No Proven Health Risks from Aspartame, But Also No Proven Benefits
Q: Does consumption of aspartame harm human health?
A: Some research indicates possible negative effects from aspartame, but there’s no definitive evidence linking it to health problems in the general population. Aspartame is safe when consumed within certain limits, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The daily limit is above the amount people typically ingest.
FULL QUESTION
My husband is driving me crazy with his claims that Diet Coke is going to kill me because it contains the sweetener aspartame. I drink one large Diet Coke (fountain drink) about five times per week. Other than that, I limit my beverages to plain old tap water, which I drink all day. I was diagnosed last year with pre-diabetes and am very careful about my diet. I do not use artificial sweeteners in anything else I eat or drink (water).
Could you please weigh in on this so we can stop the bickering?
FULL ANSWER
The artificial sweetener aspartame was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a food additive in 1974 and as a carbonated beverage ingredient in 1983. It is found in a variety of products — including Diet Coke.
Studies over the years have evaluated whether aspartame is linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a variety of other disorders. There isn’t consistent evidence that aspartame, when consumed under recommended limits, causes health problems. (The exception is for people with a genetic disorder called phenylketonuria, who have trouble processing an aspartame component.)
“[S]cientific evidence has continued to support the agency’s conclusion that aspartame is safe for the general population when made under on its website.
