Aspartame has a wide range of uses, such as flavored fermented milk, canned fruits, chocolate products, bread and pastries, etc., mainly because aspartame was applied relatively early, and the effect as a sweetener is really good.
The sweetness of aspartame is 200 times that of sucrose, and it has the characteristics of high sweetness, pure sweetness, freshness, and non-bitter aftertaste, which will not cause tooth decay, and can also be eaten by diabetics.
So is such an excellent sweetener harmful to the human body?
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies aspartame as a probable carcinogen, which is a class 2b, and has set a daily allowance (ADI) of 0 40 mg kg, which is safe not to exceed this amount per day.
This is equivalent to a daily intake of about 60 kg for a normal healthy person24 g of aspartame, about 4L of diet cola per day, this amount is not reached by ordinary people.
There are two speculations about the carcinogenic causes of aspartame, one is that a small part of aspartame will produce methanol after digestion;
The second is phenylalanine, another substance in aspartame, which can have some neurological effects, and symptoms such as headache and dizziness may occur, so don't eat it again if you eat foods that contain aspartame and these symptoms appear.
When the ingredient list is marked, it is not only aspartame, but the words "aspartame (containing phenylalanine)", which must be marked according to the national standard.
Therefore, phenylketonuria patients need to pay attention not to eat it, and it is best for pregnant women and children not to eat too much.
Aspartame is caloric, 1g will produce 17kJ of calories, about 4 kcal, but because of its high sweetness, the amount used in food is very small, and the calories are not much, so it is often used to produce low-calorie candy and beverages and other foods.
The safety of aspartame may always be controversial, but as long as it is not consumed in excess, no matter what kind of food, excessive consumption is unreasonable, everyone should still have more relevant knowledge, choose more suitable food for themselves and their families.