User:Gregorig/sandbox

Pregnancy/Lactation
Aspartame has been studied widely for its chemical properties but little is known in a decisive manner about its effect on the health of humans. In a study done in 1979, the effect of aspartame ingestion on blood and milk amino acid levels in lactating women was tested. In this study, six women from the ages of 20 to 29 with established lactation were studied after oral administration of aspartame or lactose (50 mg/kg body weight) in a random order, with the intent to study the differences in breast milk between the two. The study resulted with the conclusion that aspartame administration at 50 mg/kg body weight has a small effect upon the milk aspartate levels and although a small increase in aspartate time-effect scores was noted over the four-hour post-absorptive period, no significant difference was noted over the entire 24 hour watching period.

Weight Control
In a clinical study investigating whether the addition of aspartame to a multidisciplinary weight-control program would improve weight loss and long-term control of body weight, a positive correlation between the use of aspartame and weight loss was recorded. In this study, 163 women were either assigned to consume or abstain from aspartame-sweetened food and beverages for the length of their weight-loss program, during which both groups lost ten percent of body weight initially and both regained some weight after the study, but the group that had used aspartame only regained 2.6% of initial body weight while the no-aspartame group regained an average of 5.4%. Additionally, the aspartame group lost significantly more weight overall. This study was done in conjunction to exercise. While body weight may be a health concern in itself, the correlation of aspartame to weight loss does not discredit its potential toxic effects as mentioned above. In regards to non-obese subjects, a study was done which measured the effects of aspartame on motivation and energy levels in normal-weight participants. After consuming cheese that was either sweetened with aspartame or left plain, motivational ratings were obtained and showed that consumption of low-energy as opposed to high-energy breakfasts, regardless of sweetness, ultimately led to higher motivational ratings and increased energy intakes at lunch and aspartame was shown to neither promote hunger nor lead to higher food intake levels.