Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk:

Trusylver

Trusylver

Sport and Exercise Coach
Staff member
Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based cohort study



Conclusions
In this large cohort study, artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame and acesulfame-K), which are used in many food and beverage brands worldwide, were associated with increased cancer risk. These findings provide important and novel insights for the ongoing re-evaluation of food additive sweeteners by the European Food Safety Authority and other health agencies globally.
 
Interesting result, and I'm curious to see follow-up research. Is there an actual causative link? (Probably not a super strong one, or earlier studies would've shown it.) Is the risk dose-dependent? What's the risk compared to consuming the same amount of sugar-sweetened product? Especially for obese people, in whom the risk of gaining more weight is also potentially life-threatening. I think we can all agree that eating an apple is healthier than drinking a glass of Coke, regardless of whether it's sweetened, but that isn't going to happen for most people. Still: it's a clear and interesting result that needs looking into further.
 
That is the nature of research a lot of the time, it may answer some questions but opens up a whole nest of new questions which need answers especially in research involving diet because you can't just get large numbers of subject and force them to eat an exact diet (especially if the hypothesis is that the diet is harmful) so there is always the question of is it a cause or just a correlation. it does open up people to new ideas, and if it tips even a few people away from the artificial without compensating with eating even more of the natural sugars and the calories that go with it then that would be a good thing.

Research is so complex to get right so it frustrates me to see "social media experts" all claiming "I did my own research". Watching youtube or reading a facebook or blog post is not research, and even reading research papers like this is not research but is at least educational from a reputable source, however without some level of underlying knowledge may still be undecipherable for many. The conclusion for this study may be the only part some people will comprehend fully.
 
Thanks Tru, this is an interesting study, and as a consumer of lots of artificial sweeteners particularly relevant to me. Guess the only surprise I had was in seeing how low the HRs (hazard rations) were, 1.13 for all cancers with a high of 1.22 for breast cancer. As I understand it this would mean a 13% increase for all cancers and 22% for breast cancer. Not huge, but statistically significant and probably real.

Llama raises some good questions. The simple one I have is does the use of these sweeteners in any way improve health, such as by stimulating weight loss. And if so how do these risks trade off against the cancer risks.

Trusylver said:
Research is so complex to get right so it frustrates me to see "social media experts" all claiming "I did my own research". Watching youtube or reading a facebook or blog post is not research, and even reading research papers like this is not research but is at least educational from a reputable source, however without some level of underlying knowledge may still be undecipherable for many. The conclusion for this study may be the only part some people will comprehend fully.
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Guilty!
 
alligatorob said:
Llama raises some good questions. The simple one I have is does the use of these sweeteners in any way improve health, such as by stimulating weight loss. And if so how do these risks trade off against the cancer risks.
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It would take someone smarter than I am to work out where the balance should be, I personally don't use sweeteners, I hate the taste but for those that do, it could just be a case of being aware and cutting down where possible. Like most things with fat loss and diet change, simply giving up things you enjoy cold turkey does not work for most people so they need to transition to healthier eating a bit at a time, That could be cutting out a lot of sugar to loose weight by using sweeteners but then reduce sweetener use as the need for that sweet taste becomes less.
 
I have been drinking diet soft drinks over the Summer to cut down on my wine intake, but the artificial taste is just too much for me & I know that they must be bad for you. My BIL died from colon cancer & he drank copious quantities of diet coke. I am going to work my way through what I have slowly but then get more creative with my cold drinks. Making fresh fruit & mint cubes to add to your water, either fresh tap water or mineral water adds a nice lift. Berries are good.
 
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