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Diet Coke and Cancer

If you’ve been on social media lately (let’s be honest — who hasn’t), you might have seen some big headlines about aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener, being labeled as a “possible carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (WHO). With posts left, right, and center claiming that aspartame causes cancer, it’s time to step back, take a deep breath, and look at the facts.

Buckle up.

To start off, the WHO’s classification of aspartame is under category 2B, which means “possibly carcinogenic.” The important thing to note about this distinction is that this category also includes things like pickled vegetables, smartphone usage, kava extract, and ginkgo biloba. Even category 2A, defined as ‘probably carcinogenic,’ includes hot beverages over 65 degrees Celsius and red meat. While headlines will never include that context, it is essential if you want to truly understand the risk implied by this classification.

The studies that suggest aspartame might cause cancer often involve feeding lab animals huge amounts of the sweetener — we’re talking thousands of times more than any person would ever realistically consume. So, while these studies might raise an eyebrow, we have to remember that even harmless substances can seem harmful if taken in extremely large doses.

In other studies, the connection between aspartame and cancer hasn’t been consistent. Some research has suggested a possible link, but the increased risk is negligible. If your risk of getting cancer is already 10%, these studies suggest aspartame might raise it to 11.5%. But other recent studies have shown no association between aspartame and cancer at all. And when you compare this to obesity, which increases cancer risk by 250-300%, the risk from aspartame is obviously less significant.

Something else to note is that none of these studies show a clear “dose-response.” Usually, if something causes cancer, the risk increases the more you’re exposed to it. But for aspartame, studies haven’t shown this pattern. In fact, some studies have shown the opposite. In this study, the high-dose aspartame group had a lower cancer risk than the low-dose aspartame group. If aspartame is really the boogeyman some of these headlines make it out to be, shouldn’t consuming more carry a higher risk than consuming less?

Ironically, many influencers and media accounts who are quick to share the WHO’s classification of aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic” are often silent regarding the organization’s stance on red meat, which is categorized as “probably carcinogenic.” This kind of cherry-picking is contradictory and shows that you shouldn’t always trust what you read on social media. Everyone has an agenda, and unfortunately, many accounts will share what’s convenient for their messaging and stay quiet about everything else.

Our take? The WHO’s stance on red meat, sodium, and now, aspartame are all overblown.

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can be helpful tools, especially for those struggling to lose weight. There have been many controlled studies that show significant weight loss when people switch from regular soda to diet soda. Replacing regular soda with diet versions improves blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids.

Ideally, people should cut soda from their diet altogether. However, we need to acknowledge that for some people, that might be a step too far. This is where diet soda and artificial sweeteners can be of huge benefit.

Unfortunately, many people who could benefit from making this switch are deterred by the unfounded belief that diet drinks are as bad or worse than sugary ones. This misinformation prevents people from using practical weight loss tools and fuels unnecessary food anxiety, shame, and confusion about nutrition.

The key takeaway? Before anyone angrily sends a comment, we are not saying you SHOULD add aspartame to your diet. We are just saying that the evidence does not support the claim that it causes cancer, as some headlines have suggested. It’s always good to question the safety of different food substances. But it’s also important to look at each one individually, based on the evidence we have, and not make snap judgments just because something is artificial or natural.

Aspartame, like anything else, should be considered based on its own safety data. It’s not about avoiding everything that could possibly cause harm; it’s about understanding the risks and benefits so we can make informed decisions about our health.

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