Associations Between Aspartame And Fasting Glucose

The Calorie Control Council takes this opportunity to respond to a presentation at the 2011 American Diabetes Association Meeting.  The presentation, “Aspartame Consumption is Associated with Elevated Fasting Glucose in Diabetes-Prone Mice” alleges an association between aspartame and fasting glucose. 
It is important to note that this study has not been published in a peer reviewed journal but instead presented only at a meeting.  Further, the presentation provides allegations but little supporting data because the research is in abstract form only, as opposed to a full study.  It is also important to note that the American Diabetes Association supports the use of low-calorie sweeteners by people with diabetes.
The Council cites the following as limitations of the research:
Before being approved, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration evaluated whether aspartame was safe for all populations, including those with diabetes.  The FDA also evaluated the effect of aspartame on blood glucose levels and found that it does not cause a rise in blood glucose.
Research on aspartame and blood glucose has been conducted in humans and this research has shown that aspartame does not affect blood glucose levels.  It is difficult to understand why the researchers are using a small rat population as the basis for their study when research has already been conducted in humans.
The study uses a small sample size of mice, just 20 mice per group for a total of 40 mice.
The findings from the presentation regarding aspartame are counter to health professional groups such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association, which ascertain that low-calorie sweeteners, including aspartame food additives, are safe for people with diabetes. The position paper of the American Dietetic Association states, “nonnutritive sweeteners do not affect glycemic response and can be safely used by those with diabetes.”