synthetic colorants can cause reactions, and approximately fifty years ago strict regulations on color additives and their certification were implemented due to different studies on colorants and several cases of severe allergic reactions (Vargas & Lopez, 2003). Not all food colorants are detrimental to bodily health, however. The development of food additives that are nutritionally beneficial is an area of science that is quickly advancing. Although many food colorants can be disparaging on human health, nutritionists are becoming more familiar with the advantageous properties of colorants, and the prospect of consuming healthier diets is encouraging (Downham & Collins, 2000).

    Read More

  • Artificial Sweeteners Essay

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the largest food debates within the past decade is the use of artificial sweeteners. There is a lot of mixed information regarding whether the use of artificial sweeteners is beneficial or detrimental to the body. Artificial sweeteners offer the same sweetness as sugar with minimal caloric intake; however, this does not necessarily mean that artificial sweeteners are a better substitute for a healthier diet. The issue with artificial sweeteners has become more prevalent as a public health conflict due to its correlation with the obesity epidemic. As many people are becoming more self-aware of what they eat, many are turning to artificial sweeteners to reduce sugar and fat intake. Synonymous with “sugar-free”, “no sugar added” and “low in calories”, the term “artificial” adds a new meaning to the way people eat and the way food reacts to their bodies. Many studies have argued that artificial sweeteners create adverse metabolic effects on the body such as a creating an increased risk for diabetes, cancer, and weight gain. On the other

    Read More

More about Aspartame Essay

Open Document