10 July 2023. The topic of artificial sweeteners can be complex and controversial, with concerns around aspartame, an artificial sweetener, growing. In fact, recent reports confirm that the World Health Organization is considering declaring aspartame a carcinogenic substance. This is a highly significant decision. It also begs a lot of questions. Aspartame is commonly found in many diet soda drinks, including Diet Coke, among others.
Why has the world become so reliant on artificial sweeteners?
Often referred to as ‘’intense sweeteners’’, artificial sweeteners have become increasingly popular over the years. This is due to the fact they taste sweet yet provide virtually zero or a very low amount of calories, as your body can’t break them down.
Overall, the likelihood of experiencing negative effects can vary by individual and depend on the type of artificial sweetener consumed. Some people may experience negative effects after consuming artificial sweeteners, even though they have been deemed safe for consumption by leading health authorities and are well-tolerated by most people.
There are many different types of artificial sweeteners but not all of them are approved for use in every country.
Artificial sweeteners vary in that they are made up of chemical compounds. These include sulfonamides, sucrose byproducts, peptides, and their derivatives. Some may affect people in different ways even though they are deemed safe.
“They are synthetically made and are hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar,” says Kaytee Hadley, RD.
Aspartame: A Commonly Used Artificial Sweetener
Aspartame is a popular sugar substitute and is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It’s found in low-calorie foods, drinks, and other medications. Despite its extensive use and popularity, aspartame has become a source of controversy in recent years. There have been several studies claiming that the sweetener has adverse health effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aspartame in 1981. According to the FDA, there have been over 100 studies that have shown aspartame to be safe for most people. Agencies in Europe, Canada, and many other countries have also approved it.
How Does Aspartame Affect The Body?
Despite the FDA’s views, many reports and research papers challenge the health benefits of aspartame. The substance contains 4 calories per gram. This means that only a small amount is needed to sweeten foods and drinks. For this reason, many people will often use it in weight loss diets.
However, a 2017 review of studies found no evidence that low-calorie sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and stevioside were effective for weight management. Studies in the review monitored the individuals over several years. Researchers discovered a link between increased body weight and waist circumference due to regular intake of these sweeteners.
More alarming was the 2017 review that found evidence that suggested that those who consume sweeteners regularly might be at greater risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Artificial sweeteners and your appetite
Some research suggests that aspartame may affect body weight by increasing people’s appetites. This can lead to greater food consumption.
A 2015 animal study discovered that aspartame increased the appetite in rats. The study suggested that sweeteners may increase appetite by disrupting the signaling process that usually occurs when someone eats foods with more calories.
Artificial sweeteners such aspartame provide sweetness without providing the body with energy therefore, this effect on the body may stimulate your appetite.
The Impact on Your Gut Microbiome
A review from 2016 further discussed the link between low-calorie sweeteners and metabolic disease. It suggested that regular and long-term intake of sweeteners may disrupt the balance and diversity of bacteria living in the gut.
Certain animal studies have shown that this type of disruption can result in glucose intolerance. This is known to be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found a link between aspartame use and greater glucose intolerance. This impacted those with obesity, as none of the sugars and sweeteners in the study had any negative effect on people with a healthy weight. Therefore, the study suggests that a regular intake of aspartame could increase the risk of glucose intolerance in people who may already be overweight.
It is safe to say that there is enough discussion and scientific review to show that artificial sweeteners can be highly disruptive to the gut biome. Given what we know about the need for a healthy gut biome, we should all be weary and even concerned about artificial sweeteners in our food and beverages.
The World Health Organization and Aspartame
Aspartame in diet sodas, gum and some Snapple drinks will be listed by @WHO as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” while a new study indicates another popular sweetener, Splenda, causes damage to DNA and the gut. Read on… pic.twitter.com/PiZtO1dpRw
— David Sinclair (@davidasinclair) June 30, 2023
The World Health Organization is set to declare aspartame a possible carcinogen. For the past few years, there has been talk surrounding the WHO with concerns about artificial sweeteners.
It is believed that WHO has only now considered this ban due to the increasing studies surrounding artificial sweeteners and aspartame specifically. The WHO’s decision is intended to motivate even more research, which will help agencies, consumers and manufacturers draw firmer conclusions.
If aspartame is, however, declared a carcinogen, it is believed that it will be banned along all fronts within the food and beverage industry.
Artificial sweeteners and carcinogens
A carcinogen is a substance or type of exposure that can cause cancer to develop. You can encounter carcinogens in many different forms, such as the environment, specific lifestyle choices, certain medical treatments, and some types of infections.
The cancer research arm of the World Health Organization is labeling the popular sweetener aspartame as a possible carcinogen. This may cause a complete “up in arms” amongst the food and beverage industry.
The World Health Organization will be providing a follow-up with a much-anticipated update on the risks associated with aspartame. Such as acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure. As well as the next steps that will follow surrounding aspartame and the ban.
What would make YOU stop drinking sodas?
The latest news on aspartame
EFSA’s scientists are currently re-evaluating the safety of two related food additives. The salt of aspartame-acesulfame and neotame, considering all new data that may become available since they were last evaluated either by the EFSA or the European Committee on Food.
The salt of aspartame-acesulfame is a mixture of the two sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame K. Neotame is a chemically related substance manufactured from aspartame. An update will also be provided by the EFSA on the dietary exposure of aspartame as part of the re-evaluation of the salt of aspartame-acesulfame.
In 2021 the EFSA identified a need for additional data needed for its re-evaluation of the salt of aspartame-acesulfame and neotame, among other sweeteners.
The EFSA’s Role
The EFSA has 3 main tasks in relation to food additives such as sweeteners.
- Evaluating the safety of new food additives or proposed new uses of existing food additives before they can be authorized for use in the UE.
- Re-evaluating all food additives already permitted for use in the UE before 20 January 2009.
- Responding to ad-hoc requests from the European Commission to review certain food additives in light of new scientific information and/or changing conditions of use.
Here are 5 Natural Sweeteners
it is normal for someone to now question what is good for them or not and most importantly, what is safe. At the end of the day, what nature provides and what occurs naturally is always going to be your safest bet.
5 natural sweeteners you may want to opt for are raw honey, monk fruit, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, or dates.
The bottom line on artificial sweeteners
Be aware of what you are consuming. Although there still remains controversy and uncertainty around the popular sweetener aspartame. It is imperative that you as a consumer of these products containing aspartame are aware of the possible risks and health-related effects of the sweetener. Natural sweeteners are also an option if you simply cannot shake the thoughts of the possible negative effects of aspartame. Look out for new information surrounding Aspartame.
For more background on the subject, read a previous post by Longevity
World Health Organisation: Artificial Sweeteners Are Bad For Weight Loss and Health
References
https://www.eatthis.com/artificial-sweeteners/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners-good-or-bad#bottom-line
https://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322266#associated-risks
https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/what-is-a-carcinogen#carcinogen-definition
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuGbrnDLAE5/?img_index=1
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/aspartame
Are Artificial Sweeteners Good or Bad? (verywellhealth.com)
11 Best Sugar Substitutes (Healthiest Natural Sweeteners) – Dr. Axe (draxe.com)
The Main Differences Between Diet Coke And Coke Zero (mashed.com)
