Here is a quiz concerning aspartame also known as Nutrasweet and Equal. It is important to know information concerning it because aspartame accounts for 60% of the dollars spent on sweeteners. Also, it is used in about 6,000 products.

1. True or False:  Per gram, aspartame contains the same amount of calories as does sugar.

Answer: True.  However, the big difference is that aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and therefore very little is needed, thus it is considered to be calorie free.

2.  True or False:  It is generally believed that studies have shown that aspartame is associated with cancer.

Answer:  False.  Although there are scattered studies that have shown an association between aspartame and cancer, the majority of research does not support such an association.

The FDA states that there is no reason for it to change its previous recommendation concerning the safety of aspartame. They have evaluated over 100 studies and could not find any significant association between aspartame and cancer.

But, as usual, use aspartame in moderation.