Chem 181 winter 2016 75 if you look at packages it

Chem 181 Winter 2016
75
- If you look at packages it contains a warning: contains phenylalanine. People who suffer
PKU (genetic condition) cannot metabolize it and it can accumulate in brain and cause
problems.
o That's why needs to come with a warning label. Sweetened with NutraSweet.
Company bought aspartame, and gave it the name of NutraSweet (brand name
of aspartame).
- One issues associated with it is that it is not heat stable, can be used in diet drink, etc.
But cannot be used in items that is heated up. (cakes, etc).
- Aspartic Acid-Phenylalanine-Methyl Ester all linked together.
- When it breaks down under heat, methanol is released and no linkage between
compounds so sweetness disappears. Great deal of controversy because of the release
of methanol.
- Methanol is toxic, is it toxic in the amount one would be exposed to from the
breakdown of aspartame of body?
- Lethal dose is 20000-70000 mg. From diet soda, it is 20 mg.
- Methanol is naturally present in many food, fruit juices (apple and grape juice) and even
tomato juice.
- The amount of methanol that is released from soft drinks is negligible.
- Does aspartame cause problem in brain damage or allergy?
- Some evidences that it can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue and mood changes. But
no certain evidence that can cause this in humans.
- Breakdown of aspartame to phenylalanine can give rise to a number of brain chemicals
such as
o Phenylethylamine
o Tyrosine which further breaks down to catecholamine’s
- People who are heavy drinkers of these diet drinks, some of this anecdotal affect
happens because of the release of these brain chemicals.
Video 7:
- Epidemiological Studies do not suggest that Aspartame does NOT say it is linked with
Parkinson, multiple sclerosis or cancer.
- Aspartame is said to be linked in increase with brain tumors. Parralel in increase in
aspartame and brain tumors. But if you increase it further on, brain tumors did not
increase it leveled off.
- Association does not mean causation…
- Many studies were carried out with aspartame…most studied of all additives present in
food.
- ADI for Aspartame is 40mg/kg (50 mg in USA).
- How is this ADI (acceptable daily intake) determined? Based on animal studies.
- On animal studies one determines NOAEL, at 4000mg/kg there is no observed adverse
effect. To determine what is acceptable on a human scale, it is brought down by a
factor of 100. So 4000/100 = 40 40 mg.
- How does this ADI (average compare to average daily intake? 5mg/kg (8 times less than
ADI).

Sundus Naeem Chem 181 Winter 2016
76
- A 70 kg man would have to drink 20 cans a day to reach the ADI and 1600 cans a day to
reach the NOAEL.
- Ramazzini Institiute:
o Some people have released studies that aspartame can cause cance
o In 2005 Ramazzini, 1800 rats were fed aspartame over their life time…and
female rats show a statistically significant increase in lymphomas and leukemia’s
when fed doses close to human consumption. (doses fed to rat were close to
human consumption).