Is Aspartame in our food really that dangerous?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many diet products, soft drinks and sugar-free foods.

There is much debate about its safety, but most regulatory bodies, such as the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), consider aspartame to be safe within the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.

Aspartame breaks down in the body into small amounts of methanol, but this amount is much lower than what you get from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables. Some older animal studies suggested a possible increased risk of cancer, but recent large-scale human studies have not confirmed this.

There have also been claims that aspartame causes headaches, mood swings or other neurological symptoms, but the scientific evidence for this is limited and inconclusive.

In 2023, the WHO (World Health Organization) classified aspartame as a possible carcinogen (Group 2B). This means that there is some evidence in animals or a weak indication in humans, but not conclusive evidence. For comparison, coffee and processed meats also fall into this category.

For most people, aspartame is not dangerous in normal doses. If you are sensitive to artificial sweeteners or have phenylketonuria (PKU), you should avoid aspartame.

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2025-02-04 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2025