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.
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Under US law almost everything that was in common use before a certain date is “grandfathered in” and exempt from certain regulations.
The term to search for more information is GRAS, “Generally Recognized As Safe”.
It is extraordinarily difficult to get a GRAS substance regulated; for example aspirin would not be approved today.
Alcohol is even more special because it is not regulated as either a food or a drug, and because unlike artificial sweeteners, there are no ready substitutes. (Multiple artificial sweeteners have come and gone from the marketplace due to safety concerns.)
It’s also worth noting that it’s possible to over react to potential carcinogens. Here in California so many businesses have signs on their doors warning of potential carcinogen exposure that the signs are just ignored. (Yeah, I could avoid going to the supermarket because there’s a potential mild carcinogen in the cleaning solution they use on their floors. But almost nobody is going to care )
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.
As with ALL things of this nature, it is IMPORTANT to note the DETAILS.
Namely that, in the case of Aspartame, per the report, you would have to drink 10-12 cans of diet pop a day, EVERY DAY, for the risk of cancer to be significant.
What do you mean what makes this different?
How bout the fact that it could be carcinogenic but was never labeled as such.
Big difference between being labeled and informing the consumer and not.
Believe it or not some people choose to consume alcohol in extremely limited quantities or not at all partially because of the cancer risks.
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I learned something from my pharmacology professor when I was getting my psychology degree, and I’ve kept it in mind throughout my time since then:
“The dose makes the poison.”
Every substance imaginable can be harmful in excess. The LD:50 (the dose which kills 50% of the population and is generally considered a “lethal overdose”) of alcohol is much lower than that of water. You can tank a lot more H2O than ethanol. But too much of either can kill you. You can inhale a lot more oxygen than you can methamphetamine, but again, both can kill you at a high enough dose.
When you think of carcinogens, we’re talking about a substance which could potentially cause long-term changes to the DNA such that cells become cancerous.
Uranium exposure has a very low dose needed to damage, or even destroy, DNA. Liquor, cigarettes, and sunbathing have been clearly shown to damage DNA, but you need to consume more over a longer period of time to cause those changes to occur. One blast of nuclear energy can melt your skin off, while a typical person can go years never wearing sunscreen on the beach before they find a suspicious mole. In either event, they can damage your DNA directly; it’s just about dose and duration. A few sunburns over decades, having a couple beers with your friends every now and then, you’re not likely to have negative effects beyond just some dehydration and pain the following day.
And then there are lots of substances which are thought to be “potentially carcinogenic,” which is how aspartame is being labeled. This means they’ve got a hunch there might be a connection, but they haven’t got sufficient evidence to say for sure.
Something people don’t often think about is that we have cells which glitch and go rogue all the time. If you lived the healthiest lifestyle your body needs, you would still have problematic cells come about now and then. They’re the exceptions to an otherwise perfect program.
If you introduce environmental factors which affect how smoothly your program runs, like not wearing sunscreen, not getting enough exercise, drug use, chronic stress, or an unhealthy diet, you’re running the risk of more glitches. Your immune system being taxed by a bad cold increases this risk temporarily, because it’s your immune system which goes through and cleans up the mess. Most of the time, you’re just fine, because it takes a lot of these glitchy cells to make it past the cleanup crew.
Everything is “potentially carcinogenic.” It’s all about the dose.
The older you get, the more likely it is for your cells to break down, and the weaker your immune system is when it’s time to clean up the junk. So… Living a long life can cause cancer.
This is why I find it weird when people give up things they love in the name of living longer. Moderation is great, and “moderation” for many people and many substances can mean “none,” like how many people are never compelled to try cigarettes or cocaine even once. But why lose sleep over enjoying diet Pepsi, getting drunk on New Year’s with your friends, or forgetting sunscreen now and then?
Having more time to enjoy life is awesome, but not if it means you aren’t enjoying life.
Aspartame is evil. In 1992, I banned it and every other artificial sweetener from my house. If we want sweet, it is sugar, Maple syrup or honey.
The reason for this is that I used to drink soda. Maybe averaged 3-4 cans a week. Usually Diet Coke. The reactions started with breakouts of hives on the back of my head and hands. I also had a metallic taste in my mouth, headaches and dizziness. One day, I was working outside on re- planting my front lawn. Hot day, sweating. I had drank 2 Diet Cokes and I was not feeling well. My back itched like crazy. I asked my wife to look at my back and she freaked out. It was covered with hives.
Next day, I went to my Dr. He did blood tests and a couple days later called me and wanted me to come to his office to discuss test results. He wouldn’t tell me over the phone. He told me that the results indicated that I had lymphatic cancer but he wanted me to go to a hospital cancer center immediately for further testing.
I went to University of Michigan hospital ( a great facility!). They ran a bunch of tests and said ” great news! You do not have cancer, but…you are really messed up!” So, they sent me to their allergy center. The allergy center determined that I was allergic to ” everything “. They figured it was a systemic issue and sent me to their poison control center. They acknowledged I was messed up. They detected low levels of formaldehyde in my system but nothing conclusive.
I was put on a very strict diet and added things very slowly. The symptoms decreased gradually over the next month and had mostly disappeared. Then, I had a Diet Coke and within 20 minutes, BAM! I felt like I was gonna die. I rushed to the hospital as my whole body was breaking out in hives and swelling. My eyes swelled shut and my breathing was difficult. The hospital pumped me full of steroids and whatever and I recovered knowing what was causing my issues.
After that, I banned artificial sweetener from my house. Because we didn’t want the empty calories, it had the dual effect of keeping all soda pop from my house which had saved thousands of dollars and millions of calories. Since my kids grew up without soda pop, none of them drink it as adults. Of my 5 brothers and sisters, I am the least heavy and I am the only non diabetic.
I hate aspartame.
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