Aspartame is a sweetener used in many sugar-free products such as zero-sugar Snapple drinks, Trident chewing gum and Müllerlight yoghurts. This sweetener has become increasingly popular as many people have started to go on low-sugar diets. It was recently being researched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and it has been discovered that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. This information has spread like wildfire over various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram and many people have been spreading false information about the amount of evidence that has been discovered that points to aspartame being dangerous to consume. In this article, I would like to take a closer look at aspartame and hopefully, reassure you that you won’t have to throw out your Diet Coke just yet!
There are three main categories of substances that are carcinogenic to humans: Group 1, Group 2A and Group 2B. Group 1 carcinogens are substances like asbestos and processed meat. It has been proven that these substances have the ability to cause cancer in humans. Group 2A carcinogens are substances that can be found in red meat and air pollutants for example. There is evidence that these substances are possibly carcinogenic but this has not been conclusively proven. Group 2B carcinogens are also possibly carcinogenic but there is less evidence to support whether or not they can cause cancer in comparison to Group 2A. Aspartame is one of the substances that falls under this category. This means that there is little to no evidence to prove that it is carcinogenic.
Despite it not being proven that aspartame is a carcinogenic substance, the World Health Organization has cautioned people against the overconsumption of the substance. Multiple nutrition specialists have also commented on the safety of consuming aspartame. For example, David Klurfeld, a nutrition expert at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, has said that “The dose makes the poison” and has stated that it is safe for people to consume aspartame but that they should do so wisely.
Some people have started to question whether sugar would actually be the healthier option to consume instead of aspartame as they have been led to believe that there is ample evidence to prove that aspartame is unsafe. Sugar, whilst not generally very dangerous, has been proven to cause many health issues such as high blood pressure and obesity if not consumed in sensible amounts which means that it is in no way healthier than aspartame. The World Health Organization has responded to these types of questions by reminding people that neither aspartame nor sugar should be considered nutritious substances and that both should be consumed as sparingly as possible.
Dangerously carcinogenic or not? There is always a small possibility that aspartame could be proven to be a more serious carcinogen in the future. However, plenty of research has already been conducted and very little evidence has been uncovered to suggest that we should all stop consuming aspartame. I think that as long as you consume aspartame in moderation, you will be absolutely fine and will still be able to enjoy your favourite food and drinks containing this sweetener.
