Can the additive in your coffee be carcinogenic?
Many food and beverage products containing artificial sweeteners are consumed by hundreds of millions of people every day.
However, the safety of these supplements is a subject of long debate for years.
A new study has found that two of these sweeteners may increase the risk of cancer
Walla!
health
28/03/2022
Monday, 28 March 2022, 07:47
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Artificial sweeteners are used in quite a few products from coffee to diet drinks and dairy products - this is because they reduce the extra sugar content and calories, while maintaining sweetness.
Over the years their health profile has been researched, and so far the results have not been uniform.
A new study published in PLOS Medicine suggests that some artificial sweeteners are associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Researchers from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and the Sorbonne in Paris analyzed data from 102,865 French adults who participated in a study called NutriNet-Santé.
This study actually includes a group set up in 2009 by a team of nutritional epidemiology research in which participants enroll voluntarily and report for themselves medical history, socio-demographic status, diet, lifestyle and health.
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After gathering information on cancer diagnosis during follow-up, the researchers conducted statistical analyzes to investigate the link between artificial sweetener consumption and cancer risk.
They also matched a variety of variables including age, sex, education, exercise, smoking, body mass index, height, weight gain during follow-up, diabetes, family history of cancer, as well as basal energy intake, alcohol, sodium, saturated fatty acids, fiber , Sugar, whole grain foods and dairy products.
Dangerous or not?
Artificial sweetener (Photo: ShutterStock)
The researchers found that subjects who consumed larger amounts of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame (which is also a food and sugar supplement called E951) and acesulfame-K, which are 200 times sweeter than sugar and found in popular diet drinks, were 13 percent more likely to have cancer than non-cancerers. Consume sweeteners at all.
About 37 percent of participants consumed artificial sweeteners at least once a day.
Higher risks were observed for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers.
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It is important to note that previous large-scale studies on humans have not found such a link, and that experts said no causal link was found, and indeed, the study had a number of important limitations;
It is first and foremost about self-reporting.
In addition, three-quarters of the participants were women, with higher levels of education, which makes them exhibit health-conscious behaviors.
The observational nature of the study means that inverse causality cannot be ruled out.
Further research will be required to confirm the findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.
According to the authors, "Our findings do not support the use of artificial sweeteners as safe alternatives to sugar in foods or beverages, and they provide important and innovative information to address controversies about their potential adverse effects. While these results need to be replicated in other large-scale groups, they provide important insights. "Innovations for the ongoing reassessment of sweeteners and food supplements by the European Food Safety Authority and other health agencies around the world."
health
Nutrition and diet
Preventive nutrition
Tags
coffee
Artificial sweeteners
cancer
