Aspartame and Health

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The US Food and Drug Administration found the data supplied by the European Ramazzini Foundation sufficient to support its conclusion that aspartame is carcinogenic (FDA, 2007). The Foundation's study is entitled, "Long-Term Carcinogenicity Bioassays to Evaluate the Potential Biological Effects, in Particular, of Aspartame Administered in Feed to Sprague-Dawley Rats." The FDA immediately requested the Foundation to send its data for evaluation, but the Foundation sent only a portion of the data and refused that the study be subjected for FDA evaluation. Nonetheless, the FDA proceeded to evaluate the available data and found the pathological changes in the study animals were incidental and did not relate to treatment by aspartame. This study stands in contradiction to the findings of a large number of studies on the safety of aspartame. These studies, especially the five most important ones, negate the connection between the use of aspartame and the development of tumors. From these collective findings, it would be safe to conclude that no evidence as yet has been found to contest the safety of the use of aspartame as a general-purpose sugar substitute (FDA).

A long-term carcinogenicity study of aspartame was conducted in 1981 and is among the most widely used artificial sweeteners (FDA, 2007). In this context, it is in the public interest to review the nature and effects of aspartame through the biological, health and economic perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to gain knowledge about the uses and danger of aspartame, an artificial sugar. This paper will weigh the benefits as well as the negative effects that it has on the human body and gain insight as to view it more comprehensively and realistically.

When metabo...

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...: a possible connection. 19 (3) Dermatitis: American Contact Dermatitis Society.

Retrieved on april 2, 2011 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/5793352

Lean M.. E. J. (2004). Aspartame and its effects on health. 329 (7469) British Medical Journal: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. Retrieved on April 2, 2011 from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm/articles/PMC520987

Pradhan S. et al (2010). Aspartame: sweetener with anti-inflammatory potential? Vol 1 # 2 Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics: Medknow Publications and

Media Pvt Ltd. Retrieved on April 2, 2011 from

http://www.jpharmacol.com/temp/JPharmaco/Pharmacother12113-7717702-020837.pdf

Roberts, H. J. (2004). Aspartame disease. 31 (1) Journal of Texas Heart Institute: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved on April 2, 2011 from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC387446

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