PSA: Aspartame determined to be carcinogenic at normal use levels

[unixronin]

For those who haven't seen it or the New York Times article yet, the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation has recently conducted a long-term study on aspartame that everyone should be aware of.

The results of this mega-experiment indicate that APM is a multipotential carcinogenic agent, even at a daily dose of 20 mg/kg body weight, much less than the current acceptable daily intake. On the basis of these results, a reevaluation of the present guidelines on the use and consumption of APM is urgent and cannot be delayed.

(Emphasis mine; full paper in HTML here, PDF here)

Stay away from that shit, folks.  Not only is it nasty, there's growing evidence it can really screw you up in an increasing number of ways.

Comments

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

The point is not whether anyone near the middle of the bell curve drinks that much. The point is that level of consumption is currently considered to be safe and within normal limits, and now there are indications it's carcinogenic at that level of consumption.

[zeekar.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is the point. And I'm glad that someone is doing this research; it should continue, and the FDA should take notice. But I think exhortations to stay the hell away from Aspartame are still at best premature, even in the face of these findings.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

It's far from the only finding. Consider:

• It's known to cause severe medical problems for phenylketonurics.


• It appears to adversely affect serotonin levels in the brain.


• Many people report migraines, tunnel vision and loss of color vision after taking aspartame. The FDA has declined to accept the data.


• It's been banned in Germany because studies there have shown that under certain conditions, it can cause progressive brain damage. The FDA has declined to accept the data.

I think there's plenty of reason to avoid the stuff. Unfortunately, in the US we have a dual standard regarding drug and food additive approvals. Drugs can generally not be prescribed, even to people for whom they offer the only hope for relief or even live, unless proven safe. Food additives, on the other hand, can de facto generally be used pretty much freely unless and until proven to be dangerous.