Aspartame and Seizure Susceptibility: Results of a Clinical Study in Reportedly Sensitive Individuals

Abstract

The high intensity sweetener aspartame has been implicated anecdotally in seizure provocation. This possibility was investigated with a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. After an extensive search, 18 individuals (16 adults and 2 children) who had seizures allegedly related to aspartame consumption were admitted to adult or pediatric epilepsy monitoring units where their EEG was monitored continuously for 5 days. Aspartame (50 mg/kg) or identically enpackaged placebo was administered in divided doses at 0800, 1000, and 1200 h on study days 2 and 4. All meals were uniformly standardized on treatment days. No clinical seizures or other adverse experiences were observed after aspartame ingestion. Mean plasma phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations increased significantly after aspartame ingestion (83.6 microM) as compared with placebo (52.3 microM). Results suggest that aspartame, in acute dosage of approximately 50 mg/kg, is no more likely than placebo to cause seizures in individuals who reported that their seizures were provoked by aspartame consumption.

Scientific Opinion on the re‐evaluation of aspartame (E 951) as a food additive

“…The Panel noted that the changes in the plasma phenylalanine levels in the studies described above (Shaywitz et al, 1994b;Rowan et al, 1995) were consistent with those in the toxicokinetic studies.…”

“…The plasma levels of phenylalanine increased from 60 µM to 82 µM by one hour post aspartame administration. The possibility that aspartame provokes seizures in self-reported aspartame-sensitive individuals was further investigated in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study by Rowan et al (1995). In this trial, subjects (sixteen adults and two children) who claimed to have experienced epileptic seizures reportedly due to aspartame were given capsules either containing microcrystalline cellulose (placebo) or aspartame (total dose of 50 mg/kg bw).…”

Clinical Aspects of the Ketogenic Diet

“…The implications of treatment with an oligoantigenic diet are beyond the scope of this paper, but this work makes an interesting comment on the dietary therapy of epilepsy. Aspartame ingestion did not appear to influence seizure activity in one study, although it worsened spike‐wave discharges in another one (Camfield et al, 1992; Rowan et al, 1995).…”

Review of the nutritional benefits and risks related to intense sweeteners

“…No effects of aspartame on the measured parameters (reaction time, headaches, hunger, sedation, electroencephalographic parameters) were observed. The study undertaken in epileptic subjects [ 74 ] showed no statistically significant difference between aspartame and the placebo on the incidence of epileptic seizures. The four available studies on migraine subjects [ 75 – 78 ] show conflicting results.…”