The World Health Organization (WHO) has just updated guidance on aspartame.
Aspartame is an artificial (chemical) sweetener widely used in food and drink products.
WHO classifies aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on limited evidence ans acknowledges more studies are needed.
This follows other guidance issued in May on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The simple way to look at sweeteners is that they are not natural, and therefore probably do not belong in the body.
While WHO’s recommendations are not strong, WHO’s Dr Francesco Branca’s recommendation seems the most sensible:
“If consumers are faced with the decision of whether to take cola with sweeteners or one with sugar, I think there should be a third option considered – which is to drink water instead.”
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