The aspartame story: a model for the clinical testing of a food additive.

Toxicology is based on the premise that all compounds are toxic at some dose. Thus, it is not surprising that very large doses of aspartame (or its components--aspartate, phenylalanine, and methanol) produce deleterious effects in sensitive animal species. The critical question is whether aspartame ingestion is potentially harmful to humans at normal use and potential abuse levels. This paper reviews clinical studies testing the effects of various doses of aspartame upon blood levels of aspartate, phenylalanine, and methanol. These studies demonstrate that blood levels of these compounds are well below levels associated with adverse effects in sensitive animal species.