FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk, Say Experts

[diamondpete]

This may be of interest to the diet oft drink drinkers


YOUR HEALTH
New Cancer Worries For Diet Soda Drinkers

A new study on the effects of low daily doses of the artificial sweetener aspartame shows a statistically significant increase in leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats. Consumer advocates are calling for the FDA to take another look at the safety of aspartame in light of the study, but the FDA seems uninterested.

"Because aspartame is so widely consumed, it is urgent that the FDA evaluate whether aspartame still poses a 'reasonable certainty of no harm,' the standard used for gauging the safety of food additives," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "But consumers, particularly parents, shouldn't wait for the FDA to act. People shouldn't panic, but they should stop buying beverages and foods containing aspartame."

The study, which can be read here, followed a group of 4,000 rats who were given low daily doses of aspartame (comparable to what a dedicated human diet soda drinker might consume, were he/she a rat) beginning during "prenatal" life. The rats were dissected after natural death and the effects of the aspartame calculated. From the study:

The results of this carcinogenicity bioassay not only confirm, but also reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM's multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when lifespan exposure to [aspartame] begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased

The authors of the study claim that current research on the effects of aspartame are based on studies that did not use a large enough sample of animals and did not allow the animals to live out their natural lifespan.The authors also took issue with a study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Retired Persons, in which a number of Americans responded to self-administered questionnaires about what they ate and the results compared to their rate of brain cancer.

The FDA responded to the CSPI in an email to Reuters, claiming not to have reviewed the study:
"However, the conclusions from this second European Ramazzini Foundation are not consistent with those from the large number of studies on aspartame that have been evaluated by FDA, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies," Herndon said in an e-mail.

"Therefore, at this time, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food."
The CSPI has downgraded aspartame to "everyone should avoid," and recommends choosing drinks that contain Splenda instead. CSPI regards Splenda as safe. If you drink a lot of aspartame, or you have kids who do, you might want to read the study and decide for yourself.


FDA Should Reconsider Aspartame Cancer Risk, Say Experts [CSPI]
FDA says unmoved by aspartame/cancer report [Reuters]
Lifespan Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning During Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats [Environmental Health Perspectives]

TUE JUN 26 2007
BY MEG MARCO
AT 8:57 am

[Phaedrus49er]

What's "a lot" for humans? I have at most one diet Coke per day...

[RobLL]

Seldom would I make a change based on a single study, but the few soda pops I drink use splenda.

[LisaS]

if only Fresca & Diet A&W would switch over (or back for Fresca) to splenda

[PowerManDL]

Wow, I'll definitely stop giving my rats diet drinks now.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by PowerManDL

Wow, I'll definitely stop giving my rats diet drinks now.

[raymond3]

Originally Posted by PowerManDL

Wow, I'll definitely stop giving my rats diet drinks now.

Lol

[Frank.S]

I was at a ceremony the other day which was giving everyone pop/soda. there was probally about 300 people there, so this is no scientific study

but, the fatter someone is, the more likely they will be drinking a diet drink. im convinced. I was bored, I was looking, this is pretty damn true, try it.

Im really trying to stop drinking diet pop. OK, i stoped after seeing all of the fatties drinking them. They give me nothing, and in return 'could' in theory have some health risks. No thanks. Ill stick with water.

Mind you, the splenda in my protien powder is staying.

[tasinquefield]

Good thing I'm not a rat.

[diamondpete]

Originally Posted by PowerManDL

Wow, I'll definitely stop giving my rats diet drinks now.

LOL, pretty fun. But I find this kind of post always "hits a nerve". I myself do find it even funny how many people that are concentrating on their health and worry about nutrient timing, carb to fat to protien ratios- can just make a few rat jokes and go back to slugging down diet coke.

As far as I know there is no benefit to drinking it (unless you count the caffine).

I won't feed my rats any diet drinks, nor my kids, nor myself- how anal I must be!

[PowerManDL]

I very rarely drink diet drinks, or any soda for that matter. I'm a water/green tea/milk guy.

But I'm not opposed to having a few sips here and there if I feel like it. I think people just overblow this stuff. Oxygen causes cancer if you get enough of it, should we stop breathing too?

[diamondpete]

Originally Posted by PowerManDL

I very rarely drink diet drinks, or any soda for that matter. I'm a water/green tea/milk guy.

But I'm not opposed to having a few sips here and there if I feel like it. I think people just overblow this stuff. Oxygen causes cancer if you get enough of it, should we stop breathing too?

Not at all, but I think it is quite paradoxical that one might be concerned with carb/protien/fat ratios, be taking supplements and not being concerned enough about additives to give up the diet crap.

I am also a water/milk/dark & green tea/and coffee guy. I am impressed by people who can are willing sit down and count all the calories and nutrients, and suprised that one one hand they are so exacting about their nutrition/supps/ etc, and are seemingly unconcerned aboit additives in diet drinks.

Odd - wouldn't you say? (I also think that a diet pop now and again won't kill you) but I do not closely track my food, etc.

[PowerManDL]

I agree, it is a bit self-contradictory to obsess so much over some trivial details and not so much on others.

But I'm like you, I don't pay *that* close attention to what I eat, even when dieting like I am now. I have ballparks to shoot for, other than that I don't really sweat the details.

[cycomiko]

Originally Posted by diamondpete

LOL, pretty fun. But I find this kind of post always "hits a nerve". I myself do find it even funny how many people that are concentrating on their health and worry about nutrient timing, carb to fat to protien ratios- can just make a few rat jokes and go back to slugging down diet coke.

maybe they just understand the complications behind rat models?

[Lost Dog]

Jeez. That's the subject of a whole other thread, huh?

Obsession in one area and a laissez faire attitude in another area. A similar area.

[raymond3]

Originally Posted by diamondpete

I am impressed by people who can are willing sit down and count all the calories and nutrients, and suprised that one one hand they are so exacting about their nutrition/supps/ etc, and are seemingly unconcerned aboit additives in diet drinks.

I just think the two have nothing to do with each other. Plus, there are plenty of controversial views on this subject. One study shows diet drinks cause cancer, etc... while another will show that its fine. Because in the end, its just that, a study. I dont drink much diet soda, but I sometimes will have one or two a day, and the rest of the day its water/green tea.

[diamondpete]

Originally Posted by raymond3

I just think the two have nothing to do with each other. Plus, there are plenty of controversial views on this subject. One study shows diet drinks cause cancer, etc... while another will show that its fine. Because in the end, its just that, a study. I dont drink much diet soda, but I sometimes will have one or two a day, and the rest of the day its water/green tea.

Come on Raymond,

It is a case of obessing about one and ignoring the other: there are plenty of controversial studies about nutrient timing, diet etc.

BTW, I would call one or two a day a lot. I think this is because I have been out of North America such a long time. When I last lived in Canada,people thought drinking a coke a day was drinking a lot of coke. But the norm is SO high now, that many people think one or two a day is not a lot of coke/soda.
What would you call a lot?