Hidden in the long ingredient list in products like diet fizzy drinks and chewing gum, aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
The biggest appeal of the chemical compound comes down to its ability to provide a kick of a sugary taste without the extra calories.
Now, the artificial sweetener used in around 6,000 food products is set to be officially classified as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans.
This comes as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, has been reviewing about 1,300 studies on aspartame and cancer.
While IARC is expected to tell us how strong the evidence is, it won’t specify how risky the substance is to health.
However, Navin Khosla, Pharmacist at Now Patient, explained you shouldn’t ditch sugar-free foods and drinks yet.
Khosla said: “It’s inevitable that people across the country will be concerned to hear about the dangers of aspartame, especially when we’ve been led to believe we’re promoting a healthier lifestyle by consuming sugar-free foods and drinks.
“But it’s important to wait until the full report is published first before eliminating sugar-free foods and drinks from your life completely.”
On the other hand, there’s plenty of other research that has previously linked the artificial sweetener to a variety of other health problems.
Cardiovascular problems and diabetes
A study, published in Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, may have negative effects on metabolism, gut bacteria and appetite.
Looking at 37 studies that followed over 400,000 people for an average of 10 years, the research team linked the sweeteners to higher risk of weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.
However, the scientists also noted that the evidence is conflicting and there’s a need for more studies.
The lead author Dr Meghan Azad said: “Given the widespread and increasing use of artificial sweeteners, and the current epidemic of obesity and related diseases, more research is needed to determine the long-term risks and benefits of these products.”
Oxidative stress and inflammation
Despite the limited amount of human studies, research, published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, found that aspartame may disrupt the oxidant and antioxidant balance, induce oxidative stress, and damage cell membrane integrity.
What’s worse, these processes can lay the groundwork for systemic inflammation, according to the researchers.
Worryingly, both oxidative stress and inflammation play a big role in cancer development.
This makes minimising your risk of these harmful processes front and centre.
Changes in the brain
A study, published in the journal PNAS, found a potential link between aspartame consumption and epigenetic changes in the brain.
The popular sweetener produced changes in the amygdala, which describes a brain region that regulates anxiety and fear.
More worrying was the fact that the changes in brain structure persisted for up to two subsequent generations.
However, the researchers added that there’s a need for more research into this link before a firm conclusion can be drawn.
While there are different studies that link aspartame to various health problems, the majority of research agrees that more data is currently needed.
Khosla added that you would need to consume large amounts of the artificial sweetener to exceed the safe daily level.
The expert said: “Decades ago, it was suggested that an acceptable level of aspartame to consume for a human was 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and for those who are feeling anxious about the recent warnings, a human would have to consume a large amount of the sweetener every day to reach this limit.
“Like most foods and drinks, there are positive and negative health impacts so until the World Health Organization comments any further, it’s best to enjoy everything in moderation and not immediately panic by what you read or hear in the news.”
