June 19, 2014

Why artificial sweetener can be dangerous for some people




When you buy a diet coke, or any other consumables containing the artificial sweetener aspartame, you’ll see a warning against consuming the product if you have phenylketonuria, an inherited metabolic disorder.

“Artificial” sweeteners, such as NutraSweet and Equal, are not saccharides – the simple carbohydrates we call sugars. Instead, the sweetener aspartame is a methyl ester comprising two joined amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine (Phe) – this is important for later, so keep it in mind.