Aspartame and cancer

[Bletchleyite]

It may be a topic for a different thread, but I have significant doubts about aspartame too, and avoid it whenever possible.

Let's have a thread then

Aspartame does have a bad name in some circles, yet is consumed by the vast majority of people on the planet in some form daily, or certainly those in Western countries. If you don't do fizzy drinks you might have it in other stuff e.g. orange squash.

However, incidence of cancer is increasing and has been for about 30 years. This article* suggests that this is primarily because people are living longer and cancer prevalence is much higher in older age as cells start to "go wrong" but there are other hypotheses too. I wonder if increased consumption of aspartame containing diet drinks rather than sugared ones could be relevant?

* https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2015/02/04/why-are-cancer-rates-increasing/ - not quoted due to its length and that there's not one single relevant part of it

 

[Harpers Tate]

At this point in time, I'd be most minded (without knowing) to dismiss that speculation as simply that; a "conspiracy theory" propagated in the USA (which is a country rife with those) and probably based on some flawed "research" sponsored by the sugar industry.

Such theories do, occasionally, become considered to be true, but for the most part, they never do. And it may well be that, at some future time, a causative relationship does become apparent. Until then, we have to assume it's just speculation - because it most probably is.

In the meantime, the said article does make reference to obesity as a trigger for certain cancers. But then, there is the parallel suggestion that, because of some more complex mechanism, even "diet" drinks can increase obesity. The only sure thing is to drink exclusively water.

 

[rcro]

Though drinking only water is no good if your water works supply is contaminated- which is a plausible theory for the localised high cancer rates in my area post-Chernobyl. So many things “cause” cancer it would be a miserable life avoiding all of them!

(And writing as someone killing time before today’s chemo, bad luck, hereditary and age probably have more of an effect than anything else)

 

[najaB]

However, incidence of cancer is increasing and has been for about 30 years. This article* suggests that this is primarily because people are living longer and cancer prevalence is much higher in older age as cells start to "go wrong" but there are other hypotheses too. I wonder if increased consumption of aspartame containing diet drinks rather than sugared ones could be relevant?

Increased consumption generally is more of an issue than increased consumption of aspartame specifically. We are, as a society, consuming more but eating less well.

 

[MikeWM]

I think basically 'it is really hard to tell'. We do so many things differently from 50 years ago -what we eat and drink, what materials we have in our homes and workplaces, what medicines we take, what chemicals are in the air and the water, etc. etc. that pointing to anything specific is going to be really tough.

I think it likely that in years to come we'll eventually identify some common products or other as causing severe issues, the way we have done with asbestos or DDT. My gut feeling - and it is really only a gut feeling in this case - is that aspartame has a good chance of being one of those. I remain concerned that its approval was done in such a controversial way and that there appear to still be fairly significant open questions about it.

 

[najaB]

I remain concerned that its approval was done in such a controversial way and that there appear to still be fairly significant open questions about it.

This is reminiscent of the vaccines cause autism "controversy". It's only controversial for people who have seen the scary headlines/internet pop-science articles and not fully investigated the science behind it.

There have been well over 100 different studies of aspartame - it is actually one of the most studied food substances ever. Every major food standards/health organisation (FDA, CDC, FSA, FAO, EFSA, etc.) is in agreement that it is non-carcinogenic at typical consumption levels. The studies which are most often quoted as evidence of it being harmful have serious issues with their methodology. Unless and until a well designed and conducted trial shows statistically significant findings that contradict the results showing that aspartame is benign I really wouldn't worry about it.

 

[MattA7]

Personally I do try to avoid aspartame where possible as I do notice unpleasant effects from it and wouldn’t be surprised if it later turned out to be harmful in one way or another. That being said I will take it if there is nothing else.

Manufacturers make that easy as they are obliged to place in bold type
“Contains a source of phenylalanine” on any aspartame containing products although this is mainly for the benefit of people affected by phenylketonuria(PKU)

I’m not a conspiracy theorist and probably a good example of what not to do with regards to healthy living but aspartame is one of those things I do feel uneasy about.

 

[najaB]

Personally I do try to avoid aspartame where possible as I do notice unpleasant effects from it and wouldn’t be surprised if it later turned out to be harmful in one way or another.

