2023-07-15 02:53:53
GENEVA – Aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in soft drinks, is “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, although the daily dose considered risk-free remains unchanged, according to an assessment released this Friday the 14th by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Reviews of aspartame have indicated that although safety is not a major concern at commonly used doses, potential effects have been described and need to be investigated by more and better studies,” said Francesco Branca, director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition, Health and Development.
This sweetener is found in “diet” or “light” soft drinks or sodas, gum, gelatin, ice cream, dairy products such as yogurt, breakfast cereals, flavored potato chips, toothpaste, and medications such as cough drops and chewable vitamins.
The WHO indicated that it can continue to be consumed – they are commonly used to sweeten coffee or tea – but the recommended daily dose is a maximum of 40 milligrams per kilo (mg/kg) of body weight.
According to three studies analyzed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, harmful effects such as liver cancer have been identified in humans or animals, “but more research will have to be done,” the WHO said.
Aspartame is a non-caloric sweetener, 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar, discovered in 1965 by the American pharmaceutical company GD Searle and Company, and is marketed under brand names such as NutraSweet, Natreen, and Canderel.
This is the first time that this food additive has been evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the WHO.
“If you have to choose between a cola with sweetener and a cola with sugar, I think you should consider a third option: drink water”: Francesco Branca.
“We are not advising companies to recall products nor are we advising consumers to stop using completely. We only advise a little moderation”, Branca specified.
The research agency classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence for cancer, specifically for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a type of liver cancer.
Evidence for cancer in laboratory animals was also limited, as was evidence regarding possible mechanisms of carcinogenicity.
Another joint study carried out by the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) claims not to have identified “sufficient reason” to change the consumption recommendation.
For a 70-kilo adult, no more than nine cans of soda a day, for example, and no more than three for a 30-kilo child. That threshold assumes no other intakes from other food sources.
Hazard identification by the WHO investigative agency is appreciated as the first step in understanding the carcinogenicity of an agent, by identifying its specific properties and its potential to cause harm, ie cancer.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Every year, one in six people dies of cancer, the WHO recalled.
Branca pointed out that “science continues to develop to evaluate possible initiating or facilitating factors of cancer, with the hope of reducing these numbers and the number of victims.”
“If you have to choose between a cola with sweetener and a cola with sugar, I think you should consider a third option: drink water,” concluded Branca.
A-E/HM
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