[01] Caleb Chen Fan Tjuin, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Aryani Najihah Binti Muhamed, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Ayeshma Sathsarani Liyanage, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Muhammad Danish Syahmi Bin Saha, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Melaka, Malaysia.

Sugar substitutes play a big role in the lifestyle changes made by many individuals in an effort to control their blood sugar levels. One of the most popular substitute is Aspartame. The question this study seeks to resolve is, does Aspartame really work to produce a lower postprandial blood glucose level hence making it useful for glucose control in diabetes? And does Aspartame affect the mood, memory and concentration of a person differently than ‘table sugar’? A randomized control trial was conducted from August-September 2019 in a private medical college in Malaysia. Socio-demographic data, medical background, and mood scores were collected using a questionnaire. Blood glucose levels, before and after test sample consumptions, were measured using a glucometer. Participants also performed 3 computerized tests to assess their memory and concentration abilities. Mean, mean difference, various t-test (paired and unpaired) and p-values were calculated in the statistical analysis of the collected data. From a population of 300 students, we derived a sample size of 30 for which we received 40 volunteers – allowing for a 25% drop out rate. The results of our study were non-significant but indicate that consuming the intervention sample (Aspartame) resulted in a greater decrease in blood glucose levels than the control (Sucrose) sample. There was no significant difference in mood, memory and concentration either. The trend of our findings are coherent with the hypotheses of the study. All findings point to the effect use of Aspartame as a sugar substitute with no significant effects on mood, memory and concentration.

Aspartame, Sucrose, Post-prandial, Sugar Substitutes

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