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WHO to classify aspartame as 'possibly carcinogenic'

cormack12

Gold Member
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66057216

The sweetener aspartame, which is found in a variety of foods and fizzy drinks, is set to be officially classified as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans, reports claim.

The label frequently causes confusion as it gives no sense of whether the potential risk is big or miniscule.
Other "possibly carcinogenic" substances include aloe vera, diesel and pickled Asian vegetables.

IARC uses four possible classifications:
  • Group 1 - Carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2A - Probably carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 3- Not classifiable
However, this is where it can get confusing.

"The IARC categorisation won't tell us anything about the actual level of risk from aspartame, because that's not what IARC categorisations mean," says Kevin McConway, professor of statistics at the Open University.
IARC tells us how strong the evidence is, not how risky a substance is to your health.

The "possibly" category is used when there is "limited" evidence in people or data from animal experiments. It includes diesel, talc on the perineum, nickel, aloe vera, Asian pickled vegetables and a host of chemical substances.

"I emphasise though that the evidence that these things could cause cancer is not very strong or they would have been put in group 1 or 2A," added Prof McConway.
 

simpatico

Member
Yeah we've suspected this since it was released. Ol' Donny Rumsfeld was a big part in getting it pushed through originally. Feel sorry for the guys who fell for the meme. Use maple syrup as a sweetener. Drink water, coconut water and milk.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66057216

The sweetener aspartame, which is found in a variety of foods and fizzy drinks, is set to be officially classified as "possibly carcinogenic" to humans, reports claim.

The label frequently causes confusion as it gives no sense of whether the potential risk is big or miniscule.
Other "possibly carcinogenic" substances include aloe vera, diesel and pickled Asian vegetables.

IARC uses four possible classifications:
  • Group 1 - Carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2A - Probably carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2B - Possibly carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 3- Not classifiable
However, this is where it can get confusing.

"The IARC categorisation won't tell us anything about the actual level of risk from aspartame, because that's not what IARC categorisations mean," says Kevin McConway, professor of statistics at the Open University.
IARC tells us how strong the evidence is, not how risky a substance is to your health.

The "possibly" category is used when there is "limited" evidence in people or data from animal experiments. It includes diesel, talc on the perineum, nickel, aloe vera, Asian pickled vegetables and a host of chemical substances.

"I emphasise though that the evidence that these things could cause cancer is not very strong or they would have been put in group 1 or 2A," added Prof McConway.
I love their sliding scale of what is and isn't carcinogenic. In other words, a zero issue, except Group 1.

How can an organization claim health issues if they got wishy washy terms based on limited data sets?
 

Kilau

Member
The WHO labels everything as carcinogenic. I don’t care for diet sodas or regular sodas but the sugar industry has long pushed for artificial sweeteners to be banned based on dubious studies they fund. If you give a lab rat 10,000 times the normal amount of anything it’s going to die or get cancer and then die.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
I thought it was already known.

As usual, intuitive opinions are always correct.
Yeah? Did you intuitively think drinking very hot drinks or working night shifts causes cancer. I guess as long as you avoid the level 1 things you should be ok, just need to avoid ...checks list.. drinking alcohol, eating red meat and breathing outside.
 

GutsOfThor

Member
Glad I stopped drinking diet soda completely a few months back. Now I drink spin drift if I need a carbonated beverage fix.
 

12Goblins

Lil’ Gobbie
Definitely nothing convincing in there..

Didn't know coke zero had aspartame.. how do they mask the terrible aftertaste so well ??
 

thefool

Member
Massive amounts of sugar vs Aspartame

larry-david-unsure.gif
 

Fools idol

Banned
the amount you would have to consume for it to have any negative effects is so large that it is nearly impossible. Much like all these supposedly 'toxic' things in food that crazy vegan types complain about.

You have more chance of dying to a lightning strike than getting sick from aspartame in your soda over a lifetime. Yet we don't all walk around in rubber suits to avoid lightning.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
The holistic and health community has been saying this for decades.

It's a synthetic sweetener. What do you think would happen when you load yourself with synthetics?

the more you know mind blown GIF by VH1


Yeah we've suspected this since it was released. Ol' Donny Rumsfeld was a big part in getting it pushed through originally. Feel sorry for the guys who fell for the meme. Use maple syrup as a sweetener. Drink water, coconut water and milk.
Monk fruit as well for a sweetener if you want no calories and not the weird aftertaste stevia and the like gives you.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Well shit. I found out I am pre-diabetic last year so i have been drinking Coke Zero and Diet Pepsi like 3 times a week since last year.

Am I already dead?
 
I think this is great. Most zero sugar energy drinks already got rid of aspartame so it'll be nice to see more sodas move to using other sweeteners.
 

Thaedolus

Member
My mom talks shit on artificial sweeteners all the time while she's drinking her full HFCS Coke and has sugar on her kitchen table to drizzle on her morning cereal and Milano cookies in her night stand and pops a few percocets a day to manage her peripheral neuropathy pain from being obese for decades...

I'll take my chances with the occasional diet soda
 
Am I going crazy but didn't you post about the tropical/ice cream and I said they are disgusting? my comment seems to have disappeared.

What's going on. Is it the aspartame??

