Overview
- Researchers in San Sebastián report in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy that year-long intermittent aspartame exposure in mice was associated with mild cardiac hypertrophy and reduced cognitive performance.
- Cardiac function declined in exposed mice, with left ventricular output down 26%, right ventricular output down 20%, and septal curvature reduced by about 25%.
- Mice showed impaired spatial memory and task performance on behavioral testing, while body fat fell by roughly 20% over the study period.
- The experiment used 7 mg/kg doses given on three consecutive days every two weeks, an exposure pattern described as about one-sixth of common human daily intake limits.
- Study authors recommend reassessing permitted human doses, while the International Sweeteners Association highlights species differences and study limitations, and no regulator has announced changes.