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2001/06/29, 11:40 AM
Aspertame is a sweetener consisting of 2 amino acids and a methyl group: aspartic acid + phenylalanine + methyl group (CH2). I'm sure by now you've seen the warnings about phenylalanine on every diet soda can and supplement containing aspertame. This only applies to those with phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder that involves a definciency of the enzyme that converts phenyalinine to tyrosine, leading to a build-up of phenylalinine in the blood. When aspertame is broken down, the result is the 2 amino acids and the methyl group. Some say this methyl group is not good for you, which is true to an extent, but vegetable drinks (tomato juice especially) have 6-8 times more methyl groups released during digestion (per 12 ounces) than one can of diet soda. All in all, unless you consume 25 diet sodas a day and 20 servings of supplements with aspertame, I wouldn't be concerned at all.
If you're still concerned about aspertame (like I was until about a year ago when I did a little research) and still don't want to chance it, there are new natural sweeteners derived from sugar. Sucrolose is becoming more popular in supplements with low carbs. You may want to check into that as well.
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