Bibliography of key scientific references on aspartame
More than 200 scientific studies have been conducted over the span of about 30 years with laboratory animals and a cross-section of men, women and children. Based on these extensive studies, aspartame has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Canada's Health Protection Branch (HPB), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the regulatory agencies of more than 100 other nations.
These references are grouped in categories for ease of location.
Allergy
Garriga, M. Berkebile, C. Metcalfe, DD. A combined single-blind, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the reproducibility of hypersensitivity reactions to aspartame. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1991;87(4):821-827.
Geha, R. Buckley, CE. Greenberger, P. Polmar, S. Saxon, A. Rohr, A. Yang, W. Drouin, M. Aspartame is no more likely than placebo to cause urticaria/angioedema: results of a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1993;92:513-520.
Children
Filer, LJ Jr. Baker, GL. and Stegink, LD. Effect of aspartame loading upon plasma and erythrocyte free amino acid concentrations in one-year-old infants. Journal of Nutrition 1983;113:1591-1599.
Frey, GH. Use of aspartame by apparently healthy children and adolescents. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 1976;2:401-15.
Stegink, LD. Brummel, MC. Filer, LJ Jr. and Baker, GL. Blood methanol concentrations in one-year-old infants administered graded doses of aspartame. Journal of Nutrition 1983;113:1600-1606.
Cognitive Function and Behavior
Kruesi, MJ et al. Effects of sugar and aspartame on aggression and activity in children. American Journal of Psychiatry 1987;144:1487.
Lapierre, KA. Greenblatt, DJ. Goddard, JE. and Shader, RI. The neuropsychiatric effects of aspartame in normal volunteers. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1988;30:454-460.
Saravis, S. Schachar, R. Zlotkin, S. Leiter, L. and Andersen, GH. Aspartame: effects on learning, behavior, and mood. Pediatrics 1990; 86(1):75-83.
Shaywitz, BA. Sullivan, CM. Anderson, GM. Gillespie, SM. Sullivan, B. Shaywitz, SE. Aspartame, behavior, and cognitive function in children with attention deficit disorder. Pediatrics 1994; 93(1):70-75.
Spiers, PA. Sabounjian, LA. Reiner, A. Myers, DK. Wurtman, J. Schomer, DL. Aspartame: neuropsychologic and neurophysiologic evaluation of acute and chronic effects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;68:531-7.
Stokes, AF. Belger, A. Banich, MT. and Taylor, H. Effects of acute aspartame and acute alcohol ingestion upon the cognitive performance of pilots. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine 1991;62(7): 648-653.
Stokes, AF. Belger, A. Banich, MT. Bernadine, E. Effect of alcohol and chronic aspartame ingestion upon performance in aviation relevant cognitive tasks. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine 1994;65:7-15.
Trefz, F. de Sonneville, L. Matthis, P. Benninger, C. Lanz-Englert, B. Bickel, H. Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high dose aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine). Human Genetics 1994;93:369-374.
Wolraich, ML. Lindgren, SD. Stumbo, PJ. Stegink, LD. Appelbaum, MI. Kiritsy, MC. Effects of diets in sucrose or aspartame on the behavior and cognitive performance of children. New England Journal of Medicine 1994;330:301-7.
Consumption
Bar, A. Biermann, C. Intake of intense sweeteners in Germany. Z Ernahrungswiss 1992;31:25-39.
Butchko, HH. Kotsonis, FN. Acceptable daily intake vs. actual intake: the aspartame example. J Am Coll Nutr. 1991;10:258-66.
Butchko, HH. Tschanz, C. and Kotsonis, FN. Postmarketing surveillance of food additives. Reg Toxicol Pharmacol 1994;20:105-118.
Heybach, JP. Ross, C. Aspartame consumption in a representative sample of Canadians. J Can Diet Assoc 1989;50:166-70.
Hinson, AL. Nicol, WM. Monitoring sweetener consumption in Great Britain. Food Addit Contam 1992;9:669-81.
Toldeo, MCF. Ioshi, SH. Potential intake of intense sweeteners in Brazil. Food Addit and Contam 1995;12:799-808.
Diabetes
American Diabetes Association. Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association. Use of non-caloric sweeteners. Diabetes Care 1987;13:26-27.
Franz, M. et al. Evidence-based nutrition principles and recommendations for the treatment and prevention of diabetes and related complications. Diabetes Care 2002; 25:148-198
Horwitz, D. McLane, M. and Kobe, P. Response to single doses of aspartame or saccharin by NIDDM patients. Diabetes Care 1988;11:230-234.
Nehrling, JK. Kobe, P. McLane, MP. Olsen, RE. Kamath, S. and Horwitz, DL. Aspartame use by persons with diabetes. Diabetes Care 1985;8:415-417.
Headaches
Schiffman, S. et al. Aspartame and susceptibility to headache. New England Journal of Medicine 1987;317:1181-1185.
Methanol
Davoli, E. Cappellini, L. Airoldi, L. Fanelli, R. Serum methanol concentrations in rats and in men after a single dose of aspartame. Food Chem Toxicol. 1986;24(3):187-189.