EDIT: nevermind. that was in a different topic :messenger_tears_of_joy:

I drink full sugar proper sodas like a responsible adult.
Aspartame is meant to be a replacement for sugar drinks.

Here in the UK the government started taxing sugar drinks so drinks like Irn Bru moved away from full sugar and put out the "Xtra" drinks which is basically Diet Irn Bru with extra sweeteners/taste (Aspartame). It's like you get full sugar Coke and Diet Coke but you can get Coke Zero.

This isn't about full sugar drinks.
 
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Fools idol

Banned
Am I going crazy but didn't you post about the tropical/ice cream and I said they are disgusting? my comment seems to have disappeared.

What's going on. Is it the aspartame??

EDIT: nevermind. that was in a different topic :messenger_tears_of_joy:


Aspartame is meant to be a replacement for sugar drinks.

Here in the UK the government started taxing sugar drinks so drinks like Irn Bru moved away from full sugar and put out the "Xtra" drinks which is basically Diet Irn Bru with extra sweeteners/taste (Aspartame). It's like you get full sugar Coke and Diet Coke but you can get Coke Zero.

This isn't about full sugar drinks.
what? you can still buy full sugar drinks in the UK without a problem. I am drinking a full sugar coke right now.

I am assuming you mean there are options to have either sugar or sweetners, which is the same pretty much anywhere. Personally I cant stand the artifiicial taste of coke zero so just drink the original in moderation.
 

Dr.Guru of Peru

played the long game
Shocker.

Consume as few chemicals as possible (orally or otherwise). Every sign points to that.
No I’d rather not die of asphyxiation.

I wonder how many of the posters responding to this thread are replying from their cell phones (also in the same carcinogenic category as Aspartame per the WHO).
 

simpatico

Member
No I’d rather not die of asphyxiation.

I wonder how many of the posters responding to this thread are replying from their cell phones (also in the same carcinogenic category as Aspartame per the WHO).
Cell phones are harder to avoid. I do what I can by not keeping it in my pocket at work and not sleeping in the same room with it. Fake sweeteners are easy. I see people sucking diet coke and it reminds me of horses licking salt cubes for a little mouth pleasure.
 
Holy shit the appeal to nature fallacies, pseudoscience, and anecdotes in this thread are hilarious. You guys are braindead.
 
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Thaedolus

Member
Can we be done saying this? Do we really need to put a qualifier before every mention of the word chemical lest a 7th grader pushes up their glasses and says "well actually...".

:rolleyes:
Well, it really matters what chemicals you’re talking about. Uranium comes from nature and I don’t suppose you want to ingest that because it’s natural. Sugar does as well, and it’s associated with all sorts of health problems. So “don’t eat chemicals” has been and still is a dumb thing to say in my opinion. Aspartame is fine, and you shouldn’t overdo it just like carbs, caffeine, alcohol, or whatever else people eat
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Working overnight and consuming red meat are in the "probable" class, which means that there is limited evidence these substances or situations can cause cancer in humans and either better evidence showing they cause cancer in animals, or strong evidence showing that they have similar characteristics as other human carcinogens.

The "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields" associated with using mobile phones are "possibly cancer-causing". Like aspartame, this means there is either limited evidence they can cause cancer in humans, sufficient evidence in animals, or strong evidence about the characteristics.
🤷‍♀️
 

Fuz

Banned
Uh... hasn't this been known for ages?

I distinctively remember for this to be the very reason why my mother refused to use it - and I'm talking ages ago.
 

Nydius

Member
Just another reason I'm happy my IBD prevents me from using any artificial sweeteners.
Every single one of them causes problems.

Still healthier than the same drink with sugar.
Assuming the same moderation:
Healthier than genuine "refined" sugar (beet or cane)? Nah.
Healthier than High Fructose Corn Syrup? Most definitely.

All three are awful if it's all someone drinks though.
 
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cash_longfellow

Gold Member
Did you guys know people get cancer sometimes? No rhyme, no reason, they just get it? It just happens…I find it amazing that we are still trying to blame shit as “possibly” contributing to cancer, as opposed to using that research and energy to try and cure cancer. But hey, that’s the Human way these days…always trying to blame something on someone or something, instead of trying to create solutions 🤷‍♂️
 

Nobody_Important

“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
Everything I eat or drink seems to want to kill me. Companies, Governments, and so called "doctors" seem forever tell me what I shouldn't drink or eat. That I shouldn't eat red meat for the majority of my meals. They even say that I shouldn't do my cocaine while grilling my steaks drunk which honestly strikes me as just anti-American. So I say that on this weekend that celebrates the 400yr old victory of Benjamin Washington over Queen Elizabeth I will adhere to none of this bullshit and the first chemical or food product to kill me outright gets my soul.


Jesus can then Rock, Paper, Scissors the fucker. Loser has to put up with my ghost for the rest of eternity.


Checkmate God.
 
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Thaedolus

Member
Anyone in here talking about drinking soda with sugar actually drink soda with sugar? Or is it HFCS? lol
I’ll drink a Mexican Coke made with cane sugar once a year or so. And honestly I hardly have diet soda either, it’s black coffee in the morning and water for me 95% of the time. I really only drink soda when eating out somewhere
 
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