>>12017019The consumption of aspartame, unlike dietary protein, can elevate the levels of phenylalanine and aspartic acid in the brain. These compounds can inhibit the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which are known regulators of neurophysiological activity
Aspartame also compromises the blood–brain barrier, increasing its permeability and altering concentrations of catecholamines, such as dopamine, in the brain. Thus, aspartame ingestion may have a role in the pathogenesis of certain mental disorders
Commonly reported side effects from consuming aspartame include headaches, migraines, memory loss, muscle pain, fatigue, anxiety attacks
Aspartame “is a multipotential carcinogenic agent, even at a daily dose of … much less than the current acceptable daily intake
Compared to other environmental factors putatively linked to brain tumors, the artificial sweetener aspartame is a promising candidate to explain the recent increase in incidence and degree of malignancy of brain tumors
there is a striking congruence between results from animal research and a number of large-scale, long-term observational studies in humans, in finding significantly increased weight gain, adiposity, incidence of obesity, cardiometabolic risk, and even total mortality among individuals with chronic, daily exposure to low-calorie sweeteners
