Artificial sweetener can be added to a morning cup of coffee as an artificial sweetener, but you might be shocked to learn it can harm your eyes. Research shows aspartame can lead to photophobia which results from inefficient processing of light by the eye causing headaches and irritation from prolonged exposure to bright lighting sources.
Aspartame is a sweetener found in many low-calorie foods such as fizzy diet drinks, cereals and low-sugar yogurts. When digested by our bodies it releases free-form methanol which may damage retinal cells leading to vision problems and blindness – although fruit and vegetables contain aspartame bound to ethanol as a natural antidote against this risk.
The US Food and Drug Administration has long maintained that aspartame is safe if consumed within certain guidelines. A separate committee that conducts risk assessments, known as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JEFCA), also reviewed recent evidence and confirmed their current acceptable daily intake levels for aspartame.
While it may be alarming that aspartame has been classified as a possible carcinogen, experts agree that more research needs to be conducted into exactly why and how aspartame causes cancer. Dr Misagh Karimi of City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in California stated to Medical News Today that while aspartame’s classification does pose some risks, humans can use aspartame as part of a healthy diet without fear.