Aspartame is about to be proclaimed by the WHO as a possible carcinogen. What makes this any different from beer and wine, which are known to be carcinogenic already?

Question

Obviously, alcoholic drinks present other dangers (driving drunk, alcoholism), but my question is specifically related to the cancer-causing nature of aspartame-sweetend soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, comparatively.

In: 1668

Answer 1

The fundamental thing to know about IARC’s listing of things as “possible” carcinogens is that they will list things unless there is *conclusive proof* that they aren’t carcinogenic.

The problem with this concept is that it’s literally impossible to prove a negative.

Aspartame is made up of two amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. It has been extensively studied for half a century, and there has yet to be any of the hundreds of studies that shows a conclusive link to “cancer” (which is itself a catch-all term for dozens of different conditions, each with their own causes).

IARC is not a food/chemical safety research organization. They don’t do any of their own research. This list is not based on a thorough consideration of all the science.