Yvette in Kansas City writes:

Great site, ladies! I have a question. Where are you in the "aspartame"-is-evil argument? I've heard some in the Atkins camp say aspartame is bad. I've switched to Splenda, and love it, but I don't know what I'd do without my diet Snapples. I try to take it easy on diet soda, but somehow think the diet teas are OK. What's the deal?

LAURIE: I don't use artificial sweeteners. I can't imagine that at 16 calories a teaspoon, sugar is much of a factor in putting weight on - unless you only eat dietetic candies, baked goods, etc.

THERESA: I don't use artificial sweeteners either. I almost never drink any soda anymore, diet or not. It just makes me feel bloated. Water or V-8 juice, those are my beverages of choice. And I like a little sugar in my tea. I sometimes will buy a lite yogurt that's flavored with aspartame, but I think it's healthier to get unflavored nonfat yogurt and just add a little jam or honey to flavor that. Some people report headaches associated with aspartame; it's also dangerous for anyone with a rare hereditary disorder called PKU (short for phenylketonuria). That's why products with aspartame have those labels warning about phenylalanine. Sue Gilbert, consulting nutritionist for iVillage, has good information to share on this topic.

WENDY: Boy, this hits a personal nerve. My 5-year-old child loves, LOVES flavored seltzer water containing aspartame. She will go through a one-liter bottle in less than a week. Obviously, we steer her towards milk for meals and at other times, but anyone who has dealt with kid food fixations will know that this, to us, seems like a battle not worth fighting (especially with the stern warnings about juice overdose that we've heard -- including from her doctor!). Still, it's fake food, and she's five. So, prompted by this e-mail, I just did a search for good info on aspartame. Here's what my brief search turned up:

1. There's a ton of scary stories -- most, if not all, undoubtedly false -- about aspartame. Scary things that it is alleged to cause include cancer, ALS, lupus, multiple sclerosis, tremors, heart palpitations, alzheimers, etc. I found web sites that link it to mad-cow disease and post-menopausal symptoms. In short, I found a lot of crap. Some of the favorite claims are that it turns into formaldehyde, either at temperatures over 86 degrees (why that number, I don't know) or in the body.
2. It has been studied by just about everyone, including the scientific councils in the EU and Canada that deal with food safety (and, hopefully, those two groups would be less swayed by Monsanto, which makes aspartame). It was found to be safe in concentrations well above any normal consumption. Many studies have dealt with how it is handled in the body. It turns into two amino acids. And this is where things get wiggy: The studies insist that these acids are not absorbed by the body. (Hmmm. Sounds suspicious. What would happen if they were?)
3. My personal bottom line: It's OK, used sparingly, like everything else. I found a VERY useful article on a pediatrics Web site (backed by the Nemours foundation, a local and reputable source) that discusses the levels at which it has been found to be safe. I'm going to track my kids' use of it, compare it to these levels and talk to her pediatrician -- but I'm not cutting off the aspartame, for her or for me.

Here's another link about myths.

THERESA: This is kind of interesting, too-- a taste test from a writer who does a lot of baking.