This column is intended for general knowledge only and should not be considered professional medical advice. Always consult with a licensed care provider before making decisions related to your health.
I think we have all heard that aspartame, the sweetener in many diet sodas, has been found to cause cancer. Every time I order a sweet, crispy Diet Coke, my mom gives me that look and a mini lecture. But what if I told you the cancer risk of aspartame has been vastly exaggerated?
Unlike TikTok wellness influencers have you believing, the amount of aspartame you would need to consume to have any increased risk of cancer is probably orders of magnitude larger than your so-called Diet Coke addiction. It would take the average person drinking about a dozen cans of Diet Coke daily — indefinitely — to reach the acceptable daily intake, according to the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives. And that acceptable daily intake is just a fraction (usually 1/100) of the maximum dose of aspartame that could be consumed without suffering any negative health effects. So even if you’re indulging in a daily Diet Coke or two, you are nowhere near the harmful amount.
Aspartame opposers love to bring up the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s classification of aspartame as a class 2A “possible carcinogen to humans,” but the Food and Drug Administration has adamantly opposed this classification due to “significant shortcomings in the studies.” After studying aspartame consumption in the U.S., JECFA concluded “dietary exposure to aspartame does not pose a health concern.” Because many often trust the Europeans more when it comes to these matters, I’m happy to report that the European Food Safety Authority also deems aspartame safe for human consumption. So, no, that Diet Coke is not going to kill you, unless you drink, like, 20 cans a day for the rest of your life — then no promises!
And before diet soda, we had good old regular soda, which is much more harmful to our health. A single 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of added sugar. If that number means nothing to you, the American Heart Association recommends adult men consume less than 36 grams of added sugar per day. Unfortunately, it’s even less for us women at a recommended maximum of 25 grams of added sugars (more proof that life is harder for us) .
Your pediatrician did not tell your parents to limit your added sugar intake as a kid because they hated you, as personal as it may have felt at the time. Excessive consumption of added sugar is associated with increased risks of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and excessive weight gain — which is actually a known risk factor of cancer. So, I’ll be opting for the sugar-free (and objectively tastier) Diet Coke.
Cheers, Mom.
Lara Caglayan is a 21-year-old UF nutritional sciences student.
