Calculations
This is a supplementary calculations sheet for our Aspartame and Heart Disease webpage.
The information posted on some websites state that the dose of aspartame given to mice in the study (Wu, Weijie et al, 2025) it is equivalent to 3 cans of Diet Coke per day for an adult.
We believe that this figure is incorrect.
Correct calculation
In the paper Wu, Weijie et al., (2025). Sweetener aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation . Cell Metabolism, February 19, 2025, the authors reported feeding the mice 0.05%, 0.1%, or 0.15% w/w of aspartame (ASP) in water. For the calculation we will use 0.1% w/w.
The wild-type male C57BL/6J mice weigh at maturity between 20 and 30 g. We will assume 25 grams as an average body weight (BW).
Daily water intake of mice is highly variable, and is estimated as 5.8 ml per day (or 25% of the body weight), another states the intake as follows: "1 mouse (up to 25 grams) = 4 ml water per day."
These figures result in: 5.8 ml, 6.2 5ml, and 4 ml. We will adopt the highest value (6.25 ml) per day.
The 0.1% solution of ASP in water weight / weight means 0.1 mg of ASP in 100 mg of water.
This means: 0.1 mg ASP / (0.1 mg ASP + 99.9 mg water) * 100% = 0.1 % w/w.
Since the solute ASP is used in such a small amount we can assume that the density of the solution is identical to that of water (1 g per ml).
As the mice drink 6.25 ml of solution per day, and the density is approximately 1 g per ml, the mice consume 6.25 g of water-ASP solution (Sn) per day. 6,250 mg of Sn daily.
As the solution is very diluted we can use this calculation: 6,250 mg Sn * 0.1 mg ASP / 100 mg Sn = 6.25 mg ASP/day.
Which is a daily dose, in mg per g of mouse bodyweight equal to: Intake (mg/g BW)= 6.25 mg ASP/25 g (BW) = 0.25 mg/g
Converted to mg per kg of BW (multiply the previous value by 1,000) it results in 250 mg per kg of bodyweight or 5 times the maximum intake level recommended by the FDA. For solutions of 0.05% and 0.15% de daily intake is 125 and 375 mg/kg respectively.
For an 80 kg adult (176 lbs) an intake of 375 mg per kg results in a total intake of ASP of 30,000 mg or 30 g. Since a can of Diet Coke contains roughly 200 mg of aspartame. You would need to drink 150 cans of it to reach the daily intake of these mice
Corroborative calculation
Since an average adult man should drink 2.5 l of water per day (2.5 kg), if it contained 0.15% w/w of ASP, it would have 0.15 g ASP per 100 g of water, so 2.5 kg (2,500 g) would contain: 0.15*2500/100 = 3.75 g of ASP; equivalent to 3,750 mg of ASP. Divide this into the bodyweight of an adult man (80 kg) and it results in a daily intake of 46.88 mg/kg. roughly in line with the FDA and EFSA maximal requirements, however note that mice drink 25% of their bodyweight per day, we only drink 2.5 / 80 = 3.12% of our BW per day, or 8 time less than mice). If we had their thirst our intake of ASP solution would be 46.88 * 8 = 375 mg/kg which is the intake given to mice.
This supports our previous calculation.
So a human being, drinking as a mouse would require 150 cans of Diet Coke. However, drinking as a human being it would consume 3,750 mg of ASP, equivalent to 18.75 cans of Diet Coke per day.
Our figures disagree with the three can value reported in other sites.
Back to main article: Aspartame and Heart Disease webpage.