That's a reasonable approach as it's not a necessary thing, but I do get annoyed when people still act as if it's toxic or a known carcinogen. I mean, oxygen it both toxic and a carcinogen (technically).

 

[Cdd89]

One of my pet peeves is countries that apply sugar taxes to sugar-free drinks with aspartame in them. Seems bizarre not to maximise the price differential between sugar and sugar-free products in order to encourage people onto the healthier alternatives.

Fortunately we don't do this in the UK, but France does it. IMO the alleged harms of drinks containing artificial sweetener are not concrete or direct enough to justify a sin tax (and there has been no shortage of research over the past 30 years).

 

[Broucek]

Personally I do try to avoid aspartame where possible as I do notice unpleasant effects from it

Diet tonic water (unless made with natural ingredient only) makes me pee like crazy. I just avoid.

 

[westv]

I'm going to have to Google aspartame.

 

[najaB]

I'm going to have to Google aspartame.

Pay attention to the sources that are returned. Some are more... reputable than others.

 

[Busaholic]

In a vain attempt to contain my weight I stopped taking sugar in my hot drinks decades ago, but found the usual sweeteners available then (Sweetex, Hermesatas) unpalatable. When Canderel tablets came along (containing newly-found aspartame) I converted to them for tea, but as they were many times the price of the other tablets I continued to use those in coffee. After a while, however, I began to pall of the aftertaste of Canderel and gave them up for good about twenty years ago.

 

[Greybeard33]

I am old enough to remember cyclamates being banned in the late 1960s. This resulted from some dubious research, sponsored by the sugar industry, which purported to show that cyclamates were carcinogenic when fed to rats in enormous quantities. At that time sugar sales were under threat from cyclamate artificial sweeteners, which did not have the unpleasant aftertaste of saccharin.

The EU eventually lifted the cyclamate ban in the 1990s, after studies that found no evidence of harmful effects. However, they are still banned in the US.

Of course sugar is indisputably a major cause of tooth decay, as well as contributing to obesity and diabetes.

 

[westv]

Pay attention to the sources that are returned. Some are more... reputable than others.

it was more to find out what it actually is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In a vain attempt to contain my weight I stopped taking sugar in my hot drinks decades ago, but found the usual sweeteners available then (Sweetex, Hermesatas) unpalatable. When Canderel tablets came along (containing newly-found aspartame) I converted to them for tea, but as they were many times the price of the other tablets I continued to use those in coffee. After a while, however, I began to pall of the aftertaste of Canderel and gave them up for good about twenty years ago.

While I am, as the phrase goes, sweet enough, I have never understood the weight (!) people put on one teaspoon of sugar. It is just 16 calories. If you have a weight problem I would look elsewhere. Putting a big splosh of oil in the pan when frying rather than a small amount is many times that, for example, and cheese is insanely calorific.

 

[najaB]

While I am, as the phrase goes, sweet enough, I have never understood the weight (!) people put on one teaspoon of sugar. It is just 16 calories. If you have a weight problem I would look elsewhere. Putting a big splosh of oil in the pan when frying rather than a small amount is many times that, for example, and cheese is insanely calorific.

Most people I see making tea will put three or more spoonsful in - I personally don't know how they can stand it that sweet but different strokes and all that. Add that up across four or five cups during the course of the workday and that can be a couple hundred unnecessary calories a day.

 

[MattA7]

While I am, as the phrase goes, sweet enough, I have never understood the weight (!) people put on one teaspoon of sugar. It is just 16 calories. If you have a weight problem I would look elsewhere. Putting a big splosh of oil in the pan when frying rather than a small amount is many times that, for example, and cheese is insanely calorific.

Yet despite having a very high calorie diet full of fried foods, cheese etc Im still dangerously underweight (bmi 13.4) yet other people believe a splash of full fat milk in their coffee will cause them to pile on the pounds.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yet despite having a very high calorie diet full of fried foods, cheese etc Im still dangerously underweight (bmi 13.4) yet other people believe a splash of full fat milk in their coffee will cause them to pile on the pounds.

Metabolisms vary, as do activity levels. It doesn't take much for me to pile it on. Though for every fat person wishing they were skinny there's a skinny person wishing for a bit more bulk!

