The sweetener aspartame is used in many drinks and foods. According to the WHO, it is now considered “possibly carcinogenic”. What does this mean for people who consume the sweetener?
Is the sweetener aspartame in diet cola or chewing gum possibly carcinogenic? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says yes. The WHO has now classified the sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic”. At the same time, however, the WHO has given the all-clear: those who do not exceed the current recommendations for maximum daily amounts are not exposed to a higher risk of cancer, it says. What is known about the sweetener:
What is aspartame?
Aspartame is a synthetically produced low-calorie sweetener that does not occur naturally. It is made from two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) and therefore consists of protein. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
In which products does aspartame occur?
Aspartame has been approved for human consumption for many years, for example as a table sweetener or in foods such as soft drinks. Coca Cola light and Coca Cola zero, for example, contain aspartame. But chewing gum, yoghurt, ice cream, mustard, sauces, toothpaste, cough syrup and some vitamin tablets are also sweetened with the substance.
The sweetener must be indicated on the label, either by name or by its E number (E951). But consumers usually do not know how much of it is in the product.
Because aspartame is not heat stable, baked goods or foods intended for heating, such as ready meals, do not contain aspartame.
Is aspartame carcinogenic? This is what the IARC classification means
The IARC assesses whether a substance could generally cause cancer in humans. It divides the substances examined into three categories: “possibly carcinogenic”, “probably carcinogenic” and “carcinogenic”.
Aspartame was the first to be examined and was classified as “possibly carcinogenic,” which also includes 320 other substances. However, the IARC does not take into account how much a person would have to consume to be at risk of disease. Therefore, it is possible that a substance is classified as possibly carcinogenic, but the amount that a person normally consumes through food, for example, is so small that the risk is considered negligible. This is exactly the case with aspartame.
What does the WHO say?
Unlike the IARC, it carries out a risk analysis and takes the amount consumed into account. It considers the studies used by the IARC to be insufficiently clear. It therefore considers the consumption of aspartame to be safe within the scope of its current maximum daily recommendations.
What is the maximum amount of aspartame that people should consume daily?
According to EFSA and WHO, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) is 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. This amount can be consumed throughout a lifetime without any concerns. To reach this value, a person weighing 70 kilograms would have to drink 9 to 14 conventional-sized cans of diet drink with a high aspartame content per day, the WHO calculates.
However, the amount of sweetener varies depending on the drink and manufacturer. Coca-Cola Switzerland reported in 2020 that in Switzerland Coca-Cola zero and Coca-Cola light contained around 130 milligrams of aspartame per liter. A 70-kilogram person could theoretically drink more than 20 liters of this per day before reaching the recommended maximum amount.
Should you avoid foods containing aspartame in the future?
The WHO reassures: There is no reason for this as long as you stay below the daily maximum amount. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says that aspartame is one of the best-researched sweeteners and has been repeatedly evaluated by international expert committees. The BfR has no concerns either. Nevertheless, the WHO generally advises reducing both sugar and sweeteners. It is better to sweeten with fruit, for example.
Are sweeteners healthier than conventional sugar?
According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), sweeteners are a good alternative to sugar for preventing tooth decay. However, sweeteners do not make you slim per se. With a balanced diet and exercise, however, they could help you lose weight because they do not provide any energy.
The WHO came to a different conclusion in May. It advised against using sugar-free sweeteners to control weight. At most, they help in the short term to lose weight or to prevent further weight gain. Studies have shown that long-term consumption in adults increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other things. The WHO counts all synthetic and natural sweeteners, including products made from the stevia plant, as sugar-free sweeteners.
Is the suspicion that aspartame could cause cancer new?
This suspicion has been around for a long time, but studies have not yet clearly confirmed it. The three new studies with humans on which the IARC is based are also only of limited significance. Animal studies have shown evidence of a cancer risk with extremely high amounts of sweeteners, says DGE spokeswoman Antje Gahl. “However, the amounts are not at all usual for human consumption or are disproportionately high, so no direct evidence for humans could be derived.”
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