Is it time to leave Diet Coke behind?
Aspartame, the well-known artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than table sugar, is responsible for keeping diet beverages seemingly sweet but low-calorie. Now it’s on track to be labeled a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer examined “the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame,” the WHO told Fortune in a statement. On July 14, “The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame.”
How aspartame affects your health
Dozens of studies have looked at how aspartame affects the brain and body. Research suggests an association between aspartame and a decreased release of dopamine and serotonin, the neurological hormones responsible for mood. Consumption of aspartame may also cause headaches and dizziness.
Suppliers have been critical of the associations; however, national organizations plan to correlate the artificial sweetener as a potential cancer risk. The WHO’s label puts aspartame in the least effective carcinogen category, labeling it as a “possible carcinogen.”
As it stands, the recommended daily limit of aspartame is 40 mg per kilogram of body weight (a 12-ounce can of Diet Coke has about 180 mg of aspartame).
Until updated recommendations are made, here are the most common foods and drinks containing aspartame. Every brand is different, however, so be sure to check the label:
Popular foods and beverages that contain aspartame
- Diet soda, like Diet Coke
- Sugar-free soda
- Low-sugar juices
- Sugar-free puddings and desserts
- Sugar-free jams
- Artificially sweetened gum
- Cereals
- Low-calorie coffee sweeteners