Doctors have warned that the risks of artificial sweeteners were exaggerated after aspartame was linked to cancer.
Reports emerged today that the World Health Organization plans to declare aspartame – the popular sugar substitute in Diet Coke – a possible carcinogen.
The expected reclassification follows a major safety study on the sweetener involving more than 1,300 studies.
But doctors said that while there may be a tenuous link between the sugar substitute and cancer in animals, no studies have shown it causes the disease in humans.
Meanwhile, the association between added sugar and numerous health problems is unequivocal. They show how sugar increases the risk of obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes and the many conditions they cause.
Dr. Deidre Tobias, a nutritionist at Harvard University in Massachusetts, told DailyMail.com, “Suddenly something natural, like sugar, feels healthier. But the evidence for that is misleading.’
The image above shows some of the favorite snacks in the US that contain the sugar sweetener aspartame. Smint is a breath freshener sold in parts of the US
She continued, “There isn’t much evidence to suggest that artificial sweeteners or any in particular would be a major concern for health risks.
“In any case, it seems that for those people who, for example, regularly drink a lot of sugary drinks and want to stop, have an alternative to temporarily switch to such as artificially sweetened drinks … in those cases, it may even be of benefit.”
Highlighting the risks of sugar, she cautioned, “I think the evidence supporting added sugars in our diets as something we should cut back is quite strong.
“We see that in short-term, tightly controlled studies, as well as in long-term studies that can look at health events and outcomes, added sugar is consistently associated with poorer metabolic health.”
Dr. Liza Dunn, a physician and medical toxicologist, added to DailyMail.com that for people trying to lose weight or who have diabetes, it is still better to consume sweeteners instead of sugar.
“If you have diabetes, you shouldn’t be eating sugar,” she said.
“Aspartame is a good solution for diabetics who want a somewhat normal lifestyle, especially kids who want to have birthday parties and such.”
She added that for people trying to lose weight, aspartame is “a better solution than the calories associated with table sugar.”
Kim Pearson, a dietitian in the UK, told DailyMail.com that natural sweeteners — such as stevia and xylitol — are often more beneficial than sugar.
Stevia can be used in tea, coffee and soft drinks, as well as baked goods, granola bars and alcoholic beverages. Xylitol can be added to sauces, mints and toothpaste.
“These are more natural sweeteners that people can use that won’t have the ill effects that sugar or synthetic sweeteners have,” she said.
Katie Lopez, a clinical dietitian, also told DailyMail.com that when it comes to sweeteners and sugar, it’s a matter of “pick your poison.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ruling, reported by Reuters, has yet to be made public and is only intended to assess whether something is a potential danger or not.
It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume.
That advice comes from the Joint WHO and the Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization, along with national regulators.
JECFA is also reviewing aspartame use and will report its findings on the same day IARC makes its decision public — July 14, it was claimed.
Since 1981, the JECFA has said aspartame is safe to consume within accepted daily limits.
Diet Coke is one of the items sold in the US that contains the artificial sweetener aspartame
A spokesperson said today that their findings will remain confidential until July. But they said the views of both committees were expected to be “complementary.”
The leaked finding places the sweetener under two more serious categories — “probably carcinogenic to humans” and “carcinogenic to humans” — suggesting that the evidence is limited.
Sugar is known to cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which over time can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries.
This increases the risk of health problems, including heart disease and high blood pressure due to narrowing of blood vessels.
It also increases the risk of stroke because the plaques can become detached and block a blood vessel in the brain, starving cells of oxygen and causing the stroke.
Sugar can also contribute to obesity, which is known to increase the risk of a whole host of health problems.
These include cancer, which can be caused by inflammation in the body that damages cells and makes them more likely to become cancerous.
It also increases the risk of cells building resistance to the hormone insulin, causing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The FDA told DailyMail.com in the background today that it would be inappropriate for the agency to speculate on possible scenarios surrounding other organizations’ reviews of aspartame.
“The FDA can confirm that scientific evidence continues to support its conclusion that aspartame is safe for the general population when made under good manufacturing practices and used under the approved conditions of use,” a spokesperson said.
While ingredients added to foods for sale in the U.S. must comply with U.S. law, particularly the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA scientists review the science on exposure and safety of a sweetener every time the agency files a food additive petition or a GRAS notification for that sweetener.”
Professor Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: ‘It’s also important to note that just because something can potentially cause cancer doesn’t mean it will automatically do so if you’re exposed to it. The dose makes the poison.’
He added: ‘Like other food additives, aspartame had to undergo a thorough safety evaluation before being approved for use in food. It is the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener and the current evidence is that it is safe at current levels of consumption.’
Professor Tom Sanders, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London, said: ‘Aspartame consists of two amino acids joined together (phenylalanine – an essential amino acid, aspartic acid) which has been esterified to a methyl group.
‘During digestion, phenylalanine and aspartic acid are released and a small amount of methanol is formed. Methanol is a potential carcinogen because it converts to formic acid, which can damage DNA.
However, the amount of methanol released after consumption of aspartame-containing beverages is extremely low, at most 50 mg in a litre, which is about three times lower than the amount of methanol in fruit juices such as orange juice, and levels of methanol in wine can be as high as 250 mg/litre. .’
Experts previously said that unlike sugar, there is no conclusive evidence that artificial sweeteners are dangerous and that you would need to consume up to 75 packs a day before you experience health problems.