Diet Coke Sweetener Called Aspartame

Diet Coke sweetener has been changed and improved time by time. The higher health standard leads people to find a healthier substance. A certain coke sweetener may good in the past. But they may not good nowadays. This is the revolution of the diet soda industry.

People who are on diet would prefer Diet Coke. It is because Diet Coke contains low calories. What about its sweetener? Is it good for health? The standard has been changed. So does the diet coke sweetener.

There are two kinds of Diet Coke sweeteners nowadays. They are aspartame and Splenda. Aspartame has been used from the beginning of Diet Coke. Then, the Splenda follows later on. So, you can find both versions in the market. It is up to you to decide which one will you choose.

Diet Coke Sweetener Called Aspartame

Aspartame Is the First Diet Coke Sweetener

Aspartame is the first diet coke sweetener. This sweetener has 200 times the sweetness of sugar (sucrose). So, you only need less than one percent of aspartame. That is enough to achieve the same sweetness point.

Then, it is like many other peptides. The energy content of aspartame is very low. It is at about 4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram. It makes aspartame popular as a low-calorie sweetener. Then, food or drink diabetics also use aspartame. Some popular products such as Nutrasweet, Canderel, and Equal contain it.

Currently, aspartame has various forms. They are liquid, granular, encapsulation and also flour. The encapsulation form is heat resistant. So, it can be used for products that require high temperatures in its manufacture.

Diet Coke Sweetener - Aspartame's Controversy

There was a problem of aspartame in 1974. Its preliminary approval from US FDA gained controversy. It was about the quality of initial research. Insufficient and defective security were the main issues.

Then, the conflicts of interest broke aspartame approval. In 1987, the US Government Accountability Office concluded one thing. Aspartame had followed correctly the process of approving food additives.

Nevertheless, there was the anti-aspartame campaign. The campaign was full of assumptions. It didn't provide document and accurate data. There, aspartame associated with problems. They were blindness, anxiety, and etc.

However, scientific research projects disputed those claims. Also, credible world health institutions corroborated them.

Then, a more thorough investigation began. It explained the relationship between aspartame and other health problems. They were headaches, brain tumors, and lymphoma. Thus, the results have made people begin to think again to use aspartame. Even in 2004, there was a documentary film about this controversy. The film titled Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World.

However, aspartame has been declared safe for human consumption. Ninety countries around the world declared it. Tests and studies had examined aspartame carefully. FDA has agreed and stated aspartame is safe as a non-nutritious sweetener.

Diet Coke Sweetener - Aspartame's Safeness

At first glance, you may worry about its safeness. It may come from its controversy. Or, you may do not know how much the safe consumption. Well, the good news is this is safe. Some world institutions even recommend it. They are FDA, ADA, SCF, JECFA, and etc.

In 1981 aspartame received approval from the FDA. It was only for some foods. Then, since 1996 the FDA has approved the use of aspartame in all foods and beverages. The approval means a lot. It means that there must be previous studies. In fact, there were more than 100 studies to get it. Until today, the FDA has not changed its opinion.

Major research conducted on humans. It is about sodas with aspartame sweetener. Then, the research explains one thing. There is no evidence that it can increase the risk of cancer.

There is an interesting thing about this diet coke sweetener. The body breaks down aspartame as amino acids. But, aspartame cannot stand the high temperature. Therefore, baking products don't use aspartame. It is because baking needs high temperatures.

Aspartame is safe according to SCF in 1998. There is 500 studies review on aspartame from 1998 to 2001. The results of the review show that aspartame remains safe. Then, there is no compelling evidence so far. So they do not revoke the previous statement.

Well, how much is safe aspartame intake? We should refer to ADI. ADI means Acceptable Daily Intake. It should be 40 mg/kg body weight.

The Possible Risk of Aspartame as Diet Coke Sweetener

Aspartame is metabolized. It will be broken down into basic components. Phenylalanine is one of them. Thus, this is our main concern now. Actually, it is a kind of amino acid.

Normally, this amino acid is converted into tyrosine and the body remove it. Unfortunately, there is a disorder in this process. People call it phenylketonuria. This disease attacks the brain. It makes the amino acid to accumulate in the blood. Then, it disrupts the brain.

This problem can cause various harmful effects. Also, this disease can be genetically inherited. This disease can be found in one per 15,000 people.

Surprisingly, phenylalanine is not only in aspartame. Rice, meat, and dairy products contain it. But, it belongs to natural phenylalanine. So, phenylketonuria patients should aware of it.