What makes aspartame

This conclusion was further supported by the American Medical Association in , and aspartame has been gaining market share ever since. In addition to its use in the United States, aspartame has also been approved for use in over 93 foreign countries.

Aspartame has been marketed since by Searle under the brand names NutraSweet' and Equal'. Currently, NutraSweet' is a very popular ingredient and is used in more than 4, products, including chewing gum, yogurt, diet soft drinks, fruit-juices, puddings, cereals, and powdered beverage mixes.

In the U. Aspartame is primarily derived from compounds called amino acids. These are chemicals which are used by plants and animals to create proteins that are essential for life. Of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids, two of them, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, are used in the manufacture of aspartame. All amino acids molecules have some common characteristics.

They are composed of an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain. The chemical nature of the side chain is what differentiates the various amino acids. Another characteristic of amino acids is the ability to form different molecular configurations known as isomers. These isomers are designated by the letters L and D.

Aspartame is composed of only L, L isomers; none of the other isomer combinations taste sweet. The sweet taste of aspartame could not have been predicted by looking at the two amino acids that it is derived from. L-aspartic acid has a flat taste and L-phenylalanine tastes bitter.

However, when the two compounds are chemically combined and the L-phenylalanine is slightly modified, a sweet taste is achieved. Aspartic acid is one of five amino acids that have a "charged" side group. When put in water, this material ionizes and becomes negatively charged. Phenylalanine has a nonpolar, hydrophobic side group which is not compatible with water. It is made up of a six carbon ring and is attached to the main amino acid backbone via a methyl -CH 2 group.

Prior to synthesis into aspartame, it is reacted with methanol. This adds a methyl group which is linked to the molecule by an oxygen, and the compound is converted to a methyl ester. The methanol required for the synthesis of aspartame has the chemical structure CH 3 -OH. This is a very common material and is used extensively by organic chemists for various chemical syntheses.

Although its components—aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol—occur naturally in foods, aspartame itself does not and must be manufactured. NutraSweet' aspartame is made through fermentation and synthesis processes. Direct fermentation produces the starting amino acids needed for the manufacture of aspartame. In this process, specific types of bacteria which have the ability to produce certain amino acids are raised in large quantities.

Over the course of about three days, the amino acids are harvested and the bacteria are destroyed. Aspartame can be made by various synthetic chemical pathways. In general, phenylalanine is modified by a reaction with methanol and then combined with a slightly modified aspartic acid which eventually forms aspartame. Aspartame is a widely used, low-calorie, artificial sweetener and one of the most popular sugar substitutes in low-calorie food and drinks, including diet sodas.

It is also a component of some medications. Despite its extensive use and popularity, aspartame has become a source of controversy in recent years with several studies claiming the sweetener has adverse side effects. In this article, we look at the most recent evidence on the safety of aspartame. We also investigate how it might affect weight, appetite, and certain medical conditions.

The U. Agencies in Europe, Canada, and many other countries also approve its use. Furthermore, the following authorities endorse it:.

The EFSA ruled aspartame safe for human consumption and set an acceptable daily intake or ADI of aspartame at 40 milligrams mg per kilogram kg of body weight. A can of diet soda, for example, contains only about mg of aspartame. A person would have to consume more than 19 cans of soda to reach the ADI limits. Aspartame contains 4 calories per gram g , similar to sugar. It is, however, around times sweeter than sugar.

This means that only a tiny amount of aspartame is necessary to sweeten foods and drinks. For this reason, people often use it in weight-loss diets. By contrast, a review of the latest research found no evidence that the low-calorie sweeteners aspartame, sucralose, and stevioside, were effective for weight management. Some studies monitored participants over several years. They found a link between an increased body weight and waist circumference and a regular intake of these sweeteners.

Participants in some studies showed an increased body mass index BMI as well. BMI can help to assess if a person has a healthy weight or not. People with a high BMI may be more likely to develop metabolic disease.

Furthermore, the review found studies that suggested those who consumed sweeteners regularly might be at greater risk of developing heart disease , diabetes , and stroke. A review published in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism cites several animal studies that report a link between regular intake of nonnutritive sweeteners and increased food intake.

The review suggests that sweeteners may increase appetite by disrupting the signaling process that usually occurs when a person eats foods with more calories. Sweet tastes typically signal to the body that food is entering the gut. The body then expects to receive calories and signals when eating should stop by making a person feel full or satiated.

A person experiences the same sweet taste when they consume sweeteners, but the body receives fewer calories than it might otherwise expect to. If this happens regularly, according to the theory, the body unlearns the association between sweet tastes and calories.

This reversal means that high-calorie foods will no longer trigger feelings of fullness. This may lead to overeating. Depending on where you are in the world, we use either high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar to give you that refreshing taste you love. Together, they create a great taste with zero sugar and zero calories. Diet Coke in our bottles and cans is sweetened with aspartame.

No, but Sprite Zero in the US is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and Ace-K for a crisp, clean taste with reduced or no calories. One of the first places you can look is the ingredients list next to the Nutrition Facts label.

Does The Coca-Cola Company have any reduced-calorie or diet sodas without aspartame? The safety of our ingredients and beverages is really important to us.