Aspartame Use and Danger of Mental Retardation from Diabetes

QUESTION: My four year old grandson is an insulin dependent diabetic. In an
effort to keep sugar consumption as low as possible, he is permitted to have
desserts and drinks containing aspartame. I have read that aspartame may
interfere with chemical production and control by the brain. What are the
implications for a child already in danger of possible mental retardation as a
result of the diabetes itself?
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ANSWER: I read your concern and apprehension about the welfare of your
grandchild with great sympathy, and will try to present as much information as
possible to reduce your anxiety. While it is true that young patients with
insulin dependent diabetes face a lifetime of strict diet control and
supervision of medications, and that many complications may lie on their path,
the fear of mental retardation is not one of them. I have tried to link your
statement with a long list of possibilities that might occur from the disease,
reactions to medications, or periods when control of blood sugar levels is
lost, but there are no implications that exist that could be interpreted as
producing mental retardation. I can only interpret that fear as the result of
some misunderstanding about the course of the disease. As for the use of
aspartame, the story there is a long one that began when it was first approved
as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 1974.
Five moths later, in view of questions concerning the possibility of cancer
producing effects, approval was withdrawn. Another long period of testing and
questioning continued until 1981, when it was determined that those fears were
unfounded, and aspartame was again recertified as a sweetener in certain
foods. It was approved for use in carbonated beverages in 1983. The process
by which the FDA approved aspartame for use was investigated by the United
States General Accounting Office which issued a report in 1987. That report
concluded that the FDA followed proper procedures in establishing the safety
of the chemical, and that adequate follow up studies were ongoing to monitor
its effects. In 1984 the Centers for Disease Control evaluated over 500
complaints about side effects from aspartame, but could find no specific group
of symptoms that might be caused by the use of this sweetener. I am sure
there are many individuals who have had some undesirable results from the use
of aspartame, but for the overwhelming majority, the current scientific
evidence would indicate that it is safe for use, even for youngsters like your
grandchild.