 

[Bald Rick]

yet other people believe a splash of full fat milk in their coffee will cause them to pile on the pounds.

well, for most people it will, over time. A 4 pint bottle of full fat milk has not far off the same amount of fat in it as half a pack of butter. Drink 4 pints a week and in a year that’s 10 pounds of fat you’ll have compared to using skimmed milk.

Back OT, I gave up ‘fizzy drinks’* about 8 years ago when I had a few throat issues, and I did feel somewhat better for doing so.


*except beer and champagne, obviously.

 

[Ediswan]

While I am, as the phrase goes, sweet enough, I have never understood the weight (!) people put on one teaspoon of sugar. It is just 16 calories. If you have a weight problem I would look elsewhere. Putting a big splosh of oil in the pan when frying rather than a small amount is many times that, for example, and cheese is insanely calorific.

I did a quick check. Both sugar and cheese are around 400 calories per 100g.

Fats and oils are indeed the worst, pushing 900 calories per 100g.

Nuts are an easy way to consume excess calories, around 600 calories per 100g.

 

[westv]

While I am, as the phrase goes, sweet enough, I have never understood the weight (!) people put on one teaspoon of sugar. It is just 16 calories. If you have a weight problem I would look elsewhere. Putting a big splosh of oil in the pan when frying rather than a small amount is many times that, for example, and cheese is insanely calorific.

Is the 16 calories a level or heaped spoon? I always use the former.

well, for most people it will, over time. A 4 pint bottle of full fat milk has not far off the same amount of fat in it as half a pack of butter. Drink 4 pints a week and in a year that’s 10 pounds of fat you’ll have compared to using skimmed milk.

How many coffees would you need to drink to use up 4 pints in a week?

 

[Bald Rick]

Is the 16 calories a level or heaped spoon? I always use the former.

level. by some assessments it’s 20 rather than 16: it’s 4 calories per gram.

 

[joebassman]

Though drinking only water is no good if your water works supply is contaminated- which is a plausible theory for the localised high cancer rates in my area post-Chernobyl. So many things “cause” cancer it would be a miserable life avoiding all of them!

(And writing as someone killing time before today’s chemo, bad luck, hereditary and age probably have more of an effect than anything else)

If you read some scientific studies then even worrying can cause cancer. So there is that one to avoid too.

 

[Bald Rick]

How many coffees would you need to drink to use up 4 pints in a week?

depends how much milk you have! If you have a typical amount, that’s 50ml, so that’s about 6 mugs of coffee or teas a day. Rather a lot, but plenty of people do that.

if you drink lattes, its 2 a day.

but that’s if you only ever have milk in hot drinks. There’s also cereal and other things. I get though 4-6 pints a week on average. moving to skimmed unquestionably helped me lose weight (And also not put it back on).

 

[najaB]

Fats and oils are indeed the worst, pushing 900 calories per 100g.

One important thing about calorie counting is that not all calories are the same. Gross oversimplification, but the body can ignore fat calories but can't ignore sugar calories.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One important thing about calorie counting is that not all calories are the same. Gross oversimplification, but the body can ignore fat calories but can't ignore sugar calories.

It has been suggested that this, in particular the microbiome and how well it digests fat, may well be part of the reason for why some people find it really easy to keep weight off and some not. And also why some have success with low carb diets and some not.

Another one is insulin response. For some people, if they eat a choccy bar their blood sugar goes high and so they can go and burn it off. Mine doesn't (despite looking like I should be type 2 my insulin response is close to perfect), and so it goes more or less straight on as fat.

Indeed, some "diet pills" work by disrupting fat digestion, though this causes steatorrhea, which is about as nice as it sounds.

 

[westv]

depends how much milk you have! If you have a typical amount, that’s 50ml, so that’s about 6 mugs of coffee or teas a day. Rather a lot, but plenty of people do that.

if you drink lattes, its 2 a day.

but that’s if you only ever have milk in hot drinks. There’s also cereal and other things. I get though 4-6 pints a week on average. moving to skimmed unquestionably helped me lose weight (And also not put it back on).

The problem with skimmed is that it's like having white water.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The problem with skimmed is that it's like having white water.

Semi is a reasonable compromise.

 

[Bald Rick]

The problem with skimmed is that it's like having white water.

Yes I used to think that. Wouldn’t touch it. Then I did a 4 day conversion course and now drinking whole milk feels like drinking cheap margarine.