Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet
Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2011.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | eng |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68476 |
| _version_ | 1826206470018957312 |
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| author | MacLachlan, Allison (Allison Stollery) |
| author2 | Philip J. Hilts. |
| author_facet | Philip J. Hilts. MacLachlan, Allison (Allison Stollery) |
| author_sort | MacLachlan, Allison (Allison Stollery) |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2011. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:31:59Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/68476 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:31:59Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/684762022-02-07T16:02:56Z Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet Artifice and the science of sweet MacLachlan, Allison (Allison Stollery) Philip J. Hilts. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate Program in Science Writing MIT Program in Writing & Humanistic Studies Graduate Program in Science Writing. Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2011. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-40). Aspartame has become an extremely popular artificial sweetener since its entry into the American market in 1981. Humans have an evolutionary preference for sweet tastes, and artificial sweeteners became a mainstream alternative to cane sugar in the 2 0 th century for people looking to cut calories. Saccharin and cyclamates, both discovered accidentally in early chemistry labs, set the scientific precedent for low-calorie sweeteners and also built the consumer base that would lead to aspartame's rise after its own accidental discovery in 1965. This thesis takes a journalistic look at how artifice came to satisfy the human sweet tooth. Drawing on expert interviews, scientific papers, historical accounts and congressional records, it also examines some of the health complaints like headaches and seizures that have been attributed to aspartame's breakdown products, such as phenylalanine. Even after extensive FDA testing has found little scientific proof for many of these claims, controversy and uncertainty about aspartame persist. There are also new challenges: researchers are now investigating the idea that consuming diet drinks may actually contribute to weight gain. At the same time, as obesity rates climb and schools and cities look to ban calorie-dense sodas, many public health experts welcome aspartame because it poses a less clear-cut risk than sugar. by Allison MacLachlan. S.M.in Science Writing 2012-01-12T19:30:41Z 2012-01-12T19:30:41Z 2011 2011 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68476 769911473 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 40 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Graduate Program in Science Writing. MacLachlan, Allison (Allison Stollery) Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title | Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title_full | Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title_fullStr | Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title_short | Aspartame : artifice and the science of sweet |
| title_sort | aspartame artifice and the science of sweet |
| topic | Graduate Program in Science Writing. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68476 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maclachlanallisonallisonstollery aspartameartificeandthescienceofsweet AT maclachlanallisonallisonstollery artificeandthescienceofsweet |