Aspartame adverse reactions

In fact, the results of nearly 200 toxicological and clinical studies have demonstrated the safety of aspartame. Its use has been endorsed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, American Medical Association, American Heart Association, and numerous other health agencies. It is consumed in more than 90 countries worldwide and is an ingredient in over 1,000 products. Nevertheless, perhaps because of its widespread use (half the US population regularly consumes products sweetened with aspartame) or negative publicity, it is second only to olestra in the number of adverse reaction complaints it has generated through ARMS (Table 7.1). 

Approved in 1981 as a table top sweetener and for dry foods, aspartame was permitted in carbonated soft drinks in 1983, and in 1996 its approval was extended to all foods and beverages. There has been controversy over the role a Public Board of Inquiry played in the approval process, but this has been discounted in reports by the American Medical Association (Council of Scientific Affairs, 1985) and Stegink (1987). Reports of adverse reactions began almost immediately after approval in the 1980s, and by mid-1984 more than 600 complaints had been received by the FDA. Reports of adverse reactions peaked in 1985, when over 1,500 complaints were received by ARMS, and have been declining since then. As of June 2000, ARMS had received a total of 7,335 complaints about aspartame, with 47% of complaints linked to diet soft drinks, followed by 27% of complaints attributed to table top sweeteners. All other product categories were mentioned in fewer than 10% of complaints. 

A total of 92 different symptoms have been reported by individuals claiming to have experienced an adverse reaction to aspartame, with the most frequent one being headache, reported by 28.8% of individuals. This was followed by dizziness or poor equilibrium (11.4% of reports), change in mood (10.6%),... 

Among the food additives mentioned as associated with adverse reaction (most frequently dermatitis) are sodium metabisulfite (White et al. 1982), persulfate (Hafner et al. 1992), acetylsalicylic acid (Sainte-Laudy 2001), aspartame, sorbit acid, propyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, karaya gum (Sikora et al. 2008) (Tables 14.4.1 and 14.4.4). 

Many excipients have been associated with adverse reactions in those ingesting drugs and vitamin/mineral formulations containing these compoundsJ78 79 Antioxidants (e.g., sodium sulfite, sodium and potassium bisulfites, and metabisulfites), bacterial preservatives (e.g., benzyl alcohol and benzalkonium chloride), artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame and saccharine), coloring agents (e.g., FD C yellow 5, blue 2, and red 40), and propylene glycol. A few examples of the toxic effects of these follow. 

The majority of pharmaceutical agents do not have sufficient solubility in water and the conventional formulation system for insoluble drugs involves a combination of surfactants, organic solvents and extreme pH and temperature conditions. The combination generally generates irritation and other adverse reactions. CDs are not irritant and offer distinct advantages to solubilize various biomedical peptides and proteins, including interleukin-2, hormones, aspartame, tumor necrosis factor, /3-amyloid peptide and albumin [44]. For instance, the solubility... 

The results of the extensive intake evaluations in the United States and in other countries demonstrated that intakes which were well below the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and regulatory bodies in other countries, as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JFECFA). The studies have also included evaluations of possible associations between aspartame and headaches, seizures, behavior, cognition, and mood as well as allergic-type reactions and use by potentially sensitive subpopulations, has continued after approval. Evaluation of the anecdotal reports of adverse health effects were the first ones done for a food additive, and revealed that the reported effects were generally mild and also common in the general population. 

---