There has been a year-long debate on whether or not there is a link between aspartame, an artificial sweetener, and cancer. 

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research team jointly declared aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” for the first time. 

This is concerning news since aspartame is the most widely used artificial sweetener worldwide, having been in use since the 1980s. It is almost 200 times sweeter than sugar, and only a small amount is needed to achieve the same level of sweetness. 

Aspartame is used to prepare sugar-free foods and beverages such as Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta Zero, Sprite Zero, gelatin-based products, sugar-free gum, syrups, dairy products like yogurts, toothpaste, ice cream, breakfast cereal, cough syrups, chewable vitamins, and more. 

The FDA has set an acceptable daily intake of aspartame, which is 50mg/kg (body weight)/day. However, scientists and health experts have warned against excessive intake of aspartame, as it may cause health hazards. We all know that consumption of high-sugar products is not good for our health. 

Cancer is currently the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting almost one in every six people. Studies have shown that aspartame is considered a risk factor for leukemia and lymphomas. However, these studies have some limitations, and more research is required to make a definitive conclusion about the link between aspartame and cancer.

References:

• https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released
• https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/aspartame.html
• https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-myths/do-artificial-sweeteners-cause-cancer
• https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-021-00725-y
• https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/whos-cancer-research-agency-say-aspartame-sweetener-possible-carcinogen-sources-2023-06-29/
• https://sph.umich.edu/news/2023posts/aspartame-and-cancer-a-toxicologists-take.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/health/aspartame-cancer-who-sweetener.html

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