Aspartame
Review of Safety Issues
- Council on Scientific Affairs
Abstract
This report examines the safety issues related to the nutritive sweetener aspartame, including possible toxic effects of aspartame's component amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and its major decomposition products, methanol and diketopiperazine, and the potential synergistic effect of aspartame and dietary carbohydrate on brain neurochemicals. Available evidence suggests that consumption of aspartame by normal humans is safe and is not associated with serious adverse health effects. Individuals who need to control their phenylalanine intake should handle aspartame like any other source of phenylalanine.
(JAMA 1985;254:400-402)
Footnotes
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This report was submitted to the Council on Scientific Affairs as an informational report at the annual meeting, June 1985.
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This report is not intended to be construed or to serve as a standard of medical care. Standards of medical care are determined on the basis of all of the facts and circumstances involved in an individual case and are subject to change as scientific knowledge and technology advance and patterns of practice evolve. This report reflects the views of scientific experts and reports in the scientific literature as of June 1985.
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Reprint requests to Council on Scientific Affairs, Division of Drugs and Technology, American Medical Association, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610 (John C. Ballin, PhD).
