Low-calorie allergy.Low-calorie allergy Aspartame aspartame: see sweetener, artificial. aspartame Synthetic organic compound (a dipeptide) of phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It is 150–200 times as sweet as cane sugar and is used as a nonnutritive tabletop sweetener and in low-calorie , the low-calorie sugar substitute marketed as NutraSweet and Equal, can cause skin hives hives (urticaria), rash consisting of blotches or localized swellings (wheals) of the skin, caused by an allergic reaction (see allergy). The swelling is caused by distention of the skin capillaries and escape of serum and white cells into the skin and tissues. and swelling of throat tissue, according to a medical researcher at Washington University in St. Louis “Washington University” redirects here. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). Washington University in St. Louis is a private, coeducational, research university located in St. Louis, Missouri. . Anthony Kulczycki, an allergist al·ler·gist n. A physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. allergist Immunology A physician, who is often trained in both internal medicine and clinical immunology and who manages Pts with and immunologist, says he has positively identified the aspartame allergy in six patients and is studying another 44 potential victims. Kulczycki says he initially was skeptical that aspartame could cause an allergic reaction allergic reaction n. A local or generalized reaction of an organism to internal or external contact with a specific allergen to which the organism has been previously sensitized. because it is such a small molecule. However, he found that after aspartame is eaten, its bonding with protein in the body can cause allergic reactions, which can be "very severe," he says. The throat of one of Kulczycki's patients swelled so badly that she needed emergency treatment, he says. He says the hives or swelling can appear immediately after a person drinks a diet soda or hours later. People who suspect they are allergic to aspartame should avoid it for two weeks to see whether the symptoms disappear, Kulczycki says. |
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