How safe is aspartame? Found in packets of NutraSweet(r) or Equal(r) in most restaurants, the artificial sweetener is ingested by an estimated 200 million worldwide. It is found in more than 6,000 consumables, including sodas, juices, candies, coffees, teas, pharmaceuticals, vitamins, and dairy products. Concerned about the health of family members drinking large quantities of diet soda, author Victoria Inness-Brown took a remarkable step. She raised 108 rats, giving 60 of them NutraSweet-laced water for 2 1/2 years. While the majority of her 48 controls stayed healthy, the aspartame-drinking...