Since 1981, when the FDA approved aspartame as an artificial sweetener, it has been used as an ingredient in nearly 5,000 diet foods and drinks. However, a team at FSU led by Pradeep Bhide has found a link between aspartame and anxiety-like behavior in up to three generations of mice.
Bhide’s team had mice drink water containing aspartame at 15% of the FDA-approved daily human intake for 12 weeks. Prominent anxiety-like behavior appeared in the mice across multiple generations. The researchers are planning an additional publication on how aspartame affected memory. Future research will identify the molecular mechanisms that influence the transmission of aspartame’s effect across generations.
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