Due to the sudden change in prioritizing health, many people have reduced their intake of unhealthy things. In recent years, the consumption of artificial sweeteners has skyrocketed as people reduce their sugar intake and control their weight. These sugar substitutes are commonly found in a variety of food and beverage products labeled “diet” or “sugar-free” that promise you taste without adding calories. However, the sweetness of these artificial sweeteners has been a controversial topic. The latest artificial sweetener under investigation was aspartame.
In the latest update, the World Health Organization has declared aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. However, it also highlighted that “safety is not a major concern”, given that people do not consume much of this artificial sweetener.
Artificial sweetener aspartame officially declared carcinogenic
In a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization, a team of 25 international experts concluded that aspartame could “probably” cause cancer in humans. This updated classification, based on a review of “limited evidence,” does not change the recommended daily intake limit for this artificial sweetener.
During a press conference in Geneva, Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO, said that consuming this artificial sweetener in moderation does not pose a risk to most consumers. This is a big danger for people who consume a lot of diet soda and other foods containing aspartame.
Read also: 7 Totally Terrible Reasons Why Diet Cola Is Terrible For Your Health
How Much Aspartame Is Too Much?
Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener found in many foods and beverages such as chewing gum, sugar-free diet soda, and many other artificially sweetened substances. According to the WHO’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), there is not enough evidence to justify changing the previously recommended daily intake for aspartame. According to the pre-recommended intake of artificial sweetener, 0–40 mg/kg body weight may work. If a person follows the recommended daily limit of intake of artificial sweeteners then it will not be dangerous.
An adult weighing 70 kg would need to consume more than 9–14 cabs of diet soda per day to experience side effects. Also, it will be affected if no other food source is consumed with the beverages throughout the day. Having said that, the idea is not to cut it out completely but to exercise moderation so that there are no consequences. However, more research is needed to be sure of the effects of aspartame on health.
In fact, previous research has suggested that aspartame is safe to use when consumed in moderation. Well-known authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have found aspartame to be safe to use. The latest update from the WHO has reignited the debate on the use of aspartame as an artificial sweetener. Studies have shown mixed results when it comes to aspartame, with experts saying we need more information to link aspartame to cancer.
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