Aspartame

Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener used to sweeten many low- and reduced-calorie foods and beverages, including low-calorie tabletop sweeteners. Aspartame is made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, joined as the methyl ester. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are also found naturally in protein-containing foods, including meats, grains and dairy products. Methyl esters, too, occur naturally in many foods, such as fruits and vegetables and their juices. When digested, aspartame breaks down into three components, aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol, which are absorbed into the blood and used in normal body processes. Neither aspartame nor its components build up in the body; instead, these components are used by the body in the same way as when they come from ordinary foods. Aspartame is 180 to 200 times sweeter than sucrose. It is metabolized like a protein, with its resulting amino acids taken up into their respective bodily processes.