I've just about lost my patience with the great aspartame debate! There's so much misinformation out here on the Internet about it, and so many rumors, that it has become very, very difficult to sort it all out. I'm going to attempt to do that here with links to scientific evidence, not hype and sensationalism.

Here's what the FDA has to say about aspartame:
Is Aspartame Safe?

There has been a chain letter circulation around the Internet for some time now. It's bunk, by the way. Here is more information about that e-mail letter from some very respected sources:
Beware the E-mail Hoax: The Evils of Nutrasweet
Aspartame E-mail Hoax: Cyber Chicken Little
Kiss my Aspartame

And for all those other e-mails you get telling you to beware of this and that and the other thing, please check out their validity here:
Toxin du Jour

Here's what the FDA had to say about the rumors that aspartame causes brain tumors:
FDA Talk Paper

For those of you who are worried that aspartame will turn into toxic formaldehyde in your body, please read this:
Does Nutrasweet Turn into Formaldehyde?

Oh, and if you've heard that it turns into formaldehyde in the sun, please read this:
Does the Sun change Aspartame into Formaldehyde?

And, for those of you who think that aspartame causes Multiple Sclerosis (I only wish it were that simple, as I've got several friends who have this horrible disease), here's what the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has to say about it:
Aspartame

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) did a study of aspartame and found it to be safe. Check out the results of the study here:
Study Reaffirms Safety of Aspartame

Another really good site dedicated to providing a balanced view of the information about the safety and dangers of aspartame:
Aspartame Truth Information Site

Aspartame has even been shown in a double-blind placebo controlled study to help with arthritic joint pain! Find out more here:
Will Nutrasweet Help with Joint Pain Relief?

For those of you who insist that Stevia is the solution to the ills of artificial sweeteners, you should read this:
Natural Sweetener is not Ready for FDA Approval

OK, that's my attempt to get some decent information out there about aspartame. I don't claim to know everything there is to know about it, and I can't promise you 100% that it's safe, but there certainly is more evidence to show that it's safe than there is to show that it's dangerous. Just remember, drink some water to go with it, OK? Water is still better for you than anything else. Just make sure you know where your water is coming from, and that it's safe!