What Is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that’s approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It contains just four calories per gram and is commonly used in diet drinks and low-calorie foods.

Many people use aspartame in place of caloric sweeteners as a way to cut back on calories and manage their added sugar intake. However, there are several health concerns related to the frequent consumption of aspartame and aspartame-sweetened foods and drinks.

Why Do People Use Aspartame?

Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners in the United States. It first entered the food market in 1981 and continues to be a replacement for sugar in soda, candy, and diet foods. It’s the main ingredient in popular zero-calorie sugar substitutes like ​​Nutrasweet® and Equal® and can be found in Diet Coke, Trident chewing gum, and sugar-free products, such as sugar-free pancake syrup.

People use artificial sweeteners like aspartame to cut back on the number of calories they consume and to help manage their blood sugar levels. For example, a twelve-ounce serving of regular Coke contains 140 calories and 39 grams, or 9.75 teaspoons, of added sugar, while the same serving of Diet Coke provides zero calories and zero grams of sugar.

Unlike caloric sweeteners, like table sugar and corn syrup, aspartame has a minimal effect on blood sugar levels, which is why it’s often recommended to people with prediabetes and diabetes.

Additionally, because artificial sweeteners contain virtually zero calories, many people view artificially-sweetened foods and drinks as “healthier” than products that are sweetened with sugar.

However, the regular consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to several health issues, which is why the safety of many artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, has been questioned by scientists and healthcare providers for decades.

Is Aspartame Bad For You?

High consumption of aspartame-containing products, such as diet soda, has been linked to several health concerns. However, the research is still ongoing.

Recently, The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)—the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO)—classified aspartame as a Group 2B carcinogen. Group 2B carcinogens are considered possibly carcinogenic to humans, meaning they may have the potential to cause cancer.

The agency classified aspartame as Group 2B based on limited evidence that consuming aspartame may cause cancer in humans. This does not mean consuming aspartame will necessarily result in cancer. However, it suggests diets very high in aspartame may be harmful to health and may increase the risk of some cancers with excessive consumption.

A study that included data on 102,865 people found high consumers of total artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, had a 13% higher risk of overall cancer compared to non-consumers. The study found the use of aspartame and another artificial sweetener called acesulfame-K had the strongest association with increased cancer risk.

It should be noted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement that it disagrees with IARC’s classification of aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans.

Possible Side Effects of Aspartame

In addition to potentially causing an increased cancer risk, diets high in aspartame have been linked to other health concerns. However, many of the findings on aspartame and health are inconsistent, meaning some studies have shown aspartame can negatively impact health while others have found no effect.

May Harm the Microbiome

Some evidence suggests consuming artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, could negatively impact the gastrointestinal microbiome, or bacteria in the gut, and promote a pro-inflammatory environment in the digestive tract.

For example, studies in animals and humans show aspartame may increase the number of pathogenic, or disease-causing, bacteria in the gut while decreasing microbial diversity. Having microbial diversity, or many different kinds of bacteria, is considered a sign of a healthy gut.

A recent study of 120 people found aspartame intake significantly altered intestinal microbiota and significantly affected microbiota function compared to the control groups.

May Negatively Impact Blood Sugar Control

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are often recommended to those with diabetes as an alternative to sugar. However, some studies suggest aspartame use does not improve glycemic control, or management of optimal blood sugar levels.

Research also suggests regular aspartame use may decrease the body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. However, findings are conflicting and more studies are needed to understand how aspartame impacts glycemic control.

May Negatively Impact Brain Health

Some evidence suggests artificial sweeteners like aspartame may increase oxidative stress in the body, which could harm cognitive health.

A study that included data on 2,888 people found people who consumed one or more artificially-sweetened drinks per day were nearly three times more likely to develop dementia compared to people who did not consume artificially-sweetened beverages.

The study also linked artificially-sweetened beverage intake to an increased risk of stroke. Interestingly, sugar-sweetened beverages were not linked to dementia risk.

Aspartame may also negatively impact neurobehavioral health—or how the brain regulates emotion, behavior, and learning—by increasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increasing the brain's vulnerability to oxidative stress.

One study found participants who consumed a high-aspartame diet (25 mg/kg body weight per day) for eight days were more irritable, exhibited more symptoms of depression, and performed worse on spatial orientation tests.

May Harm Heart Health

A recent study that included data on 103,388 people found artificial sweetener intake was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and aspartame intake specifically was linked to a 17% increased risk of stroke. This may be due to the impact of artificial sweeteners on inflammation, gut health, weight status, blood vessel function, and more.

How Much Aspartame Is Too Much?

Although organizations like the IARC have linked aspartame to some health concerns, the FDA considers aspartame to be safe for human consumption. According to the FDA, aspartame is safe in doses under 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.

To reach the upper end of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), a person weighing 132 pounds would need to consume around 75 packets of aspartame sweetener in a single day.

This level of aspartame consumption would be difficult to reach on a daily basis, which is why organizations like the FDA still consider aspartame, and other artificial sweeteners linked to increased cancer risk, as safe for human consumption.

However, recent research has made it unclear if levels lower than the ADI harm health. Some evidence suggests people who regularly consume artificially-sweetened beverages and consume artificial sweeteners well under the current ADI are at a greater risk of some health issues, including dementia and stroke.

Who Should Avoid or Limit Aspartame?

Certain groups of people may need to avoid aspartame and aspartame-containing products for health reasons.

For example, people who have phenylketonuria (PKU) need to avoid aspartame. PKU is a genetic disorder in which the body lacks the enzyme needed to break down an amino acid called phenylalanine. Aspartame contains phenylalanine, so it’s not appropriate for people with PKU. A lifelong low-phenylalanine diet is the primary treatment option for people with this condition.

Additionally, some evidence suggests aspartame may increase the risk of cancer, specifically liver cancer. While more research is needed, people who are at a higher risk of liver cancer, such as people with chronic viral hepatitis, people with obesity, and people with type 2 diabetes, may want to limit their intake of aspartame and aspartame-containing foods.

A Quick Review

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in a variety of foods and drinks, such as diet soda and sugar-free sweets.

Aspartame has zero calories and is often recommended as a blood sugar-friendly sweetener. However, diets high in aspartame have been linked to a few health concerns, including an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

While artificial sweeteners like aspartame are considered safe by regulatory agencies like the FDA, research on their long-term safety is ongoing.

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