The low-calorie, non-sugar sweetener aspartame — found in many “diet” or sugar-free drinks and foods — has been linked to potential problems with learning and memory, according to a study from the Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine.
In the study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, male mice that ingested aspartame, even levels that are deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), had offspring that “demonstrated spatial learning and memory deficits,” an FSU press release stated.
Researchers studied three groups of mice over 16 weeks.
The group consumed 15% of the maximum daily recommended intake of aspartame recommended by the FDA — the equivalent of four 8-oz. sodas.
A second group consumed two 8-oz sodas daily — 7% of the recommended maximum intake.
The third, a control group, ingested only water.
According to researchers, the mice were tested at intervals of four weeks in mazes and at eight weeks and 12 weeks. The ones that only drank water could find the “safe” box to escape much faster from the maze than the ones that consumed aspartame.
The release said the groups that consumed aspartame eventually completed the task but took “much longer” to do it and occasionally needed extra help.
“There is some overlap in terms of learning, memory, and anxiety, in the sense that often there is an emotional component to our learning,” said Pradeep Bhide, the co-author, and Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers eminent scholar chair of developmental neuroscience in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, in the press release.
“When there’s an emotional impact, you remember better. But this is a quite distinct function and brain network,” said Bhide.
“The second thing we noticed here, unlike the anxiety (research) — this went only [in] one generation. It was not seen in the grandchildren, only in the children [of the male mice], which is another line of support that these kinds of transmissions occur due to epigenetic changes in the sperm,” he said.
Based on the study findings, Bhide said that the FDA takes a “closer, multi-generational perspective on the effects of aspartame.”
Industry experts deny the study’s findings
In June, a committee within the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement classifying the sweetener as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Industry experts have denied the findings vehemently.
The WHO hasn’t addressed the potential cognitive effects of aspartame, noted the FSU release.
A medical toxicology physician in Washington, D.C., Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings.
“The results of this study suggest that even low-level consumption of aspartame may contribute to memory and learning problems that may be hereditary across the generations,” Johnson-Arbor said.
“In addition, the study’s findings suggest that aspartame may cause genetic changes in sperm that may affect future generations,” she continued.
Johnson-Arbor also indicated that previous studies didn’t demonstrate a similar association between memory and learning and aspartame consumption.
“More studies are therefore needed to establish the connection between aspartame and brain damage conclusively,” concluded Johnson-Arbor.
One chief limitation of FSU’s research is that the research was conducted on only mice.
“The results may not be indicative of aspartame’s effects on the human brain,” Johnson-Arbor said. “As additional studies involving aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are ongoing, concerned individuals may want to limit their daily intake of artificial sweeteners until the true human health risks of these compounds are clarified.”
Experts in the industry, including the Calorie Control Council, defended aspartame despite the study.
“Not only should the results of this study not be extended to humans nor the general population, but there is also no link between low and no-calorie sweeteners and cognitive impairments, such as memory loss and learning deficiencies in humans,” said the president of the Calorie Control Council in Washington, D.C., Robert Rankin, in a statement.
“Further, the reported findings of this study are in contradiction to the totality of evidence and the numerous global health organizations that have regarded aspartame as safe, following rigorous assessments,” continued Rankin. “Facts are important for the millions of consumers who look to low- and no-calorie sweeteners for managing sugar and calorie reduction, and they can continue to feel comfortable knowing aspartame is safe to consume.”
