Is Aspartame Bad for You?

In mid-July, a WHO subgroup released a statement about aspartame and its relation to cancer risk. This has been a source of confusion and worry for many. Let me tell you more about it!

What is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly used in sodas, gum, and tabletop sweetener packets. Artificial sweeteners are lower in calories than sugar, and don’t cause blood sugar spikes like regular sugar does. Because of this, aspartame-containing products are very popular all over the world.

FDA and WHO Guidelines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed aspartame decades ago and deemed it safe to be consumed in amounts less than 50 milligrams per pound of body weight a day. WHO supported the FDA’s stance, but determined that the amount consumed per day should be limited to 40 milligrams per pound of body weight. Both limits still declare that you can safely consume a LOT of aspartame. 

For example, if a person weighs 125lb, they could safely consume 5,000mg of aspartame according to the WHO guidelines. 5,000mg of aspartame is equivalent to 25 12-ounce cans of diet coke. Therefore, it is not easy to consume more aspartame than what is recommended. 

The July Report on Aspartame

Now that we’ve established the aspartame guidelines that have been in place for years, let’s talk about what WHO had to say about aspartame this July. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the food additives research subgroup of WHO separately reviewed studies related to aspartame and its potential health risks. Then, the two groups came together to evaluate their findings. The groups agreed that there is “limited evidence” that aspartame has cancer-causing potential in humans. This “limited evidence” specifically involved a type of liver cancer.

Because of the new findings about aspartame, the IARC decided to classify aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. IARC’s hazard classifications function to tell us how strong the scientific link is between a substance and its cancer-causing abilities. Aspartame’s classification, 2B (see the image below), indicates that evidence for cancer risk with aspartame consumption is limited, but not convincing.  

https://www.iarc.who.int/infographics/iarc-monographs-classification/

In response to the IARC/WHO, the FDA reaffirmed their long-standing stance on aspartame safety. The FDA plainly disagrees with the new findings and states that they identified “significant shortcomings in the studies in which IARC relied”.

What Does This Mean?

Despite all the fuss that the WHO/IARC’s report caused, the WHO subcommittee affirmed that there is not enough data to change the 40 milligrams of aspartame per pound of body weight guideline that has been established for years. So, is aspartame still safe?

The answer is, yes. The IARC’s decision to change aspartame’s hazard classification means that they would like to further investigate the safety of aspartame. A link between aspartame and cancer has not been found. The “limited evidence” that the IARC discovered does not mean that aspartame is causing cancer. It means that they would like to explore the possibility further. 

Food For Thought

When reading about research studies claiming that a food causes disease, let me leave you something to consider: Correlation doesn’t equal causation.

For example, when the weather is warm, ice cream sales go up and there are more swimming-related accidents per month when compared to warmer months. Does this mean that ice cream causes swimming accidents? Of course not! Ice cream sales and swimming-related accidents are associated with each other because they both see increases during warm weather, but they do not cause one another. 

Consider the IARC’s concerns about aspartame and liver cancer in the same way.

Do you have more questions or concerns about how the foods you eat may impact your health? Reach out to HSH today for answers! If cost is a factor that impacts whether or not you’re able to work with us, consider filling out an insurance benefits form! Your insurance may significantly reduce the cost of our coaching and other services.

• https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food

• https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released

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Written by Sarah Haaser

Hey, I'm Sarah!

I am an undergraduate senior at Purdue University majoring in Nutrition & Dietetics. I enjoy trying new recipes and thrifting when I’m not in class or studying!  Learn more about the HSH offerings here.