> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Is aspartame toxic?
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/aspartame_0511130104/
- Published: 2013-05-11T14:03:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:01:42.000Z
- Description: Rycerz and Jaworska-Adamu report in Folia Neuropathology that aspartame breaks down into phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol, all of which can be toxic, and note its metabolite diketopiperazine can cause central nervous system cancers.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Saturday May 11, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly used in beverages intended for those who do not want calories in their drinks. A new report released in Folia Neuropathology suggests that aspartame metabolites can be toxic.

K. Rycerz and J. E. Jaworska-Adamu from University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland reported that aspartame can be metabolized into three molecules, phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol all of which can be toxic.

Methanol has been known to be toxic for a long time. The authors pointed out that methanol metabolites cause central nervous system depression, vision disorders and other disorders leading to metabolic acidosis and coma.

Aspartic acid at high concentrations, according to the authors, is a toxin that causes hyperexcitability of neurons and is a precursor of another excitatory amino acid, glutamic acid. 

Phenylalanine at high levels can block the transport of important amino acids to the brain lowering the levels of dopamine and serotonin.

Aspartame may also be carcinogenic because at least its metabolite diketopiperazine, can cause cancers in the central nervous system such as gliomas, medulloblastomas and meningiomas.