Aspartame: moderation and natural options are recommended – 06/30/2023 – Health

The news that aspartame, a sweetener widely used in the food industry, may be considered possibly carcinogenic by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) can lead to several concerns in people who consume food with the substance. Soda is an example.

The agency’s recommendation has yet to be officially released. Linked to the WHO (World Health Organization), the IARC reviews available evidence to assess whether or not substances are a potential hazard for the development of cancer.

Studies on aspartame and tumors is a source of debate. The nutritionist of the coordination of prevention and surveillance of Inca (National Cancer Institute), Luciana Grucci Maya, explains that it is difficult to identify the amount and type of sweetener ingested by a person. Therefore, isolating the substance to observe the outcomes of its consumption in human health is not an easy task.

But some research has already been done and with signs that the problem may exist. “There are some more specific studies […] pointing out that it may indeed have an increased risk for cancer”, summarizes Maya. For her, this evidence, even if scarce, is already enough for the indication to be to avoid sweeteners in the diet.

One of these surveys was published in the journal Plos Medicine and followed more than 100,000 French people. The authors observed the diets of the participants in order to measure their intake of sweeteners. An average was made of the daily consumption of substances among those involved in the research.

Then, those who consumed sweeteners above this average were observed. The conclusion was that, in this group, the risk of developing cancer was 13% higher. For aspartame in particular, the percentage was 15%.

However, conclusions such as the one in this article are not exempt from notes. Bruna Bighetti, an oncologist at Hospital São Paulo (HSP/Unifesp) and preceptor of the Unifesp oncology residency, says that it is difficult to necessarily relate aspartame to cancer.

In addition to the appearance of a tumor being multifactorial, aspartame is widely used in ultra-processed foods, which in itself is already a risk factor for the health problem. “In general terms, we have to look at industrialized and ultra-processed foods very carefully”, says Bighetti.

She says she believes that an article like this and even the cataloging of aspartame as possibly carcinogenic by the IARC are a sign of the importance of having more investigations and also the search for other alternatives.

More natural food, for example, is an option. An opinion from the nutrition department of the Brazilian Society of Diabetes (SBD) on the subject indicates that “the main recommendation is to avoid liquids and sugary drinks, give preference to the natural flavor of foods and prioritize the consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods”.

Silvia Ramos, a nutritionist who coordinates the nutrition division at SBD, says that it is important to wait for the position of the competent authorities –in the case of Brazil, Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency)—on the subject involving sweeteners.

She reiterates that, for people with diabetes, the use of more natural models, such as xylitol, may be recommended for treating the condition. In the society’s note, it is said that “the type of sweetener is chosen on an individual basis or as indicated by the nutritionist or other health professional specializing in the treatment of people with diabetes”.