Is Aspartame A Good Idea? What is Aspartame? According to Wikipedia, aspartame is an artificial sweetener derived from aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. The first two chemicals are naturally occurring amino acids and methanol is also known as wood alcohol, not the ethanol found in adult beverages.
Where is it found? Aspartame is found in 6000 foods and beverages worldwide. It is also known as Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel. You are most likely to consume it in a diet soda (even though most sodas are terrible for you). Read labels carefully if you wish to avoid aspartame.
Why should I be concerned? food additives Aspartame is something you should make an INFORMED choice about. Realize that it is a huge money maker so there is going to be a positive spin on it from many sources. Scientific literature and health professionals worldwide raise concern about aspartame safety. Be careful to investigate which journal is publishing the information and how the research was funded. Research that is funded by drug companies will tend to be favorable to drugs!