Soda sweetener aspartame now listed as possible cancer cause. But it’s still considered safe – Sent-trib
Soda sweetener aspartame now listed as possible cancer cause ... Sentinel-Tribune
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The World Health Organization’s Cancer Agency Deems Aspartame as a Possible Cause of Cancer
A bottle of soda is photographed in Washington Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. On Thursday, July 13, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, deemed aspartame, the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener, to be “possibly carcinogenic” to humans. Separately, a U.N. expert group assessing the same evidence said their guidance regarding safe consumption of the sweetener remained unchanged. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
The World Health Organization’s cancer agency has deemed the sweetener aspartame — found in diet soda and countless other foods — as a “possible” cause of cancer, while a separate expert group looking at the same evidence said it still considers the sugar substitute safe in limited quantities.
The differing results of the coordinated reviews were released early Friday. One came from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a special branch of the WHO. The other report was from an expert panel selected by WHO and another U.N. group, the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Background
The Lyon, France-based cancer agency periodically reviews potential cancer hazards, but doesn’t determine how likely they are to cause cancer in their evaluations which range from “possibly” carcinogenic to “probably” to cancer-causing.
Aspartame joins a category with more than 300 other possible cancer-causing agents, including things like aloe vera extract, Asian-style pickled vegetables, and carpentry work.
The guidance on use of the sweetener, though, isn’t changing.
“We’re not advising consumers to stop consuming (aspartame) altogether,” said WHO’s nutrition director Dr. Francesco Branca. “We’re just advising a bit of moderation.”
What is Aspartame?
- Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is a white, odorless powder and the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener.
- Aspartame is authorized as a food additive in Europe and the U.S. and is used in numerous foods, drinks such as Diet Coke, desserts, chewing gum, medications including cough drops, and foods intended to help with weight loss. It’s in tabletop sweeteners sold as Equal, Sugar Twin, and NutraSweet.
- Aspartame was approved in 1974 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with an acceptable daily intake of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. According to the FDA, a person weighing 132 pounds (60 kilograms) would need to consume about 75 aspartame packets to reach that level.
- U.N. experts evaluated the safety of aspartame in 1981 and set the safe daily limit slightly lower, at 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram.
David Spiegelhalter, an emeritus statistics professor at Cambridge University, said the guidance means that “average people are safe to drink up to 14 cans of diet drink a day … and even this ‘acceptable daily limit’ has a large built-in safety factor.”
Findings of the Two Groups
- WHO’s cancer agency, IARC, convened its expert group in June to assess the potential of aspartame to cause cancer. It based its conclusion that aspartame is “possibly carcinogenic” on studies in humans and animals that found “limited” evidence that the compound may be linked to liver cancer.
- In a separate evaluation, experts assembled by WHO and the food agency updated their risk assessment, including reviewing the acceptable daily intake. They concluded there was “no convincing evidence” at the currently consumed levels that aspartame is dangerous; their guidelines regarding acceptable levels of consumption were unchanged.
The move comes weeks after the WHO said that non-sugar sweeteners don’t help with weight loss and could lead to increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and early death in adults.
Concerns about Excessive Consumption
Not as long as you don’t exceed the guidelines. The FDA said scientific evidence continues to support the agency’s conclusion that aspartame is “safe for the general population,” when used within limits.
Almost any substance can be
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
The article discusses the potential health risks associated with the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is relevant to SDG 3. It also mentions the need for moderation and responsible consumption of the sweetener, which aligns with SDG 12.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
- SDG 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
The article highlights the potential health risks of aspartame, which relates to the target of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (such as cancer) under SDG 3.4. Additionally, the discussion on responsible consumption and moderation aligns with the target of waste reduction under SDG 12.5.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 3.4: Premature mortality rate from non-communicable diseases
- Indicator for SDG 12.5: Waste generation per capita
The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators, but the identified targets can be measured using indicators such as the premature mortality rate from non-communicable diseases (indicator for SDG 3.4) and waste generation per capita (indicator for SDG 12.5).
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. | Premature mortality rate from non-communicable diseases |
| SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | SDG 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. | Waste generation per capita |
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Source: sent-trib.com
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