The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the sweetener aspartame has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, without changing its recommendation for acceptable daily intake˳
It is necessary to carefully read the product ingredient parameters, warnings on the packaging before use – Photo: NAM TRAN
Aspartame is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in the world and has been on the market for decades˳ There are many products in Vietnam that use this artificial sweetener˳
How is aspartame sweetener used?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), aspartame is a common artificial sweetener found in thousands of products such as diet sodas, diet milks and sugars, toothpaste, and medicines such as cough suppressants and chewing gum˳
Conclusions about the artificial sweetener aspartame can cause cancer were made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Additives˳ Food (JECFA) joint implementation˳
The agencies classified aspartame as a “possibly carcinogenic to humans” subgroup 2B after recognizing some evidence that it is linked to a type of liver cancer˳
However, animal experiments have shown that there is not enough evidence to confirm that this substance is a carcinogen˳
As noted on the Vietnamese market, there are now many products containing artificial sweeteners aspartame such as chewing gum, sweet candies, soft drinks, especially products for diabetics such as: milk˳ In addition, many products for people who want to lose weight or control weight also contain the artificial sweetener aspartame˳
In addition, “diet sugar” whose main ingredient is artificial sugar is also present in many products for sale online˳ According to the advertised information, the sugar tablets will have a sweet taste, contain very low calories, so you do not have to worry about excess fat accumulation as well as increased blood sugar after use˳ Most of these products are for sale with prices ranging from several tens of thousands of dong to several hundred thousand dong depending on the type˳
According to Dr˳ Pham Hung Van – former lecturer in the microbiology department of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, many people are now very concerned that the use of common sugars will lead to the risk of many diseases, especially diabetes˳ Disconnect the road˳
In order to satisfy the body’s sweet cravings without harming health, they often look to products containing chemical sugar (artificial sweetener aspartame)˳ The reason is that this chemical sugar does not raise blood sugar, contains few calories, low energy˳
In addition, these chemical sugars taste better and sweeter than natural sugars˳ Therefore, chemical sugar is now often used in diet and weight control products˳
How much does it take to cause cancer?
WHO and other research bodies recommend that the sweetener aspartame is safe for health when consumed within acceptable limits˳ Specifically, the limit is 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight per day˳
Doctor Nguyen Trong Hung, head of the adult nutrition examination and consulting department, National Institute of Nutrition, said that the fact that the sweetener aspartame has been recommended many times can affect health˳ However, these sweeteners are actually found in many everyday products˳
Although WHO has not yet given specific information on how much aspartame intake into the body will cause cancer˳ However, aspartame has been warned not to abuse, use too much or arbitrarily use this sweetener to replace regular sugar˳
In particular, for people who have a habit of eating sweets but are concerned that eating sugar often has a lot of energy, so they tend to use sugar instead, the abuse of sweeteners, long-term use will affect to health, said Dr˳ Hung˳
Doctor CKI Tran Thi Hieu – in charge of the department of nutrition and dietetics at Thu Duc Regional General Hospital (HCMC) – said that the sweetener aspartame, also known as chemical sugar, is currently being applied˳ mostly in sweet products for diet such as cakes, sweets, soft drinks, diet foods, chewing gum…, especially those for diabetics˳
This is because this chemical sugar contains very little energy, so it is not expected to raise blood sugar and not cause obesity˳
Dr˳ Hieu said that this chemical sugar is just a substitute for the natural sugar added in the daily diet and it is also labeled as a food additive, abuse or overconsumption˳ health will be affected˳
People need to distinguish between the recommended sugar threshold that can cause cancer and the recommended sugar level for health˳
Dr˳ Hieu recommends that currently the amount of natural sugars (cane sugar, fructose…) commonly used to add to the diet should be less than 10% of energy needs, ie about 25g of sugar/day˳
Sugar substitutes, including chemical ones, should also follow the above recommendations˳
For example, the amount of aspartame that is considered safe to use should be less than 8-12 cans of soda water to avoid the risk of cancer˳ But the amount of soft drink that is safe for health is much lower, only about half a can to 1 can˳
Doctor Nguyen Trong Hung recommends that to ensure safety for health, to help users calculate the amount of sugar put into the body with products containing chemical sugar, it must be clearly stated on the packaging˳ used in that product˳
If you want to add artificial sugar, you need to consult a doctor before using˳ In particular, prioritize healthy eating, use limited sweets, avoid ready-to-eat foods… to ensure health˳
WHO warns of aspartame sweetener: Is it a concern?
Source link: https://cocc˳edu˳vn/dung-chat-lam-ngot-aspartame-ra-sao-de-an-toan-20230717091144763˳htm
