Sugar substitutes are popular for people who are watching their weight and their dental hygiene. While natural sugar substitutes exist—sorbitol, derived from berries, is one example—many sweeteners are artificial. Saccharin, a coal-tar derivative three hundred times as sweet as sugar, was discovered in 1879. Cyclamates were approved for consumer use in 1951 but were banned in 1969 because of suspected carcinogenic properties. How was the common artificial sweetener aspartame discovered? Discuss