Aspartame

Common Artificial Sweetener, Aspartame, is being declared as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

June 29, 2023

A common artificial sweetener, Aspartame, found in sodas and food, is being declared as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, an arm of the World Health Organization.

This widely consumed sweetener has found its way into thousands of products. Some of these products include soft drinks like Diet Coke, chewing gum, sugar-free cough lollies, dessert mixes, yogurt, gelatine, puddings, tabletop sweeteners and even some toothpaste.

Below is a statement from Homer Swei, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) senior vice president, Healthy Living Science:

“For years we’ve known that artificial sweeteners like aspartame are harmful to human health. They’re associated with an increase in Type 2 diabetes and soaring obesity rates. And they’ve recently been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We suspected aspartame might be a carcinogen as well, but this determination unequivocally solidifies that concern.”

“The Food and Drug Administration should take seriously these latest troubling findings, which could put consumers, particularly children, at greater risk of cancer.”

Big Pharma giant, G.D. Searle Company (now Pfizer), patented aspartame in 1965. Aspartame has been in our food since 1981 when the USA FDA approved it for use in food. Aspartame (frequently marketed as NutraSweet®, Equal®, and Amino Sweet®) is the most controversial food additive ever approved.

SOURCE: www.ewg.org/news-insights/

aspartame again

November 27, 2023

Artificial sweeteners have come under fire again lately as being associated with a range of health problems, including a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart disease, in addition to cancer, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

In May, 2023 the World Health Organization issued guidelines recommending against the use of these chemicals for weight control. In June, 2023 the WHO’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, determined aspartame was “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

But it turns out the use of artificial sweeteners use is going up. Foods claiming to be “reduced sugar,” “low sugar,” “lite” or “low carb” likely contain artificial sweetener. Surprisingly, some are foods you wouldn’t think contain a sweetener of any kind.

Bread, candy, yogurt, snacks, protein powder and more are just some of the almost countless items sold throughout the U.S. that may contain artificial sweeteners with health concerns.

Keeping consumption to a minimum is more complicated, as aspartame is a common sugar substitute in the food industry.

The most dangerous thing about artificial sweetener is that it is often in seemingly healthy products that advertise “sugar-free” on their labels.

Aspartame, sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal, It can be found in more than 5,000 foods and drinks sold in the U.S.

Six artificial sweeteners have been approved for use in food by the Food and Drug Administration (US). They include:

NB: Numbers in brackets above are the Food Additive number for each artificial sweetener and sometimes they are listed in the ingredients list on a product packaging instead of the actual name of the ingredient.

Here are some of the foods you might not think contain artificial sweeteners but do. In some cases, they may also contain various types of sugar, including high-fructose corn syrup. 

  • Canned fruit is notoriously high in sugar. If it states with “no sugar added” then it may contain artificial sweeteners.
  • Many bread and bakery products contain more than just flour, water and yeast. They may contain sucralose or other artificial sweeteners, in addition to honey, molasses, sugar and brown sugar.
  • Cereals can also contain artificial sugars. To avoid aspartame, check the label on seemingly healthy ones, like high-fiber bran cereal. Companies use artificial sweeteners to reduce the calories in their products.
  • Ice cream with low-sugar or sugar-free labels can also contain aspartame.
  • Sugar-free or low-calorie gelatin desserts and gelatin, pudding, or custard powdered mixes also commonly contain aspartame.
  • Diet soda/soft drink is the single biggest source of artificial sweeteners. 
  • Nut Snack Bars, sweets/lollies, cookies, biscuits, cake mixes, or cake frosting, yogurt, tomato/ketchup sauce.
  • Look for artificial sugars in products with “zero-sugar” or “sugar-free” labels.

Despite the discussion around aspartame, you should focus on the effects that artificial sweeteners can have on your body.

SOURCE: www.ewg.org/news-insights/

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