/oss/taxonomy/term/5352/all en /oss/article/nutrition/taste-science-aspartame <p>I first became interested in aspartame when I learned about the curious way in which its sweetness was discovered. Back in 1965, G.D. Searle Company chemist Jim Schlatter was carrying out research on gastric ulcers and certainly did not have artificial sweeteners in mind. He knew that entry of food into the stomach stimulated the secretion of gastrin, a hormone that triggers the production of gastric acid. At the time, the common belief was that ulcers were caused by excess stomach acid, and Schlatter was interested in finding a drug that could inactivate gastrin.  </p> Fri, 16 Apr 2021 21:36:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8704 at /oss