Those concerned with the possible health risks of the sweetener aspartame may want to take a closer look at how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been handling this particular substance. The history of aspartame is not as straightforward as some might expect. In short, multiple studies cited by the FDA show no negative impact on humans. Other tests suggest a possible carcinogenic quality in aspartame. Meanwhile, some doctors and consumers continue to circulate a range of complaints about possible effects of this chemical food and drink additive.
FDA Approval for Aspartame
The story of aspartame goes back through several decades of complicated, controversial narratives around the use of this sweetener. By official accounts, the original limited approval of aspartame by the FDA was given in 1981. The sweetener was approved for soft drinks a couple of years later. But this, according to many sources, is not the whole the story.
The initial reports from the manufacturer were later considered "shoddy" and possibly deceptive by some public officials. An FDA ban on aspartame after a 1980 "board of inquiry" report was later overturned in a contentious split decision by the FDA board. Chemical giant Monsanto bought the G.D. Searles company, the original holder of the patent for aspartame, in 1985, as critics of the sweetener noted the ambiguities in the approval process.
Aspartame in Popular Use
Years later, the FDA continues to officially maintain that aspartame is safe for public use. FDA approved daily levels of aspartame show that the regulatory agency sees more than 20 cans of diet soda per day as safe for human consumption. This has produced a lot of criticism by individuals who feel they have been impacted by a regular diet including aspartame in drinks or foods, and complain of symptoms like headaches and nausea that they say have gone away after a move to avoid the substance.
Doctors, consumer groups and other parties continue to insist that aspartame causes a wide range of health problems in humans. Much of the concern around aspartame is based on testing in animals. Some studies on mice and other animals seem to show that the substance is carcinogenic. However, these studies have not been able to prove sufficiently to the FDA that aspartame is a health risk for humans. Whether or not the substance can only have a negative impact on animals is a debatable part of this ongoing scientific controversy.
The same pattern of conflicting studies has continued for many years. For example, a 2007 Italian report showed increased levels of some kinds of cancers in lab rats that ingested aspartame on an ongoing basis. However, FDA officials continue to state that they believe the substance is safe, and has been thoroughly tested. Advocates of the FDA process point out that aspartame has received more testing than lots of other items carrying approval. FDA officials also point to recent 2006 approval by European Union regulatory agencies.
Consumer Use
As many of us look at aspartame with a critical eye, new plant-based sweeteners are coming onto the market. Many experts suggest that individuals and families "vote with their choices" and simply select alternative products that don't contain aspartame. Looking at ingredient labels for food and drink products is something more people are doing to make their own informed decisions about what they eat and drink. After all, most would agree that something is not healthy just because it's on the market. Considering the health risks of aspartame can be part of a greater philosophy of personal responsibility of picking food and drink items that fit with a best educated guess about how these products will affect human health.
