Lots of food products and beverages containing artificial sweeteners are taken in by millions of people daily. To assess the potential carcinogenicity of synthetic sweeteners, researchers examined information from 102,865 French grownups participating in the NutriNet-Santé research study. Researchers gathered information concerning artificial sweetener intake from 24-hour dietary records. After gathering cancer diagnosis information during follow-up, the scientists carried out statistical analyses to examine the associations in between artificial sweetener intakes and cancer threat.
The scientists found that enrollees consuming larger amounts of sweetening agents, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, had higher danger of total cancer compared to non-consumers (threat ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.25). Greater risks were observed for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers.
The study had a number of important restrictions; dietary consumptions are self-reported. The observational nature of the study also means that residual confounding is reverse and possible causality can not be ruled out.
According to the authors, “Our findings do not support using sweetening agents as safe options for sugar in foods or beverages and supply crucial and novel information to resolve the debates about their prospective adverse health impacts. While these results need to be duplicated in other massive accomplices and underlying mechanisms clarified by speculative studies, they offer unique and important insights for the ongoing re-evaluation of food additive sweeteners by the European Food Safety Authority and other health agencies internationally”.
Debras adds, “Results from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (n= 102,865) suggest that artificial sweeteners found in lots of food and drink brands worldwide might be associated with increased cancer danger, in line with several experimental in vivo/ in vitro studies. These findings supply novel information for the re-evaluation of these food additives by health companies.”.
Reference: “Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based accomplice study” by Charlotte Debras, Eloi Chazelas, Bernard Srour, Nathalie Druesne-Pecollo, Younes Esseddik, Fabien Szabo de Edelenyi, Cédric Agaësse, Alexandre De Sa, Rebecca Lutchia, Stéphane Gigandet, Inge Huybrechts, Chantal Julia, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Benjamin Allès, Valentina A. Andreeva, Pilar Galan, Serge Hercberg, Mélanie Deschasaux-Tanguy and Mathilde Touvier, 24 March 2022, PLOS Medicine.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pmed.1003950.
Artificial sweeteners might not be safe sugar options. Credit: Mathilde Touvier (CC-BY 4.0).
Study recommends association in between consuming artificial sweeteners and increased cancer danger.
Sweetening agents reduce sugarcoated content and corresponding calories while keeping sweet taste. A research study published on March 24th, 2022, in PLOS Medicine by Charlotte Debras and Mathilde Touvier at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France and associates recommends that some sweetening agents are associated with increased cancer threat.
Numerous food products and beverages containing artificial sweeteners are taken in by millions of individuals daily. To assess the possible carcinogenicity of artificial sweeteners, researchers analyzed information from 102,865 French grownups participating in the NutriNet-Santé research study. After gathering cancer medical diagnosis info during follow-up, the researchers performed analytical analyses to examine the associations between synthetic sweetener consumption and cancer risk.
