The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has identified a popular artificial sweetener present in Diet Coke, ‘Aspertame’, as a carcinogen, expanding a growing list of consumed contents that cause cancercarcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute, (NHGRI) US.
Carcinogens may occur naturally in the environment such as ultraviolet rays in sunlight and certain viruses or may be generated by humans such as automobile exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke.
Most carcinogens work by interacting with a cell’s DNA to produce mutations.
Aspartame is used in common drinks and foods as an alternative to sugar. It’s also used in cough drops and some toothpaste.
The WHO label indicates there is limited evidence linking aspartame to cancer as it is the lowest of three categories, with “probable carcinogen” (such as the herbicide glyphosate) and “carcinogenic to humans” ( tobacco smoking and asbestos), a report by Fortune states.
“The IARC has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame. Following this, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame,” the WHO said accordingto Fortune.
However, the International Sweeteners Association, had said conclusions cannot be made yet.
“IARC is not a food safety body,” Frances Hunt-Wood, secretary general of the International Sweeteners Association said. “No conclusions can be drawn until both reports are published. Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly researched ingredients in history, with over 90 food safety agencies across the globe declaring it is safe.”
Earlier in 2015, the IARC released a report analysis of the research on red and processed meat’s role in increasing colorectal cancer risk.
The report places processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, ham, sausage, cold cuts) in Group 1: Carcinogenic to Humans, the same category as cigarettes.
Red meat (beef, pork, lamb) is assigned to Group 2A: Probably Carcinogenic to Humans.
The IARC report evaluated data from over 800 different studies of cancer risk in humans, over 700 of which involved red meat and over 400 of which involved processed meat. A team of 22 international experts reviewed the evidence.
Most cancer research institutes recommend avoiding processed meats and eating just fewounces of cooked red meat weekly to lower colorectal cancer risk.
“Our own analyses show that such moderate consumption of red meat is not associated with a notable increase in colorectal cancer risk. But they do show that regular consumption of even small amounts of hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats increase colorectal cancer risk,” The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) said in an official statement on the report.
“Although WHO now classifies both processed meat and cigarettes in the highest category of carcinogen, these classifications reflect the strength of the evidence behind them, not the level of risk. We hope that media coverage of this new report is careful to consider the appropriate real-world context: In some studies, participants who eat diets high in processed meat experience a risk for colorectal cancer that is nearly double that of non-meat-eaters. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking cigarettes multiplies a person’s risk for cancer by as much as 20 times.”
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