Sweetener used in Diet Coke possibly causes cancer, WHO set to declare
ground.news
The World Health Organization is on the verge of declaring the aspartame sweetener in Diet Coke a possible carcinogen, Reuters reported Thursday.

Aspartame is also linked in some studies to weight gain, GI disorders, mental health issues and more:

According to some studies, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss 12. Aspartame has been linked to increased appetite, diabetes, metabolic derangement and obesity-related diseases 2.

One study showed that aspartame causes greater weight gain than a diet with the same calorie intake but no aspartame 1. Another study found that even acceptable daily intakes of aspartame might make you hungrier and lead to weight gain 3.

…some research suggests an association between aspartame intake and metabolic damage to the central nervous system (CNS), such as changes in enzyme and neurotransmitter activities 2. Aspartame acts as a chemical stressor by elevating plasma cortisol levels and causing the production of excess free radicals. High cortisol levels and excess free radicals may increase the brain’s vulnerability to oxidative stress which may have adverse effects on neurobehavioral health 3.

There is also some evidence that high-aspartame consumption may lead to weaker spatial orientation, irritability, depression, and other neurobehavioral conditions 14. However, these studies are limited in scope and further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of aspartame on human health.

Worth researching more, especially if you eat/drink anything with this stuff - and it’s in a lot of food products.

  • JesusTheCarpenter@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    1 year ago

    I am curious whether this will actually impact what is considered safe to consume on a daily basis.

    Again, many things are unhealthy and carcinogenic in large quantities. The infamos study showed that Aspartame was causing cancer in mice but the amounts they were given would be like humans eating bags of it every day.

    • ilex@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      Is aspartame regulated?

      The FDA … sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for [Aspartame], which is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day during a person’s lifetime. [EFSA is the Euro version.]

      The FDA has set the ADI for aspartame at 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. [EFSA’s is 40mg/kg]

      FDA estimates that if all of the added sugar in the diet of an average 60 kg (132 lb) person were replaced by aspartame, it would result in an exposure of about 8 to 9 mg/kg/day.

      In order to reach the ADI of 40 mg/kg/day, an adult weighing 60 kg (132 lb) would have to drink 12 cans of a diet soft drink (if it contained aspartame at the maximum permitted levels of use), every day. [Goes on to say in practice it would be 36 cans, because reasons]