Aspartame Safety: No Evidence of Neuro-Excitotoxic Effects of Aspartame in Diet Coke.

Coca-Cola has again come into the direct accusations of the netizens recently because of the presence of Aspartame, a sweetener in it. Social media users are claiming that aspartame is toxic in nature and affects the brain and neuro system of the body. 

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be misleading. FDA, EFSA and other food safety organizations had already approved the use of Aspartame in foods and found no concrete evidence of its toxicity in humans after consumption within Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).

What’s the claim? 

Social media users are claiming that Aspartame, which is also known as NaturaSweet, is a genetically modified sweetener/additive that over-excites brain cells until they die. This causes neuro-excitotoxin and is harmful for humans. 

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Fact Check- 

In our research, we first tried to find out if Diet Coke/Cola contains Aspartame as a sweetener in it. As per the information available on the Coca-Cola website, ingredients like Aspartame and Acesulfame K are used as sweeteners. 

What is Aspartame? 

Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener which tastes sweet but does not contain any natural sugars and its calorie level is much less than sugar. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar that is why it is used in very less quantity. It is an artificial substance and made of two naturally occurring amino acids called aspartic acid and phenylalanine.These two amino acids are found in various foods and in the human body as well. 

Is Aspartame toxic?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conducted a study and classified Aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) based on limited evidence for cancer in humans. Group 2B category means possibly carcinogenic to humans. Gasoline engine exhaust, occupational exposure as hair dresser or barber etc falls under this classification.  

This classification was based on three studies that found a positive association between artificially sweetened beverages and liver cancer risk, though chance, bias, or other factors could not be ruled out. WHO also stated that the evidence of toxicity of Aspartame was not conclusive. 

JECFA also concluded that there was no convincing evidence from experimental animal or human data that aspartame has adverse effects after ingestion. JECFA confirmed that aspartame is safe to consume within the daily limit of 0–40 mg per kilogram of body weight. That means, a 70 kg adult would need to drink more than 9–14 cans of diet soda in a day to go over the limit, as long as they don’t get aspartame from other foods.

Aspartame is safe when consumed in typical amounts, and even large single doses (up to 200 mg per kilogram of body weight, equivalent to drinking about 28 liters of diet soda) do not cause toxicity. Its breakdown products—methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid—remain at levels far below those that could be harmful. The metabolite formate, which can be toxic if it accumulates, is efficiently excreted in urine, preventing dangerous buildup. Studies also confirm that consuming aspartame within the acceptable daily intake limit of 40 mg per kilogram of body weight poses no risk of brain toxicity or adverse behavioral effects, even under acute dosing conditions​. 

Further, we also found that the FDA approved the use of Aspartame as a sweetener in 1974. According to the report, Aspartame is considered safe for most people when used as intended, according to scientific evidence and the FDA’s guidelines. However, people with a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid aspartame, as they cannot process phenylalanine, a component of aspartame.

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found that the viral claim is misleading. Although there are some conflicting results from the studies on Aspartame, WHO, FDA and other organizations considered it safe and not toxic if consumed under Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value.