Stegink, LD. Brummel, MC. McMartin, K. Martin-Amat, G. Filer, LJ. Baker, GL. Tephly, TR. Blood methanol concentrations in normal adult subjects administered abuse doses of aspartame. J Toxicology Environ Health. 1981;7:281-290.
Stegink, LD. Brummel, MC. Filer, LJ Jr. and Baker, GL. Blood methanol concentrations in one-year-old infants administered graded doses of aspartame. Journal of Nutrition 1983;113:1600-1606.
Tephly, TR. Comments on the purported generation of formaldehyde and adduct formation from the sweetener aspartame. Life Sciences 1999; 65(13):157-160.
Obesity
Blackburn, George L., Kanders, Beatrice S., Lavin, Philip T., Keller, Susan D. and Whatley, Susan. The effect of aspartame as part of a multidisciplinary weight-control program on short and long-term control of body weight. American Journal for Clinical Nutrition 1997;65:409-18.
Kanders, BS. Lavin, P. Kowalchuk, M. Greenberg, I. Blackburn, GL. An evaluation of the effect of aspartame on weight loss. Appetite II (Suppl) 1988;73-84.
Oral Health
Goodman, S. and Suzuki, J. Dietary control of dental plaque. Journal of Clinical Dentistry 1989;1:87-91.
Park, KK. Hernandez, D. Schemehorn, BR. Katz, BP. Stookey, GK. Sanders, PG. Butchko, HH. Effect of chewing gums on plaque pH after a sucrose challenge. Journal of Denistry for Children. 1995:180-186.
Park, KK. Schemehorn, BR. Stookey, GK. Butchko, HH. Sanders, PG. Acidogenicity of high-intensity sweeteners and polyols. American Journal of Denistry 1995;8(1): 23-
Phenylketonuric Heterozygotes
Koch, R. Shaw, KNF. Williamson, M. and Haber, M. Use of aspartame in phenylketonuric heterozygous adults. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 1976;2:452-257.
Stegink, LD. Filer, LJ Jr. and Baker, GL. Effect of aspartame loading upon plasma and erythrocyte amino acid levels in phenylketonuric heterozygotes and normal adult subjects. Journal of Nutrition 1979;109:708-717.
Stegink, LD. Filer, LJ Jr. Baker, GL. and McDonnell, JE. Effect of an abuse dose of aspartame upon plasma and erythrocyte levels of amino acids in phenylketonuric heterozygous and normal adults. Journal of Nutrition 1980;110:2216-2224.
Trefz, F. de Sonneville, L. Matthis, P. Benninger, C. Lanz-Englert, B. Bickel, H. Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high does aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine). Human Genetics 1994;93:369-374.
Postmarketing Surveillance
Bradstock, MK. Serdula, MK. Marks, JS. Barnard RJ. Crane, NT. Remington PL. Trowbridge, FL. Evaluation of reactions to food additives: the aspartame experience. Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;43:464-469.
Butchko, H.H. Tschanz, C. and Kotsonis, F.N. Postmarketing Surveillance of food additives. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 1994;20:105-118.
Centers for Disease Control Division of Nutrition, Center for Health Promotion and Education CDC. Evaluation of consumer complaints related to aspartame use. MMWR. 1984;33:605-607.
Tollefson, L. Monitoring adverse reactions to food additives in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 1988;8:438-446.
Tollefson, L. Barnard, RJ. An analysis of FDA passive surveillance reports of seizures associated with consumption of aspartame. J Am Diet Assoc. 1992;92(5):598-601
Pregnancy / Lactation
London, RL. Saccharin and aspartame: are they safe to consume during pregnancy? Journal of Reproductive Medicine 1988;33:17-21.
Stegink, LD. Filer, LJ. Baker, GL. Plasma erythrocyte and human milk levels of free amino acids in lactating women administered aspartame or lactose. Journal of Nutrition 1979;109 (12):2173-2181.
Seizures
Fisher, RS. Aspartame, neurotoxicity, and seizures: A Review. J Epilepsy. 1989; 2:55-64.
Jobe, PC. Dailey, JW. Aspartame and seizures. Amino Acids 1993;4:197-235.
Rowan, AJ. Shaywitz, BA. Tuchman, L. French, JA. Luciano, D. Sullivan, CM. Aspartame and seizure susceptibility: results of a clinical study in reportedly sensitive individuals. Epilepsia. 1995;36(3) 270-275.
Shaywitz, BA. Anderson, GM. Novotny, EJ. Ebersole, JS. Sullivan, CM. Gillespie, SM. Aspartame has no effect on seizures or epileptiform discharges in epileptic children. Ann Neurol. 1994; 35(1):98-103.
Reviews
American Medical Association - Council on Scientific Affairs. Aspartame: review of safety issues. Journal of the American Medical Association 1985;254:400-402.
Butchko, HH. Kotsonis, FN. Aspartame: review of recent research. Comments Toxicol. 1989;3:253-78.
Butchko, HH, Stargel, WW. Postmarketing surveillance in the food industry: The aspartame case study. Nutritional Toxicology, 2002;287-315
Butchko, HH, Stargel, WW. Aspartame: Scientific evaluation in the postmarketing period. Regu Toxocol Pharmacol, 2001;34:221-233.
