Article: Study taps into fears surrounding aspartame; The sweetener has become a staple in the diets of many Americans, and new sugar substitutes probably will be marketed soon. Are they safe? And can they help you lose weight?(NEWS)

A recent study suggesting that there could be a link between brain tumors and the use of aspartame, the popular artificial sweetener, has revived a long-simmering debate about the safety of the sugar substitutes, which Americans eat by the truckload.

Dietitians and others say they doubt whether aspartame, sold most often under the brand name NutraSweet, is really to blame for an increase in brain tumors, as the study appears to suggest.

Nonetheless, they say, there are two good reasons to be wary of the artificial sweetener: It hasn't been proven safe to everyone's satisfaction, and it doesn't really help people lose weight.

"It's not the kind ...

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