Some researchers suspect aspartame, the most common sweetener in diet soda, might have a connection to tinnitus. Though a definitive link between the two has yet to be proven, the reason aspartame is considered suspect is the components of aspartame might be toxic to the brain and the inner ear. Those components are phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and become toxic after periods of long storage or exposure to heat.

Beyond the toxicity, aspartame is known as an “excitatory neurotransmitter.” It increases electrical activity in the brain, specifically in the auditory cortex. As those with tinnitus already have an elevated level of electrical activity in the brain, more electrical activity is the last thing they need. Reducing electrical activity in the brain, by whatever means, has been proven to improve tinnitus.

Despite claiming that aspartame is safe, the FDA released results of an epidemiological survey which appeared in the Journal of Applied Nutrition in which 551 persons who reported toxicity effects from aspartame ingestion were surveyed. Among the adverse effects found, 13 percent reported having tinnitus, along with 9 percent that reported a “severe intolerance for noise” and 5 percent that reported significant hearing loss.

As tinnitus is now believed to be rooted in not only the ear and the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, but the brain itself, any changes to the brain caused by aspartame certainly cannot be ignored. Researchers at the University of North Dakota studied the effects of aspartame on a group of 28 healthy students and found that there were significant effects on the brain. They discovered ingesting even half of the FDA’s “safe” daily intake of aspartame caused significant neurobehavioral changes, including depression, cognitive impairment and irritability.

Content provided by Healthy Hearing