The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization (WHO) agency, has recognized aspartame, a common artificial sweetener used in diet beverages and low-sugar meals, as having cancer-causing potential.
Cancer is one of the biggest causes of mortality (death) worldwide. Each year, one in six people die from cancer.
Various products like diet beverages, chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, yogurt, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, and pharmaceuticals have used aspartame as an artificial sweetener since the 1980s.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified aspartame as probably carcinogenic to humans, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma, based on limited evidence of cancer in people. This was stated in a press release provided to The PUNCH.
“There was also limited evidence for cancer in experimental animals and limited evidence related to the possible mechanisms for causing cancer,” the statement reads in part.
The WHO stated that aspartame is safe up to 40 mg per kg of body weight daily. For example, adults weighing 70 kg must consume 9-14 cans of diet soft drinks daily without other food sources to exceed the permissible daily intake.
“The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies,” the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO, Dr Francesco Branca said.
An official of the IARC Monographs programme, Dr. Mary Schubauer-Berigan, emphasized that the classification of aspartame as a possible carcinogen is based on limited evidence.
“The findings of limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals, and of limited mechanistic evidence on how carcinogenicity may occur, underscore the need for more research to refine our understanding on whether consumption of aspartame poses a carcinogenic hazard,” she said.
The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives reviewed animal and human studies on cancer risk. It concluded that the evidence of an association between aspartame consumption and human cancer is not convincing.
WHO’s Head of the Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition Unit, Dr Moez Sanaa said, “We need better studies with longer follow-up and repeated dietary questionnaires in existing cohorts. We need randomised controlled trials, including studies of mechanistic pathways relevant to insulin regulation, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, particularly as related to carcinogenicity.”
The IARC and JECFA evaluations of aspartame’s impact were based on scientific data from various sources, including peer-reviewed papers, governmental reports, and regulatory studies. Independent experts reviewed these studies, and both committees ensured the independence and reliability of their evaluations. The IARC and WHO will continue to monitor new evidence and encourage independent research groups to conduct further studies on the potential link between aspartame exposure and consumer health effects.
cc: Punch Ng
