Aspartame is safe in limited amounts, say experts after cancer warning

Not a shock.

Food scares are almost always over blown (except obviously tide pods).

People thought MSG was going to kill everyone. People thought Cholesterol was the key to good health. Even fat in moderation is perfectly fine.

But Fish will kill you with mercury, uncooked pork will kill you with everything (which is unlikely to happen in the first place, but also most pork you get is already cooked, at least sausage and hams). Salmonella is definitely going to kill you. Your kitchen is going to burn down, Fried food will end your life, and all processed food is bad.

Remember Supersize me? Remember the guy who ate two big macs a day for multiple years. That SINGLE guy should have been the end of the entire documentary, because he basically showed "Yes you can eat McDonalds in moderation and have a healthy life." But instead "McDonalds is going to kill you with super sized food."

The fact is you're probably more likely to get Ebola than most of these things actually contributing to your death.. though speaking of disease myths...

These things rush in, kill a business or a company, and then are forgotten, and then 10 years later new science comes out and goes "Btw it wasn't as bad as people thought... try it out"

Something being carcinogenic is not the same as it being likely to cause cancer. I wish this was a better understood distinction in the public. It comes down to how carcinogenic it is and how much you're exposed to/consume. It is technically true that aspartame is carcinogenic -- it's a scientific fact. But like they say here, normal human consumption amounts makes the likelihood of getting cancer from it negligible.

It's important though to recognize that carcinogens come in varying levels of strength. I'm fine with drinking two cans of diet soda, but I would never wash my hands in benzene. Benzene and aspartame are both carcinogenic, but benzene is WAY more potent. We've limited the amount of benzene that can be in gasoline for this reason -- but again note, it's limited, not eliminated.

I took an environmental engineering class in college, and our professor had a very cute but apt tagline. Dilution is the solution to pollution. You'll never get rid of 100% of something. But reducing its concentration can make it safe regardless. Same idea goes here.

Thanks for coming to my completely unsolicited Ted Talk.

Up to 14 cans is technically limited but I don't think that limit is relevant for the average person. Or what do the Americans say?

Cancer is one thing, what about other health aspects? Does it affect your gut microbiota like earlier studies have suggested?

Anyone with functioning kidneys is fine. Anyone with kidney problems probably isn’t drinking much soda anyway, and if they are that’s their choice. The occasional diet soda won’t kill you any faster than, say, standing outside would.

Nobody’s drinking 5 LITERS of soda in a day. If they are? More power to ‘em.

This isn’t a big deal in the slightest. A lot of diet sodas aren’t even using aspartame anymore, so it’s nearly a moot point.

Won't effect the US, even if it causes cancer. EU has prohibited food additives which are carcinogenic, but we don't because the poor, poor food producers might have to pay farmers more and pay a couple pennies to make food that doesn't kill people.

Safe in limited amount, so just like normal sugar then. Just don't drink liters of soda each day. (Or even better, don't drink soda but water instead)

What a surprise, the claims were overblown. Glad to hear I can stock up on my Pepsi Zero again, since 1-2 cans a day won't kill me

I’m still not eating it. It tastes terrible or makes my mouth go numb depending on the type. There is a serious hole in the market to be filled by quick low calorie snack foods that are shelf stable and don’t involve sugar alternatives. Most stuff is just too sweet any way.

14 cans of soda a day, even diet soda, can't possibly be safe or good for you. Especially since aspartame is also linked to kidney and liver failure and is even worse for you than ibuprofen in that regard; and you wouldn't normally take 14 ibuprofen in a single day.

How much did Coca-Cola pay for this PR? I swear, ever since the first news that aspartame is linked to cancer, there have been way more articles trying to convince people it ain't that bad. It's a corporate smokescreen.

Who tf is drinking more than 14 cans of anything in a day. That's way too much liquid. My guts would be sloshing around all day if I did that. I love soda and I drink like 1 every few days. Can't give it up but at least I don't drink crazy amount of it.

I'm all for removing toxics from my diet, sure. The thing is, afaik, there is no nutritional function nor benefit to consuming aspartame or for that matter any non-nutritive sweetener. So if it isn't doing anything I need, I'll just skip it. As Michael Pollan said, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants."

I have always heard the 52 can argument but the thing is, who in the hell is drinking 14 cans a day? I'm a physique competitor, I need an exorbitant amount of water and 14 12 fl oz/355 ml cans is a shit ton of fluid.

Hydro homies where you at? Soda is trash, diet soda is trash, tiktok water is trash. Aspartame aint a problem in our lives.

Honestly, aspartame is terrible for me. I have a weird allergic reaction to it when all the sudden my sinuses go crazy and I feel like I have a cold. Lasts for 15 minutes or so if I have a sip of aspartame containing beverages. I'll just stick to drinking sparkling water.

I still cut it off my diet. I didn't drink it much to begin with, possible one or two cans a week, but I'm still getting rid of it.

Permanently Deleted

Why is this suddenly a topic of contention now?

Sodium cyclamate is a superior sweetener taste-wise anyway, nothing comes even close. And I’m prepared to die on that hill.

Why don’t brands use it I wonder?

The problem being, of course, that those that drink things like Diet Coke, are addicted to drinking things like Diet Coke, this hedging after the fact, is such nonsense, and meant to soothe the ruffled feathers of diet beverage manufacturers who advertise with News organizations. If the thing is cancerous, then it's cancerous, now you know, don't keep printing stories saying "a little poison is fine, if you watch it" lol

I’m going to need someone to define “limited” for me.

Ultimately I think I’d rather take this chance than drink 20 grams of sugar in a can instead!

So actually no. It isn't really safe. Coca-Cola and the rest of the beverage industry is just as bad as big tobacco.

What is aspartame? The name suggests something inappropriate to be put in a drink, like a drug.

Very glad the WHO doesn't discriminate between countries and companies when it comes to bribes.

Also glad to know there's as safe level of carcinogens I can ingest.