Aspartame et al.
I read that soft drink giant Pepsi will stop using aspartame as its artificial sweetener in its diet line of sodas. The new aspartame-free products will start selling in the US and Canada. Sucralose will be used as the artificial sweetener, more commonly known as Splenda. The reason for the change is a response to dwindling sales that they perceive as having something to do with the aspartame controversy that has been hounding the artificial sweetener since its use in the 1980s. There are those that believe that aspartame intake may have something to do with the growth of certain cancers in the body, along with other illnesses. With their share of the carbonated drink market dwindling, it is hoped that the change will bring back its customers. It is not known at this time if rival company Coca-Cola will follow their lead in changing their sweetener.
But is aspartame really dangerous to one's health? I prefer to look at available data. The American Cancer Institute has conducted both laboratory and human studies regarding the `effects of aspartame on the growth of cancer cells, particularly brain cancer. Their studies have found no direct link to cancer growth and aspartame intake well over the Acceptable Daily Intake(ADI) in both lab and human studies. Aspartame is contraindicated for people with phenylketonuria. If you don't know what this is, then I guess it is safe to say you don't have it, which is congenitally acquired by the way. So what is the ADI?
The US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has set the ADI for aspartame at 50mg/kg/day. The European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) puts it lower at 40mg/kg/day. Let's crunch some numbers. An average person weighing in at 70 kilograms could safely take 3500 mg, or 3.5 kilograms of aspartame per day. With the usual can of soft drink containing around 192 mg of aspartame, the same person would have to consume 18-19 cans of his favorite diet drink in one day before aspartame becomes a health risk. Do you know anyone who drinks that much in one day? I think based on these data, we can say that aspartame is safe. Unless you DO know someone who drinks that much diet soda!
Some have said that the decline in the consumption of diet drinks is not solely the problem of one manufacturer but of the whole industry. There has been a wide switch to plain water and energy drinks, seen as way healthier than the zero-calorie drinks available in the market. Many prefer to take fruit juices that are blended right there, with requests not to add any sugar. Sugar in fact, is the real culprit of the century. Sugar has been blamed for a plethora of illnesses from diabetes to all its complications. This is the reason for the upsurge in so-called sugar-free drinks of the past three decades. Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener, but was discovered to cause cancer in laboratory animals and therefore removed from the market. Aspartame replaced it. Now, we have sucralose and stevia as alternative, no-calorie sweeteners.
Information backed by solid data from reputable agencies and groups are always valuable, especially when health is concerned. Aspartame may be safe as certified by both the FDA and the EFSA. The FDA describes aspartame as "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved and its safety as 'clear cut'. The weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe as a non-nutritive sweetener". It all boils down to the individual and his or her choice as to what lifestyle to choose. If you can live without the sugary drinks and take their sugar-free counterparts instead, well and good. If you can live without both, even better.
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