© pepsi / Instagram
Pepsi removed the sweetener "in response to consumer demand" in April 2015, to appeal to customers who were concerned aspartame carries health risks.
However, some older consumers were reportedly unhappy with the change to the beverage's flavor without the sweetener.
Aspartame, which is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, is one of the most common artificial sweeteners in use today.
The highly concentrated sweetener is used in many diet food and beverages as a lower calorie substitute for sugar, and has been widely criticised for its rumored harmful side-effects.
However, multiple studies from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) who searched for a correlation between aspartame intake and brain tumors, lymphomas or leukemias found there was no direct health risks associated with the additive.
Comment: Really?! Obviously the NCI did not search too hard: Aspartame Can Mess Up Your Body and Brain
In a review published this month in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists in South Africa assessed the potential effects not just of one of aspartame's components, methanol, but other constituents (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) on the brain. The review is long and detailed and is supported by more than 50 scientific references.
In their review of the effects of phenylalanine, the authors detail the ability of this chemical to disrupt the chemistry of the brain, including its potential to lower levels of key brain chemicals such as serotonin (which may adversely influence all sorts of things including mood, behavior, sleep, and appetite).
The authors note that phenylalanine also has the potential to disrupt amino acid metabolism, nerve function, and hormonal balance in the body. They go on to suggest that aspartame has the ability to destroy nerve cells and that this damage may mimic or even cause Alzheimer's disease.
- Aspartame linked to leukemia and lymphoma: only one diet soda per day significantly increases risks
- Aspartame in diet soda linked with premature death in women
- It's Aspartame, Stupid! Diet soda tied to stroke risk, but reasons unclear
- Two new studies on aspartame and diet drinks confirm source of obesity, cancer/ malignant brain tumor epidemics
- Does Aspartame Cause Human Brain Cancer? (Hint: Yes!)
Pepsi Max will be re-introduced to the US market in September as Pepsi Zero Sugar and will contain aspartame.
While Diet Pepsi will continue to be sweetened without aspartame, a Classic Sweetener Blend option will be introduced to their Diet collection that will contain aspartame.
Consumers want choice in diet colas, so we're refreshing our U.S. lineup to provide three options that meet differing needs and taste preferences," a Pepsi representative said in a statement.
This is getting exhausting! every time any "progress" is made to get these poisons off the market they just wait a year or so and pop them back in. It seems we don't have a chance. I don't drink sodas, but, it seems like one cant eat any food or drink any water, or even breathe in the US without taking on more toxins!