Connecting The Dots Project
Aspartame (artificial sweetener) and health
Recently the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classified the commonly used artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, although another UN committee reaffirmed that there was a safe daily level of consumption. So let’s delve into the current findings on Aspartame to get to get to the bottom.
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is regulated by the FDA in the United States. It undergoes safety testing and requires FDA approval before it can be used. The FDA sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame, which represents the maximum amount considered safe for daily consumption over a person's lifetime. The FDA has set the ADI for aspartame at 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, while the JECFA and EFSA recommend a slightly lower ADI of 40 mg/kg/day.
For example, the daily max consumption for an individual weighing 132 lbs (=60 kg) would be 2400mg to 3000mg per day. It is approximately 8-12 cans of diet soda per day assuming there are 200 to 300 milligrams of aspartame in each can. Aside from individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder that affects the breakdown of phenylalanine, aspartame has not been conclusively linked to specific health problems according to studies. Products containing aspartame are required to carry a warning label for individuals with PKU.
In 2023, citing “limited evidence” for carcinogenicity in humans, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement that Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, has been categorized by the IARC as "possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2b)”, specifically for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a type of liver cancer. (IARC is the cancer research agency of the WHO). It is crucial to understand that IARC classifications are determined based on the strength of evidence regarding whether a substance can cause cancer in humans, rather than assessing its likelihood to cause cancer.
Now, let’s compare the ruling of IARC with those of other health organizations.
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA):
The JECFA is an international expert committee jointly operated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). One of its primary roles is to evaluate the safety of food additives, considering various health impacts, including cancer. In assessing the risk associated with a specific harm, such as cancer, the JECFA considers factors such as the frequency, amount, and manner in which people are exposed to a particular food additive. After conducting a dietary exposure assessment, the JECFA has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to establish an association between aspartame consumption and cancer in humans. Consequently, based on current dietary exposure estimates, the JECFA has determined that the consumption of aspartame under the limit does not pose a health concern.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of food ingredients, including artificial sweeteners like aspartame, in the United States. The FDA has expressed that scientific evidence consistently supports the conclusion that aspartame is safe for the general population, as long as it is produced following good manufacturing practices and used within approved aforementioned limits and conditions.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA):
The EFSA oversees the regulation of food additives within the European Union. Following a comprehensive risk assessment of aspartame conducted in 2013, the EFSA stated that both aspartame and its breakdown products are safe for human consumption at 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, that is the same level with the ADI level of JECFA, and EFSA.
So why does the statement from IARC sound more alarming?
The difference is that IARC's classification reflects the strength of scientific evidence regarding the potential carcinogenicity of aspartame. Reportedly, IARC sites have limited evidence for carcinogenicity in humans. Also, the IARC hazard evaluation considers all types of exposures (e.g. dietary, and occupational) but is not limited to dietary consumptions. On the other hand, other organizations’ risk assessments listed above are based on the probability of harm occurring under specific conditions and levels of exposure. More research is needed to better understand the potential carcinogenic hazard of aspartame. Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO states, “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.”
So let’s keep in mind that scientific understanding and research in this field are continually evolving, and future studies may contribute additional insights.
Sources:
https://www.cancer.org/.../determining-if-something-is-a...
https://www.safetyofaspartame.com/...
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