| There is an ongoing controversy as to whether | | | | Allegations of aspartame promoting migraines are |
| aspartame is responsible for causing headaches in | | | | numerous on the world wide web. Researchers |
| people who ingest it. The FDA calls aspartame the | | | | have carried out over 200 studies in order to |
| most researched food additive ever approved. | | | | evaluate the safety of aspartame, looking at |
| While there have been multiple reports of users | | | | everything from lymphoma to epilepsy,. It is |
| experiencing sudden and severe onset of migraine | | | | completely harmless, in the opinion of the FDA. |
| headaches after using of aspartame, studies done | | | | The European Food Safety Administration |
| by various institutions would seem to indicate the | | | | published a review stating that aspartame had |
| link is not causal. The FDA says they have | | | | indeed caused lymphoma in laboratory rats, but |
| received the results of over 100 clinical trials and | | | | since no other studies had shown similar results, |
| doxological studies, and upon review they have | | | | concluded their study was faulty and declined to |
| concluded that aspartame is safe for ingestion by | | | | raise any concerns about aspartame (3). |
| the human population. | | | | After evaluation of nearly half a million men and |
| Following concerns in the late 1970s about | | | | women aged between 50 and 69 over a five |
| saccharin, an artificial sweetener marketed as | | | | year period, the US National Cancer Institute |
| Sweet 'n Low, the industry sought an alternative | | | | concluded there was no evidence to link |
| product. Saccharin remains on the anticipated | | | | aspartame consumption with lymphoma, leukemia |
| carcinogens list, as it has been proven to cause | | | | or brain tumors (4). |
| cancer in animals; despite this it remains a highly | | | | The Scientific Committee on Food did an |
| popular sweetener. | | | | exhaustive review of more than 500 papers on |
| Aspartame, marketed under such brand names | | | | the subject of aspartame and came to the |
| as Equal and NutraSweet, was approved by the | | | | conclusion that concerns about aspartame causing |
| FDA in 1981, and is present in many diet drinks, | | | | any adverse reaction were unfounded (5). |
| foods and gum as well as being marketed heavily | | | | Proponents of the use of aspartame have raised |
| as a tabletop sweetener. | | | | concerns that the 'myth of aspartame headaches' |
| Aspartame is frequently used by dieters wishing | | | | can cause people to overlook severe medical |
| to reduce sugar consumption. As a very low | | | | problems and that blaming aspartame for |
| calorie product it has found favor with calorie | | | | migraines can endanger those with more serious |
| counters world-wide. | | | | health issues. Sufferers of frequent headaches or |
| In the past decade, many reports have been | | | | migraine should always consult their medical |
| made by aspartame users concerning adverse | | | | practitioner, irrespective of what they perceive |
| effects, particularly in the case of migraine | | | | the cause to be. |
| headaches. Patients claiming they suffered serious | | | | Those with migraines who stop taking aspartame |
| headaches after consuming aspartame took part | | | | sweetened beverages and foods and experience |
| in an in-depth study under the auspices of the | | | | a cessation of symptoms are said by the medical |
| Duke University Medical Center. | | | | community to be experiencing a form of ingrained |
| Dr Susan Schiffman carried out the study; with | | | | reaction - they believe strongly that the |
| Monsanto/NutraSweet making a contribution to | | | | aspartame is the cause of their symptoms, so |
| the costs. NutraSweet, you will recall, is a brand | | | | the absence of aspartame causes the pain to |
| name under which aspartame is marketed. | | | | cease. |
| Researchers evaluated 40 sufferers of | | | | This is also expected to work the other way - |
| aspartame related headaches. | | | | that if they believe drinking an aspartame |
| Some subjects of the study were dosed with a | | | | sweetened beverage will give them a headache, |
| 30mg/kg bw on days three and five of the | | | | they will proceed to develop one - a theory |
| double blind study. Others received a placebo. Of | | | | upheld by the results of the placebo group in the |
| the volunteers who participated in the study, 35% | | | | Duke trial. |
| who consumed aspartame developed headaches, | | | | This has not been proven beyond doubt; to date |
| but 45% in the placebo group developed | | | | there has been no medical evidence to |
| headaches. | | | | corroborate suggestions that the consumption of |
| There has been frequent criticism of the study | | | | aspartame will trigger a migraine. At the time of |
| due to its short term and below optimum | | | | writing, the Duke Study is considered to be the |
| conditions. Researchers counter by claiming that all | | | | most authoritative on the subject. |
| the CDC guidelines had been complied with, so the | | | | (1) New England Journal of Medicine Volume |
| results were valid. | | | | 317:1181-1185 November 5, 1987 |
| These results of the study, which were published | | | | (2) CFSAN/Office of Food Additive Safety April |
| in the New England Journal of Medicine, claimed | | | | 20, 2007 |
| that no correlation whatsoever existed between | | | | (3) EFSA findings (Website available on request) |
| consumption of aspartame and migraine | | | | (4) Council on Scientific Affairs (1985) Aspartame. |
| headaches (1). | | | | Review of safety issues. |