The sweetener aspartame may increase the risk of cancer – WHO
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A semi-independent committee of the World Health Organization has announced that the artificial sweetener aspartame can increase the risk of cancer, writes CNN. It is found in thousands of products, from sugar-free gum to diet sodas. The WHO stated that aspartame should be classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The decision was based on statements from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It was reported that the conclusion was obtained on the basis of observational studies on humans. According to the agency, aspartame consumption has been linked to an increase in liver cancer. At the same time, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) disagreed with the new findings. Here, they insist on the standard that the sweetener is safe. Photo: HighwayStarz/Depositphotos “FDA scientists have no concerns about safety issues when aspartame is used under approved conditions,” the website says. In this way, the department confirmed its position, approved decades ago. In addition, its representatives added that the classification “possibly carcinogenic to humans” does not mean that aspartame is associated with cancer. American Beverage, an association representing the soft drink industry, also pushed back against the earlier findings. “There is a broad consensus in the scientific and regulatory community that aspartame is safe. This is a conclusion repeatedly reached by food safety agencies around the world,” commented American Beverage. Finally, the second WHO committee also remained unchanged in its assessment of the safety of aspartame. After all, according to some calculations, a person weighing 70 kg can avoid the risk of cancer, but still drink 12 cans of soda a day. The WHO declaration is a historic event. For the first time, a well-known international organization publicly assessed the impact of the controversial ingredient. It has also been warned of a possible bias in the results towards those people who consume more diet drinks. However, Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO, still noted that people who consume large amounts of aspartame should consider switching to water or other unsweetened beverages. “Our results do not indicate that casual use should pose a risk to the majority,” he emphasizes. What is aspartame? Aspartame is one of six sweeteners approved by US regulators. It is found in about 6,000 products: chewing gum, diet drinks, teas, yogurts, etc. It is also used to sweeten pharmaceutical products. Photo: Amaviael/Depositphotos The main reason for using aspartame is its low calorie content. Compared to regular table sugar, it is about 200 times sweeter. Therefore, it is not necessary to add a lot of aspartame to products. It was approved in 1974 by the FDA. At that time, aspartame was allowed to be used in some foods and beverages. But later this decision was suspended. In particular, some studies showed that it could cause brain tumors in rats. As far back as 1981, it was allowed to sell aspartame in dry products. Since then, the WHO has recommended the use of 40 mg of sweetener per kilogram of body weight. In the USA, the norm was higher – 50 mg. Controversial studies Despite the permission to use aspartame, scientists did not stop and continued to study the sweetener. This is how a lot of scientific controversies appeared. And hundreds of studies. The latter related to previously collected data. For example, WHO’s Division for Research on Cancer (IARC) conducts and studies other studies. The committee studies various elements: chemicals, viruses, food additives. His scientists looked at other studies to get accurate results. One of them was held in France in 2022. It found that people who consumed foods and drinks with sweeteners had a slightly higher risk of cancer. But this was an observational study – and people themselves remembered what they ate or drank. In 2020, scientists showed that aspartame causes leukemia and lymphoma in mice and rats. However, researchers say that people are not these animals. But scientists note that humans are not rats or mice, and most animal studies of aspartame by the National Toxicology Program have found no link to cancer. Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, who was part of the team that carried out the aspartame risk assessment, said his committee reached a similar conclusion. “The main conclusion of the commission was that there is no convincing evidence, obtained on the basis of experiments or data on humans, that aspartame has adverse effects after taking it within the limits established by the previous committee (which is about 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight). Thus thus, the committee confirmed the permissible daily level of consumption from zero to 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight,” he said. We remind you that earlier we talked about whether it is possible to gain weight from carbonated drinks without sugar. Read also: Craving sweets? Maybe artificial sweeteners are to blame
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