ABSTRACT

Approximately sixty percent of infants born in the United States receive human milk as their primary source of food for the first few months of life. This chapter reviews data previously reported on the effect of aspartame or lactose administered to lactating women. No significant differences were noted in mean plasma levels of aspartate asparagine, glutamate, or glutamine following administration of aspartame or lactose. The differences in milk phenylalanine and tyrosine levels between test substances were not significant using the paired t-test analysis. Glutamate, aspartate, phenylalanine, and tyrosine levels in milk samples collected postprandially were similar to those noted 4 hour after aspartame loading. Plasma levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine increased after the administration of aspartame. Levels of these amino acids remained constant or decreased slightly after lactose loading. The levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine after aspartame loading were no greater than the values noted in postprandial milk samples collected after ingestion of meals.