Aspartame is considered possibly carcinogenic by WHO – 07/13/2023 – Equilibrium

Aspartame, the main sweetener in diet sodas, has been added to the list of “possibly carcinogenic” substances by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the WHO (World Health Organization). The announcement was published on the night of this Thursday (13).

The statement comes two months after the agency advised against the use of all types of non-nutritive sweeteners as substitutes for sugar in diets for weight control. The warning called attention to the long-term side effects of these compounds, such as an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, thrombosis and certain types of cancer in adults.

The guideline was published after an IARC working group, composed of 25 independent experts from 12 countries, came together to evaluate studies related to the development of cancer in humans, as well as clinical trials in animals, and the evidence on the main characteristics of carcinogens. .

According to the document, aspartame has been classified as possibly carcinogenic due to “limited evidence of cancer in humans” and in animal experiments.

The publication also has the opinion of JECFA (Joint Committee of FAO and WHO Experts on Food Additives), which concluded that “there is no convincing evidence from experimental data in animals or humans that aspartame has adverse effects after ingestion”.

The JECFA committee also stated that there is no reason to change the maximum daily recommendation of 40 mg/kg.

With a sweeter taste than sugar, but without its calories, aspartame is present in most products classified as zero sugar or dietetic (diet). Among them are soft drinks; liquid and powder ready juices; industrialized teas; ready preparations for coffee and cappuccino; yogurts; jellies; breads; cereal bars and gum.

Paulo Augusto Miranda, president of SBEM (Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology), says that the publications and recommendations of health agencies are based on the evaluation of scientific data. In this case, decisions are based on evidence from long-term follow-up studies as well as placebo-controlled studies.

The agency observes the quantity and quality of scientific work on the substance. The intention is to calculate the level of exposure of individuals and the association of compounds with the development of diseases. “It’s the amount of evidence that makes it possible to recommend,” he says.

There is no scientific consensus on the harmful effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on health, such as cancer. In Brazil, it is Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) that will evaluate the WHO recommendation to guide actions on access to products through regulation.

“The guideline will also serve as a basis for health professionals to guide their patients, based on individualized analysis”, says Miranda.

The classification of compounds evaluated by the WHO is divided into four groups, namely:

The addition of aspartame to the list is due to scientific evidence that indicates the product as a risk.

A study that linked the use of sweeteners with chances of developing cancer states that artificial products (especially aspartame and acesulfame-K), used in many food and beverage brands around the world, were associated with increased chances of developing the disease.

The work was published in PLoS in 2022 and considered results from 102,865 adults followed for 7.8 years.

In another survey, conducted in 2016, Indian researchers questioned whether artificial sweeteners used as sugar substitutes were really healthy, in addition to assessing whether they could be considered safe for diabetics.

Published in the Indian Journal Pharmacology, the study considered several agents, including aspartame.

The authors concluded that pregnant and lactating women, children, diabetics, patients with migraine and epilepsy represent “a population susceptible to the adverse effects of products containing non-nutritive sweeteners and should use these products with the utmost care.” For people without these conditions, use remained inconclusive.

Do I need to stop using sweeteners?

Miranda says that the WHO guidance is not decisive, as it depends on the association between cause and effect, which does not yet exist. “Apparently we don’t have enough data to establish this relationship strongly,” she says.

Even so, he claims that the guidelines need to be observed and inserted into public policies and health actions.

“It is important to understand the argument, the individual impact and the population risk for the analysis of the best recommendation, based on the global context of public health”, says the endocrinologist.