Aspartame Might Be Labeled As A Carcinogen... FINALLY!
The WHO is finally catching up to the truth about aspartame that many of us have known
The World Health Organization (WHO) may be planning to list aspartame (a popular and heavily consumed fake sweetener) as “possibly carcinogenic to humans) on July 14th. Aspartame is found in the majority of diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, some Snapple drinks, gum and even some yogurts and candies. It’s about 200 times sweeter than sucrose and used as a sugar substitute.
Aspartame is used in about 95% of diet / sugar-free drinks (from sodas to teas) according to The Washington Post. But wait there’s so much more…
The FDA has deemed it safe 5 different times, though, to be fair, they also are okay with artificial food coloring, Apeel and so much more in our food system. According to Healthline, “a 2017 study found that in a sample of nearly 17,000 Americans, about 25% of children and roughly 41% of adults self-reported eating or drinking a food or beverage containing non-nutritive sweetner, including but not limited to aspartame.”
Aspartame is a synthetic substance that combines two ingredients. Combining these two ingredients creates a sugar substitute that is about 200 times sweeter than regular sugar. A tiny amount is all you need to make can make food or drinks taste very sweet and it has very little calories but zero grams of sugar.
1. Aspartic acid. This is a nonessential amino acid that occurs naturally in the human body and in food. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein in the body. The body uses aspartic acid to create hormones and to support normal function of the nervous system. Dietary sources include meat, fish, eggs, soybeans, and peanuts.
2. Phenylalanine. This is an essential amino acid that’s naturally present in most protein sources, but the body doesn’t produce it naturally. Humans have to get it from food. The body uses it to make proteins, brain chemicals, and hormones. Sources include lean meats, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. (source)
There’s also the serious health risks associated with artificial sweeteners like aspartame. An observational study done in France studied 100,000 adults and found that those consuming aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, especially in larger amounts, had higher risk of cancer.
As someone who is very intentional about the ingredients and products I use, the fact that the WHO is even considering this is huge. I used to drink Diet Pepsi in high school and at the time wasn’t opposed to sugar-free gum either, but I haven’t consumed anything like that (and obviously aspartame) in 17+ years. I’m happy that more people are learning about aspartame who have either never heard of it before or who weren’t aware of its side effects.
This should be yet another wakeup call for anyone consuming artificial anything…the reality is that most Americans eat a standard American diet (SAD) and The SAD diet is high in processed foods, fast foods, sugar snacks and packaged foods. It’s low in fruits and veggies (which are essential sources of vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber). The SAD diet is also high in unhealthy fats and sugars from sugary drinks to desserts and cereals. It’s important to not just look at the front label of the food product your are purchasing, but rather focus on the ingredient list if there is one. Make sure you know exactly what is going in your body… and now that the WHO is considering labeling aspartame as a carcinogen, there should be a serious decline in consumption of diet sodas (Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi) some Snapple drinks, gum and even some yogurts and candies.
Start reading labels - if you can’t pronounce it then it probably shouldn’t be in your food. Eat real, whole foods, grass-fed meats, organic produce and minimal sweets and kick aspartame to the curb.