The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared the artificial sweetener aspartame as a potential carcinogen. This information was first brought to light over 25 years ago in the book “Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” as well as in an article by Eric Mercola on The Huffington Post. The ruling by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states that aspartame will be listed as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” starting from July 2023. The Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization’s Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is also expected to release additional findings on aspartame’s risk assessment.
The approval of aspartame dates back to 1981 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first granted it. At that time, Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. secretary of defense and chairman of aspartame’s manufacturer, G.D. Searle, played a significant role in its approval. The FDA initially refused to approve aspartame due to concerns about potential brain tumors. However, Rumsfeld used his influence to overturn the decision and get aspartame approved.
Despite its approval, investigative reports in 1987 raised concerns about conflicts of interest, poor quality industry-funded research, and the close relationship between the FDA and the food industry. By 1996, researchers at Washington University Medical School observed a high incidence of brain tumors in rats fed aspartame, leading to suspicions of a connection. A study in 2006 by Dr. Morando Soffritti found that animals developed different forms of cancer even at low doses of aspartame. Subsequent studies in 2007, 2010, 2020, and 2021 further supported the link between aspartame and cancer.
In a large-scale cohort study of over 100,000 adults from France in 2022, high levels of artificial sweetener consumption, including aspartame, were associated with an increased risk of overall cancer, breast cancer, and obesity-related cancers. The researchers recommend re-evaluating the role of artificial sweeteners in cancer prevention.
Furthermore, in May 2023, WHO released a guideline advising against the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) for weight control. The organization conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis revealing no clear consensus on the long-term effectiveness of non-sugar sweeteners for weight loss or maintenance.
Aspartame is commonly found in various food products, including sugar-free gum, diet drink mixes, sodas, reduced-sugar condiments, and tabletop sweeteners like Equal and NutraSweet. Its high sweetness and low-calorie content make it popular among those seeking to sweeten their meals without the added calories of sugar. However, the recent classification by WHO raises concerns about its safety and calls into question its use in food and beverages.