Facts About Aspartame

What is aspartame? Aspartame, commonly known as NutraSweet brand sweetener, is a nutritive sweetener that provides the sweet taste of sugar at a fraction of the calories. Aspartame is made up of components found naturally in common foods. It is a combination of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. Amino acids and methyl esters are found naturally in foods like meats, milk, fruits and vegetables. When digested, the body handles them in the same way as those in foods we eat daily. Aspartame, discovered almost 30 years ago, is now a widely accepted sweetener and is enjoyed by millions of Americans every day.

How do foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame fit into healthful eating? A balanced diet including a variety of foods is the foundation of healthful eating. As part of a balanced diet, aspartame provides a little sweetness without added calories. And because it's not a carbohydrate, it won't promote tooth decay. Aspartame makes available a wide variety of good tasting food and beverage choices for the person interested in maintaining a healthful lifestyle.

Who can use aspartame? People of all ages, including pregnant or breast feeding women, teens and children over two years old, can enjoy products sweetened with aspartame while maintaining a healthful diet. Even though studies show that infants and young children digest and handle even large amounts of aspartame in exactly the same way as adults, it is important that children have ample calories for rapid growth. For this reason, aspartame is not intended for use by infants and very young children.

Because products sweetened with aspartame are usually low in calories, using products with aspartame together with regular exercise can help control weight. And, aspartame has special benefits for people with diabetes, either insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent, because it lets them satisfy their taste for sweets without affecting blood sugar.

Although aspartame can be used by the whole family, individuals with a rare genetic disease called phenylketonuria (PKU), need to be aware that aspartame is a source of the protein component, phenylalanine. Those who have PKU cannot properly metabolize phenylalanine and must monitor their intake of phenylalanine from all foods, including foods containing aspartame. In the U.S., every infant is screened for PKU at birth.

Since it was discovered in 1965, aspartame has been thoroughly reviewed by regulatory agencies around the world as well as leading scientific organizations. Aspartame has been approved for use in over 90 countries. The scientific evidence, including studies of a wide variety of ages and types of people, often using extremely large amounts of aspartame, supports the fact that consuming products sweetened with aspartame is no different than consuming other foods. In fact, even people who were convinced that they had experienced a negative reaction to aspartame have been studied and no relationship was found. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) support this conclusion.

Where can aspartame be found? Aspartame is commonly known as NutraSweetĘ brand sweetener. Aspartame is used to sweeten products such as puddings, gelatins, frozen desserts, yogurt, hot cocoa mixes, powdered soft drinks, carbonated soft drinks, teas, breath mints, chewing gum, some vitamin and cold preparations and other foods. It is also the sweetening ingredient in Equal packets and tablets, Equal Measure^TM and NutraSweet Spoonful^TM tabletop sweetener. Equal, Equal Measure^TM and NutraSweet Spoonful^TM may be used to prepare many of your favorite recipes. However, when aspartame is heated for long periods, loss of sweetness may occur. So, add the sweetener at the end of cooking or sprinkle on a cooked or baked product after it's been removed from the heat.

How do you know if a product contains aspartame? The word "aspartame" will be included in the product's list of ingredients. If the product is sweetened exclusively with NutraSweet brand of aspartame it will usually have the NutraSweet logo and swirl on the front product panel.

To contact a registered dietitian for answers to your questions about aspartame and other food and nutrition topics, or for a referral to a registered dietitian in your area call: The American Dietetic Association's Consumer Nutrition Hotline: 800/366-1655 9am to 4pm CST, Monday-Friday.

This fact sheet was brought to you by an educational grant from the The NutraSweet Kelco Company.