Aspartame is commonly associated with diarrhea.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not typically associated
• D. Unknown

Answer: (A)

Diarrhea is not a common side effect of aspartame. Aspartame is a non-nutritive sweetener that most people tolerate well; when GI symptoms occur, they are rarely due to aspartame itself and more often due to other sweeteners like sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol) that can cause osmotic diarrhea. Also, aspartame contains phenylalanine, so people with phenylketonuria should avoid it, but this is unrelated to diarrhea. Therefore, the statement that aspartame is commonly associated with diarrhea isn’t supported by typical evidence.