Aspartame has been the subject of intense investigation. After numerous regulatory bodies including the Food and Drug Administration and an expert committee reviewed it, multiple regulatory agencies including FDA concluded it’s safe for consumption provided you follow certain guidelines.
But this week, a review released by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency identified aspartame as potentially carcinogenic. While the International Agency for Research on Cancer report may be considered definitive, an analysis conducted by a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives will be made public later in July.
Both reports will evaluate existing evidence to make decisions on whether aspartame is hazardous and what its safe limits might be. According to WHO spokesperson for NBC HEALTH, they did not see any human data that warranted changing their current guidelines on aspartame intake, and will wait for results of JECFA evaluation in July before making their final recommendations.
The JECFA report is expected to reaffirm their acceptable daily intake recommendation of zero to 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, meaning someone weighing an average American (184 pounds) could consume 33 cans of diet soda each day without exceeding those limits.
But if you’re concerned about what might happen if you consume more aspartame, remember that one of the best ways to lower your risk of cancer is eating a diet rich in vegetables, fiber and whole grains and lacking processed or red meat, sugar or fat (although you could reduce your chances of brain tumor by not smoking).