A Redditor was curious about a popular additive and decided to take their concerns to r/HealthyFood for opinions.
"I've always heard about how spooky and evil aspartame is," wrote the original poster. "Is it on par with high fructose corn syrup or is it relatively safe? (not limiting this to FDA approval rating)."
Experts that The Cool Down has spoken to suggest that foods and drinks with aspartame can be less unhealthy than those with sugar since lowering sugar intake can reduce cardiovascular risks. Yet there are health concerns, and more research needs to be done to explore claims that aspartame is carcinogenic.
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Shampoo and conditioner 🧴 "The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies," said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization.
According to the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer "classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans … on the basis of limited evidence for cancer in humans (specifically, for hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a type of liver cancer)" and that "there was also limited evidence for cancer in experimental animals."
However, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives "concluded that the data evaluated indicated no sufficient reason to change the previously established acceptable daily intake" for aspartame. The WHO report noted that for a "can of diet soft drink containing 200 or 300 [milligrams] of aspartame, an adult weighing [154 pounds] would need to consume more than 9-14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake."
Avoiding or reducing both sugar and aspartame would be the best option, while alternatives like stevia should only be used by adults since there's insufficient long-term data to explore any potential effects on development in children, according to Thomas Galligan, principal food scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The Reddit community had mixed reactions about aspartame, with some sharing that artificial sweeteners have caused them migraines and others saying they think the benefits outweigh the risks. But it's important to look to scientists studying large populations rather than individual impressions from members of the public.
One commenter did point out an important additional point about aspartame risks for those who have phenylketonuria, also known as PKU. They went on to provide an accurate summary: "PKU is an inherited disorder where the body cannot break down phenylalanine. People who eat foods that contain it, such as aspartame, can slowly develop severe neurological and health issues over time. This is why foods with aspartame contain a warning."
Eating healthy is a bit of a minefield. Just when you think you've found a working alternative, more data comes out that can shoot it down. It's generally safe to reduce meat and added sugar in your diet and increase fruit and vegetables, though, as that generally replaces cancer-causing free radicals with cancer-preventing antioxidants and can lower cardiovascular disease risks. A shift like that has the added benefits of helping out the environment and improving animal welfare. If you're interested in cleaning up your diet, check out TCD's starter's guide on eating cheaper, more natural food.
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