When ingested, aspartate is readily absorbed in the digestive tract and transported to various tissues. It serves as a precursor for the synthesis of other amino acids and is involved in the urea cycle, which helps detoxify ammonia in the body. In the context of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, the metabolism involves the conversion into aspartate, methanol, and phenylalanine, each with their own metabolic pathways and potential toxicities.
