IUBio

Is this true or some myth?

Richard Norman rsnorman at mw.mediaone.net
Sat Jan 16 17:09:03 EST 1999


So we are back to the Aspartame flames on this news group, are we?
We went through all this a few years ago.  I am reading this while
sipping my Diet Dr Pepper, one of my favorite Aspartame drinks.

Aspartame is a methyl ester of a dipeptide,and so can metabolize into
methanol.   However, one can (12 oz = 355 ml) of non-diet soft drink
usually has something less than 40 g of sugar.  Since Aspartame is
about 160 times as sweet as sugar, the same diet drink would have
something less than 250 mg of Aspartame (the exact amount is not
revealed on the label). This amount would metabolize to about 25 mg
of methanol, perhaps 1/2 drop.  The lethal amount is ordinaly over
25 g.  I have seen estimates that intestinal bacteria normally produce
more methanol than this each day in their wastes.  These wastes
are absorbed into our bodies and are readily dealt with.

If you don't like the stuff, don't use it.  But also don't spread
hysteria.






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