Top search! Aspartame may cause cancer? Can we still drink sugar-free beverages?

On June 29, Reuters reported that two people familiar with the matter revealed that aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, will be declared "probably carcinogenic" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization in July.

Image source: Weibo screenshot

Many friends also asked me about this. One of my friends sighed and said that there were several boxes of sugar-free cola that they had just bought in the office, all of which were aspartame.

Is Aspartame Safe? Can I Still Drink Sugar-Free Coke?

01 What is aspartame?

Aspartame is mainly composed of aspartic acid and phenylalanine (amino acids are the components of protein). It can be quickly absorbed in the body like protein and will not accumulate in the body. Moreover, the aspartic acid can be directly used by the human body.

Aspartame has a very low calorie content of only 4186 kJ/kg, which is 1/200 of sucrose, but its sweetness is 200 times that of the same amount of sucrose. Due to its low calorie content and high sweetness, aspartame is used in many beverages and foods. For example, it is easy to find it in the sugar-free cola, chewing gum, and many sugar-free foods that people often drink .

02 Is aspartame safe?

From a safety perspective, many international health organizations and regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Food Additives Committee JECFA, have conducted extensive evaluations and research on aspartame and all believe that it is safe to use within a reasonable range (except that patients with phenylketonuria cannot eat foods containing aspartame as a sweetener) and does not cause cancer .

03 Can aspartame cause cancer?

What do you think of IARC’s carcinogen classification?

The current news is that it may cause cancer, but the specific results are unknown. There are also rumors that it may be a Class 2B carcinogen.

What I want to say is that everyone should not be scared by the so-called "carcinogens" and even be afraid to eat sugar-free foods or drink sugar-free beverages.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is an organization under the World Health Organization that specializes in cancer-related research. It was also the organization that previously concluded that red meat and processed meat are carcinogenic.

In fact, the IARC carcinogenicity classification is not equal to the carcinogenicity intensity . The IARC carcinogenicity classification is based on the degree of certainty of carcinogenicity evidence, and has no necessary connection with the carcinogenicity intensity or the actual threat to humans.

IARC classifies carcinogens into five levels:

Category 1 carcinogens are substances that “definitely” cause cancer in humans;

Class 2A carcinogens are substances that are "highly likely" to cause cancer, meaning that animal experiments have proven that they have a clear carcinogenic effect, but their effects on humans are still unclear;

Category 2B carcinogens are “likely” to cause cancer, but there is also insufficient evidence.

You can take a look in advance. The first-class carcinogens evaluated by IARC include:

1. Aristolochic acid (found in Houttuynia cordata)

2. Alcohol

3. Betel nut

4. Processed meat (sausage, ham, bacon, cured meat)

5. Salted Fish

In fact, the IARC carcinogen classification has always been controversial. For example, when it said that red meat and processed meat were carcinogens, it was very controversial. We can look forward to the attitudes of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) after the official report is issued.

04 Can I still drink beverages containing aspartame in the future?

I recommend that you:

First, if you have consumed foods and drinks containing aspartame before, you can still eat them in moderation, but of course don’t eat or drink too much .

Currently, more than 90 countries and regions around the world allow the use of aspartame, including the United States, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, etc. This is enough to show that it is safe within a reasonable range. The conclusion that it may cause cancer does not necessarily have a high level of evidence, so there is no need to be particularly anxious or worried.

Second, if you hope that sugar-free foods and drinks can help you lose weight, don't have high expectations.

The key to losing weight is to control the total energy balance . If you eat sugar-free foods and drink beverages, but eat a lot of meat and don't exercise, it is unlikely to lose weight.

References:

[1]World Health Organization(WHO).The IARC Monographs: Updated Procedures for Modern and Transparent Evidence Synthesis in Cancer Hazard Identification.JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (2020) 112(1): djz169.

[2]World Health Organization(WHO).IARCMonographs on the Identification of Carcinnogenic Hazards to Humans,Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs(2020), Volumes 1–125.

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health

Planning Editor: Xu Lai

Editor-in-charge: Yang Yaping