Is aspartame safe to consume? - Earth.com

Is aspartame safe to consume?

04-03-2017

Today’s Video of the Day comes from the American Chemical Society’s Reactions series and answers the question: is aspartame safe?

Aspartame is one of the most popular low-calorie sweeteners and alternatives to sugar. It’s found in everything from diet sodas to gum, but has a reputation for causing cancer. This is because when your body breaks it down, one of the compounds it produces is methanol, which metabolizes into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is, of course, a known carcinogen.

However, fruit juice contains even more methanol than a diet soda. Moreover, your body immediately puts formaldehyde into use by turning it into amino acids, rather than letting it accumulate.

By Rory Arnold, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: American Chemical Society

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