According to the World Health Organisation (W.H.O), the artificial sweetener Aspartame is ‘possibly carcinogenic.’ Aspartame can be found in thousands of sugar-free products like diet sodas, chewing gums, yogurts, and energy drinks. Famous brands containing Aspartame include Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, and 7 Up Free.
Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, said that there was no convincing evidence of a link between aspartame and cancer in humans and that people could still safely consume the sweetener in moderate amounts.
According to experts from W.H.O., the recent announcement does not imply that aspartame conclusively leads to cancer. Instead, it serves as a prompt for further investigations into its potential health impacts. Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the W.H.O. Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, clarified that the organization does not recommend companies remove products containing aspartame or advise people to completely abstain from its consumption. Rather, the suggestion is to exercise moderation in its usage.
According to James Gallagher, BBC’s health and science correspondent, children are at the most risk of exceeding the safe limits on aspartame. When Dr. Francesco Branca, the director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO was asked what was healthier: sugar or sweetener? He responded, “Faced with a decision of whether to take cola with sweeteners or one with sugar, I think there should be a third option, which is to drink water instead and to limit the consumption of sweetened products altogether.”
He urged that occasional consumption of diet drinks or products with aspartame shouldn’t worry you. The real concern lies with those who consume it in large quantities.
