After years of debate and uncertainty about the adverse health effects of artificial sweeteners, another large-scale study has concluded, and the results are thought-provoking: It turns out that consuming low-calorie food additives may lead to an increased risk of cancer.
The new research is published in the journal PLOS Medicine. Research shows that individuals who consume larger-than-average amounts of sweeteners are 13 percent more likely to develop cancer, although some artificial sweeteners are more strongly associated with the disease than others.
Many processed food products contain sweeteners designed to mimic the taste of sugar without adding too many calories. Previous research has failed to establish a solid link between saccharin additives and cancer.
To end the discussion, the authors of the new study tracked the daily diets of 102,865 French adults over an average of eight years. After adjusting for other cancer risk factors, such as age, body mass index, physical activity, and fat intake, the researchers found that those who consumed high amounts of sweeteners had a higher rate of cancer than those who did not.
In particular, an artificial sweetener called aspartame shows a 15 percent increase in risk for all cancers and a 22 percent increase in breast cancer risk. Aspartame was also linked to higher rates of obesity-related cancers, with similar results also found for another sweetener called acesulfame-K.
The researchers say their findings highlight that artificial sweeteners are not a safe substitute for natural sugar in foods and beverages.
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