Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A recent study by the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center in Italy and the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences in Bologna, Italy, shows a significant increase in the incidence of malignant tumors, lymphomas and leukemias in rats exposed to varying doses of aspartame.

Aspartame is the second most widely used artificial sweetener in the world and is found in more than 6,000 products ranging from sodas and hot chocolate to yogurt and vitamins. More than 200 million people worldwide consume aspartame.

In the study, researchers administered aspartame by adding it to rats' normal diet. The study began when the rats were 8 weeks old and ended when all the rats had died. Treatment groups received feed containing concentrations of aspartame at dosages simulating daily human intake as compared to body weight. The results showed the treated animals had extensive evidence of malignant cancers including lymphomas, leukemias, and tumors in multiple organs.

One of the researchers stated, "Our study has shown that aspartame is a multi-potential carcinogenic compound whose carcinogenic effects are also evident at a daily dose of 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight notably less than the current acceptable daily intake for humans."

The acceptable daily intake for humans is set at 50 milligrams per kilogram in the United States and 40 milligrams per kilogram in Europe. The researchers say this study calls for an urgent re-evaluation of the current guidelines for the use and consumption of this substance.

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SOURCE: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, published online Nov. 17, 2005