Although the World Health Organization has classified the sugar substitute aspartame, found in tens of thousands of products and beverages, as “possibly carcinogenic,” doctors are not rushing to ban it. In fact, the alarming phrase only indicates that scientists simply do not have reliable evidence that aspartame is a carcinogen. Moreover, the majority of people still consume it in amounts below the legal limit.
Aspartame is used in the composition of so-called diet and sugar-free versions of widely used products, from chewing gum to toothpaste to yogurt, but especially in beverages such as Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max and 7 Up Free. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and contains almost no calories. Since its introduction in the 1980s, aspartame has generated much controversy about its benefits and safety.
According to a WHO representative, Dr. Francesco Branca, who heads the department dealing with nutrition and food safety issues, numerous studies have suggested that aspartame may not be as beneficial to health as previously thought. However, it cannot be said that it causes real harm unless it is consumed in excess.
The greatest risk of exceeding the dose of aspartame is for the main lovers of soda – children. The first assessment of aspartame was made by experts at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the WHO. The IARC uses its own classification of risk factors for cancer development based on confirmed facts. MAIR classified aspartame as a “probable carcinogen,” including an unexpected candidate like aloe, based on three studies linking the sweetener to the risk of a specific type of liver cancer. The term “possible” refers only to the certainty of the scientific evidence. If it were more convincing, aspartame would have been placed in a higher risk category. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. The end of the story: Podcast Advertising In this case, according to Dr. Marie Schubauer-Bérigan of MAIR, it is rather an offer to the scientific community to pay more attention to this sugar substitute.
By the way, one of the main questions remains open: how exactly (if it is scientifically confirmed, of course) can aspartame contribute to the development of cancer. According to WHO reports, aspartame is rapidly broken down in the human body into its constituents – phenylalanine (an aromatic alpha-amino acid), aspartic acid and methanol. However, these same substances are found in many other products that are not associated with cancer. In addition, research has shown that aspartame does not directly cause carcinogenic mutations in human DNA, although it may contribute to an increase in inflammatory processes.
According to Frances Hunt-Wood, Secretary General of the International Association of Sweetener and Low-Calorie Product Manufacturers, recent research “once again confirms the safety of aspartame. “Aspartame, like all low-calorie or no-calorie sugar substitutes, when used as part of a balanced diet, allows people to reduce their sugar consumption, which is an important public health goal,” she emphasizes.
The WHO Recommended Daily Intake of Soda (taking into account that an average can contains about 200 mg of aspartame) should not be exceeded: These are not goals, of course, but upper limits: who in their right mind would drink 17 or more cans of cola a day, although when it comes to children, it’s not so hard to imagine “breaking the ceiling”. Dr. Branka has her own advice for such a situation. “If you are faced with the choice of drinking cola with sweetener or sugar, I think it is necessary to make a third choice – to drink plain water instead, thus reducing the consumption of both sugar and sweeteners,” he said in an interview with the BBC.