Aspartame: Sweetener used in Diet Coke possibly causes cancer, WHO set to declare
Aspartame: Sweetener used in Diet Coke possibly causes cancer, WHO set to declare
The World Health Organization is on the verge of declaring the aspartame sweetener in Diet Coke a possible carcinogen, Reuters reported Thursday.
Aspartame is also linked in some studies to weight gain, GI disorders, mental health issues and more:
According to some studies, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss 12. Aspartame has been linked to increased appetite, diabetes, metabolic derangement and obesity-related diseases 2.
One study showed that aspartame causes greater weight gain than a diet with the same calorie intake but no aspartame 1. Another study found that even acceptable daily intakes of aspartame might make you hungrier and lead to weight gain 3.
...some research suggests an association between aspartame intake and metabolic damage to the central nervous system (CNS), such as changes in enzyme and neurotransmitter activities 2. Aspartame acts as a chemical stressor by elevating plasma cortisol levels and causing the production of excess free radicals. High cortisol levels and excess free radicals may increase the brain’s vulnerability to oxidative stress which may have adverse effects on neurobehavioral health 3.
There is also some evidence that high-aspartame consumption may lead to weaker spatial orientation, irritability, depression, and other neurobehavioral conditions 14. However, these studies are limited in scope and further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of aspartame on human health.
Worth researching more, especially if you eat/drink anything with this stuff - and it's in a lot of food products.
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So let's say we stop playing semantics to the degree of harm and say that aspartame is not good for humans. Ok. What sweetener currently on the market is the least damaging option for me to pursue?
Feels like there are 2 classes of sweeteners:
- Proven to be bad for your health
- Not yet proven to be bad for your health
And whenever one in the second category becomes popular, it inevitably transitions to the first category.
Also, "proven" is a minefield these days. There are so many agents with so many agendas conducting these so-called medical studies. It's difficult to know what to trust. For example, for decades the sugar industry has been paying "scientists" to conduct dodgy studies into the effects of fat in your diet in an attempt to deflect from the true horrors of added sugar.
Stevia Derived from a plant in South American, Stevia is a calorie-free herb that is actually used as a pre-packaged replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is sold as a herbal powdered extract in most health food stores and is incredibly sweet, with the refined extracts of Stevia (steviosides) reported to have 200-300 times the amount of sweetness as sugar.
Advantages Stevia is an all-natural herbal product that has been used for centuries by native Indians in Paraguay. It has been thoroughly tested in dozens of tests around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It can be a part of a healthy diet for anyone with diabetes since it does not raise blood sugar levels. Both Stevia and Stevioside extracts are extremely heat stable and can be used in cooking and baking. Disadvantages Stevia does not caramelise as sugar does. Studies conducted by US researchers in the 1980s suggested that DNA changes occurred when stevia was tested with a certain bacteria. Certain health organisations are still not sure of its safety, with the US Food and Drug Administration defining it as an unapproved food additive when in whole leaf or crude-extract form on account of it having not been clinically tested in these forms.
Source: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/sweeteners/which-artificial-sweetener-is-right-for-me.html
Stevia, erythritol, xylitol.
Probably regular sugar in moderation. Unfortunately moderation doesn't seem to be a word that food companies understand when it comes to sugar or sweetener. But if you drink coffee and add your own sugar, then that's probably the safest. At least your body knows what it is and how to deal with it.
I've found a better solution. Bypass the soda and just get sparkling water or seltzer and toss in your own flavor from natural sources. Lemon, grapefruit, mint, strawberries, cucumber, frozen grapes, etc.
I've basically completely over soda except in the case of a maybe once a month craving for something like a float.
So let’s say we stop playing semantics to the degree of harm and say that aspartame is not good for humans.
By that standard, nothing is good for humans because everything is bad to some degree.