Aspartame is a mixture of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are both found in foods and used by the body as building blocks for proteins.
Asparatame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and was approved and noted "safe" by the FDA in 1974. People with phenylketonuria (PKU) lack the enzyme to metabolize phenylalanine and may experience headache, dizziness, sleeping problems, and other behavioral changes. More importantly, aspartame has been found to have serious negative effects on the endocrine system and in cancer promotion.
Special Note: Healing Gourmet does not endorse artificial sweeteners of any kind. Aspartame is on Whole Foods List of Unacceptable Ingredients