Do Sweeteners Raise Cancer Risk?

Debras and Touvier said that in particular, they found that the sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame-K were linked to increased cancer risk. In addition, they saw increased risks in particular for breast cancer and a group of cancers related to obesity, including breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

Past observational studies have found that using artificial sweeteners is tied to an increased risk of cancer. In addition, animal studies and in vitro studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic.

People who consumed large amounts of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, had a higher risk of developing cancer than people who did not consume artificial sweeteners. Specifically, the researchers observed a greater number of breast cancer and obesity-related cancer diagnoses among these individuals.

In this large cohort study, artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame and acesulfame-K), which are used in many food and beverage brands worldwide, were associated with increased cancer risk.

“In this large (study population), artificial sweeteners — especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, which are used in many food and beverage brands worldwide — were associated with increased cancer risk,” Debras said.

Sweeteners should be consumed mindfully (Representative photo/Pexels) The study reported that aspartame and acesulfame K, in particular, were associated with increased cancer risk especially breast and obesity-related cancers, such as colorectal, stomach and prostate cancers.

This study found that artificial sweeteners were linked to a 13 percent increase in cancer risk. To illustrate how this affects risk, in the US, the average person’s lifetime risk of developing any type of cancer is about 40 percent. Using artificial sweeteners would increase that to about 45 percent.

Over the years, lab research has suggested that artificial sweeteners are capable of promoting cancer — possibly by feeding chronic inflammation in the body, contributing to DNA damage, or affecting the composition of bacteria in the gut.

What is the healthiest sweetener for coffee?

• Stevia. Stevia is our top choice for a coffee sweetener for several reasons.
• Honey. Honey is not just sweet like sugar, it has a noticeably distinct flavor.
• Agave Nectar. Agave nectar or syrup comes from a cactus and, as such, is completely natural.
• Maple Syrup.
• Molasses.

Do artificial sweeteners cause cancer?

• No, the best evidence shows that artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, do not increase the risk of cancer
• Artificial sweeteners are used in some food and drink instead of sugar
• Your overall diet (what you eat day-to-day) is more important than individual ingredients or foods for reducing your cancer risk

We’ve officially gone full circle. There was a time when people feared that artificial sweeteners caused cancer. (They don’t.) Now, researchers claim that artificial sweeteners prevent cancer. Do they? It’s biologically plausible. Cancer cells undergo what is known as the Warburg effect.

• Acesulfame-K is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is found under the Sweet One and Sunett brand names.
• Aspartame is 180 times sweeter, and you can find it as Equal or NutraSweet.
• Saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar, selling under the names Sugar Twin, Sweet Twin, and Sweet ‘N Low.
• Sucralose is 600 times sweeter and sells as Splenda.

When did the FDA approve artificial sweeteners?

The Food Additives Amendment to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which was passed by Congress in 1958 , requires the FDA to approve food additives, including artificial sweeteners, before they can be made available for sale in the United States. However, this legislation does not apply to products that are “generally recognized as safe.”.

Because artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than table sugar, much smaller amounts (200 to 20,000 times less) are needed to create the same level of sweetness. Artificial sweeteners are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA, like the National Cancer Institute …

Because the findings in rats suggested that cyclamate might increase the risk of bladder cancer in humans, the FDA banned the use of cyclamate in 1969. After reexamination of cyclamate’s carcinogenicity and the evaluation of additional data, scientists concluded that cyclamate was not a carcinogen or a co-carcinogen (a substance that enhances the effect of a cancer-causing substance). A food additive petition was filed with the FDA for the reapproval of cyclamate, but this petition is currently being held in abeyance (not actively being considered). The FDA’s concerns about cyclamate are not cancer related.

Aspartame. Aspartame, distributed under several trade names (e.g., NutraSweet ® and Equal ® ), was approved in 1981 by the FDA after numerous tests showed that it did not cause cancer or other adverse effects in laboratory animals.

A 2005 study raised the possibility that very high doses of aspartame might cause lymphoma and leukemia in rats ( 1 ). But after reviewing the study, FDA identified many shortcomings in it and did not alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe.

The FDA’s concerns about cyclamate are not cancer related .

Advantame, which is also similar to aspartame, was approved by the FDA as a general-purpose sweetener (except in meat and poultry) in 2014. Before approving these sweeteners, the FDA reviewed numerous safety studies that were conducted on each sweetener, including studies to assess cancer risk. The results of these studies showed no evidence …