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Aspartame: effects on learning, behavior, and mood
S Saravis1, R Schachar, S Zlotkin
1Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Aspartame did not affect children's learning, mood, or behavior in studies. Sucrose, however, led to more motor behaviors than aspartame in healthy children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Artificial sweeteners like aspartame are widely consumed.
- Concerns exist regarding their impact on children's cognitive function and behavior.
- Understanding aspartame's effects is crucial for public health recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of aspartame on learning, behavior, and mood in children.
- To differentiate between aspartame's metabolic and neurochemical impacts.
- To assess short-term behavioral responses in a controlled setting.
Main Methods:
- Two double-blind crossover experiments involving 20 healthy 9- to 10-year-old children.
- Experiment 1: Aspartame vs. sodium cyclamate/alanine in a carbohydrate base.
- Experiment 2: Aspartame vs. sucrose in a non-caloric drink.
Main Results:
- No significant effects of aspartame on learning, arithmetic, activity, social interaction, or mood in Experiment 1.
- In Experiment 2, sucrose consumption resulted in more frequent minor and gross motor behaviors compared to aspartame.
- Aspartame's effects on behavior appear linked to its lack of metabolic consequences.
Conclusions:
- Aspartame consumption does not appear to negatively impact short-term learning, mood, or behavior in healthy children.
- Behavioral differences observed were related to the metabolic impact of sucrose, not aspartame's composition.
- Further research may explore long-term effects and varied populations.
Abstract:
The effect of aspartame on the learning, behavior, and mood of children was evaluated in two experiments. After an overnight fast and a standard breakfast, 20 healthy 9- to 10-year-old children were given the treatments in a double-blind crossover design at 10:30 AM. Lunch was served at 12:00 noon. In experiment 1, the treatment consisted of an ice slurry of strawberry Kool-Aid containing 1.75 g/kg of carbohydrate (polycose) plus either aspartame (34 mg/kg) or the equivalent sweetness as sodium cyclamate and amino acids as alanine. In experiment 2, the treatment consisted of a drink of cold unsweetened strawberry Kool-Aid, containing either 1.75 g/kg of sucrose or 9.7 mg/kg of aspartame. Measures of associative learning, arithmetic calculation, activity level, social interaction, and mood were unaffected by treatment in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the only significant treatment effect was that on the frequency of minor and gross motor behaviors, which were less frequent after the consumption of sucrose than after aspartame. Thus, the effect of aspartame on the short-term behavior of healthy 9- to 10-year-old children appears to be related to its absence of metabolic consequences rather than to its amino acid composition and putative neurochemical impact.