The Study
Comparative metabolism of aspartame in experimental animals and humans.
This study just watched what happened when animals and people ate aspartame — it saw that their bodies broke it down in similar ways. But it didn’t test if it was safe or fair, or even if the same people were studied the same way — so we can’t say it’s good or bad, just that it got broken down.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When you eat aspartame, your body breaks it apart like it does with proteins in food, turning it into tiny pieces that are used or breathed out.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These breakdown products are also made by digesting meat, beans, and other common foods, so they are not unusual in the body.
- 2Aspartame breaks into methanol (turned into CO2), aspartic acid (turned into CO2), and phenylalanine (used to build body proteins).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of toxicology and environmental health
Year
1976
Authors
R. E. Ranney, J. Oppermann, E. Muldoon, F. Mcmahon
Related Content
Claims (4)
When you eat aspartame, the part called aspartic acid gets broken down in your body and mostly turns into carbon dioxide, which you breathe out.
When you eat or drink something with aspartame, your body breaks it down into smaller pieces, including methanol (which turns into carbon dioxide), and two amino acids—aspatic acid and phenylalanine—that your body absorbs.
When you eat something with aspartame (a sugar substitute), your body uses the phenylalanine in it to build proteins, either as-is or after turning it into another substance called tyrosine.
When your body breaks down aspartame (an artificial sweetener), it turns into three things you already get from foods like meat, beans, and fruit—and your body doesn’t store them up over time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.