aspartame
Aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, will be declared "possibly carcinogenic" in July by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), according to media reports, two people familiar with the matter said. Many foods and beverages labeled as "sugar-free" on the market actually use sweeteners such as aspartame. then What is aspartame? Is it safe?
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is mostly used in sugar-free drinks, chewing gum, yogurt, etc. Its chemical name is asparagyl methyl amphetamine, which was discovered by chemists in 1965 when developing ulcer drugs, which is about 200 times sweeter than ordinary sucrose, which means that adding a little to the drink will be sweet. At the same time, the calories are almost zero, 1 gram of calories is 4 calories, and the aspartame added to each liter of zero cola is only about 0.5 grams, so the calories in a can of zero cola can be negligible, a few more breaths are consumed, and there is no bitter taste like saccharin, so it is regarded by the food industry as a sweetener to replace sucrose. So far, the use of aspartame in food has been licensed in nearly 100 countries including the United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand.
Aspartame is controversial because it is hydrolyzed in the human body to produce amino acids (aspartic acid, phenylalanine) and methanol. The harm of methanol is well known: blinding and carcinogenic, and in severe cases, it also kills. In addition, aspartic acid and phenylalanine have also been shown to cause depression and stimulate damage to the nervous system. But for these harmful substances involved in metabolism, there is a famous saying that can come in handy: to talk about toxicity regardless of the dose is to play hooligans.
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Aspartame was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1974 as a sweetener and an additive to a variety of foods, since 1981, WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) also agreed that aspartame is safe in a specific amount, that is, the daily allowable intake is within 40 mg per kilogram of body weight, for example, an adult weighing 60 kg, need to drink 12~36 cans of diet soda per day to be at risk. This view is also widely shared by national regulators, including in Europe. In fact, aspartame is one of the most thoroughly studied sugar substitutes, that is, as long as you do not consume excessive aspartame, there is not much problem, so why does IARC say it may cause cancer this time?
This news said that the WHO will list aspartame in the five carcinogen grades of level 2B, that is, "human carcinogenic evidence is limited, animal experimental evidence is not sufficient", it is in the same level of possible carcinogens also mobile phone radiation, pickled vegetables, coffee, red wine and so on. Further up is the 2A level of "limited evidence of human carcinogenicity, but sufficient evidence from animal experiments", with red meat (pork, beef and mutton), staying up late to work and hot water above 65 degrees. Tobacco, alcohol and betel nut are at the highest first level of "confirmed carcinogenicity to the human body". This list only explores the degree of evidence currently available on the likelihood of a substance causing cancer, which is dose-independent, that is, it is not really saying how harmful they are, and what is the safe dose of aspartame update? Until 14 July, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations officially gave a statement.
In May, WHO issued new guidelines on non-sugar sweeteners recommending the use of sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium and saccharin to control weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, while a systematic review of available evidence showed that the use of non-sugar sweeteners did not have any long-term benefits in reducing body fat in adults or children, and that long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners could have potential adverse effects. This warning to aspartame also seems to be in the spirit of "it is better to believe it than to trust it", hoping to attract public attention and then promote further research.
Therefore, consumers should focus on not the "carcinogenic" of sugar-free products, but the "risk of carcinogenesis", and need to have a correct understanding of the concept of "risk". There is no risk-free life, and the risk of cancer cannot be eliminated. Importantly, we need to learn to balance risks in order to make lifestyle choices that are less risky. For example, because aspartame has a carcinogenic risk, you can't let go of sucrose intake while avoiding aspartame! Because studies have also shown that excessive intake of sucrose also carries a risk of causing cancer. For people with a large intake, it is indeed necessary to make timely adjustments and turn back. But if aspartame is not consumed much, or even only occasionally, there is no need to worry about it and worry about the possible risk of cancer.
Author | Liu Shaowei, Professor, Department of Food Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Edit | Chen Xiuchao Liang Jing
Audit | Wu Weihong