Sweetener is safer than bacon and red meat, despite contraindications

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the commonly used artificial sweetener may be carcinogenic to humans, so low-energy substances are no longer indicated for diets. From now on, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) It listed artificial sweetener in category 2B, behind only products with a higher carcinogenic risk, such as tobacco, ultraviolet light, and processed meats.

Category 2B is classified as:possibly carcinogenic to humans‘ and various types of food, even pickled vegetables. Category 1 is the highest risk and includes tobacco, ultraviolet light and processed meats such as bacon and sausages; there is also category 2A, which includes high-temperature roasting and red meat such as beef and lamb.

Francesco Branca, WHO director of nutrition and food safety, said there is still no convincing evidence that aspartame has side effects after ingestion. After reviewing more than 1,300 sweetener analysis documents, it was concluded that there is limited evidence of the substance’s carcinogenic effects; daily intake should not exceed 40 mg of the consumer’s body weight.

“Limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals and limited mechanistic evidence of how carcinogenicity may occur, More research is needed to improve our understanding of whether aspartame consumption poses a carcinogenic risksaid Mary Schubauer-Berigan, IARC Monographs program participant.

Is sweetener carcinogenic?

According to the senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide (Australia) School of Medicine, Dr. Ian MusgraveThe IARC classification was based primarily on three observational studies linking liver cancer and aspartame consumption.. Therefore, he claims that there is still no certainty and that the classification may change in the future.

In any case, experts believe it is necessary to better understand the effects of sweeteners on the human body. While there are other studies on the relationship between sweeteners and cancer development, it is still important to study further to delve deeper into this topic.

“We need better studies in existing cohorts with longer follow-up and repeated dietary questionnaires. Dr. Moez Sanaa, Director of the WHO Food and Nutrition Unit.

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