# Why do most diet sodas use Nutrasweet (Aspartame) as the sweetener? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070 "2002-12-07T02:21:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/21 "2002-12-07T17:31:47Z")
There is an active anti-aspartame movement. You can read more about both sides of the issue at [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartam.htm). My recollection is that many more people objected to the taste of saccharine than object to the taste of aspartame. This is probably a big part of the reason why virtually all diet sodas continue to use aspartame when the original findings that saccharine was carcinogenic have long since been discredited. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/22 "2002-12-07T18:31:48Z")
\*\*Senor Beef \*\*, all tests on rodents use a lot of the ingredient being tested for several reasons, the main one being that carcinogens don’t show up until 30 years later, or more. To adjust for that, they use a lot of the stuff. Also Man is much bigger than rats. The opinion of saccharin has not changed. It is now again used, but not because it has been shown to be safe, but because it was made an exception due to the public demand. “The makers of aspartame” did not fund the testing. FDA funded the tests and showed it was carcinogenic long before it approved aspartame. It took the FDA many years before it approved aspartame, and it was limited approval. Any product using it must show that it should not be used by phenylketonurics. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/23 "2002-12-07T18:40:52Z")
Sorry I wasn’t too happy with the Snopes aspertame page. Simply do a google search on ‘aspartame’ and ‘cancer’. If the 18,000 search results aren’t enough for you to use natural sweeteners, I don’t know what will. ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/24 "2002-12-07T20:16:41Z")
“Simply do a google search on ‘aspartame’ and ‘cancer’. If the 18,000 search results aren’t enough for you to use natural sweeteners, I don’t know what will” Good point, akrako1. But water’s even worse: a google search of “water” and “cancer” turned up 1,460,000 results. That’s why I switched to natural liquids. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/25 "2002-12-07T22:18:56Z")
The reason that a google search on aspartame and cancer turns up so many results is that there is an _internet-based urban legend_ about aspartame toxicity. Google any widely-spread internet rumor, true or not, and you are guaranteed to find plenty of results. What would get me to stop using aspartame? A few well-researched studies documenting the dangers, and a pronouncement from the FDA or Surgeon General would be a good start. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/26 "2002-12-07T23:34:42Z")
Yeah and plus a page that says, “aspartame does not cause cancer” will also register a hit. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/27 "2002-12-08T01:21:37Z")
There is some chlorinated carbohydrate they sell now. Sounds nasty. If I HAVE to drink diet soda, I choose aspartame. Better yet, drink less soda. The phosphates are bad for your bones… ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/28 "2002-12-08T01:24:48Z")
They must be. A Google search of “phosphates” and “bad” returned 11,000 hits. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kbutcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kbutcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbutcher)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/29 "2002-12-08T03:49:37Z")
A search on google for ‘Straight dope instant death’ brought me over 7,000 hits. watch for falling rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070/30 "2002-12-08T19:22:02Z")
A call to Coca Cola revealed that while their fountain drinks primarily use Saccharine, there is still a small amount of Aspartame (presumably to offset the aftertaste) used. Same thing goes for the store-bought TaBs; saccharine AND aspartame are used together. So far, the only non-aspartame diet soda I’ve found is Diet Rite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-most-diet-sodas-use-nutrasweet-aspartame-as-the-sweetener/141070.md?page=1)