From Medical News Today
A large new observational study has found an association between the consumption of artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame and acesulfame-K, and cancer.
The study found a 13% higher risk of cancer in general, with the highest likelihood of developing breast cancer and cancers related to obesity, for people consuming large quantities of artificial sweeteners.
The worldwide artificial sweetener market is estimated at $22.2 billion and rising, a nearly three-billion-dollar increase in the last 2 years alone. A 2017 study found that 41.4% of U.S. adults and 25.1% of children use artificial sweeteners, ingredients in a wide array of commercial products.
Referring to them as “high intensity sweeteners,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six such substances as being safe for human consumption at typical daily intake levels.
The new research is published in PLOS MEDICINE.
