Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners in use today. It is sold under the brand names NutraSweet ® and Equal ® . Aspartame is made by joining together the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are found naturally in many foods.ost studies in people have not found that aspartame use is linked to an increased risk of cancer. One early study suggested that an increased rate of brain tumors in the US during the 1980s might have been related to aspartame use.