Adam C. Stewart
You’ve probably seen the headlines; the international Agency for research on Cancer recently made waves by declaring aspartame a “possible carcinogen”.”Let’s get to the bottom of what this really means.
Note: This article was the cover of MASS Research Review for August 2023 and is the first part of a new type of mass article entitled “Beyond the Headlines.”The goal is to concisely address a topic that is currently dominating the headlines or causing controversy in the field of fitness. If you want more content like this, subscribe to MASS.
You’ve probably seen some headlines about Aspartame in the last month or so. The international Agency for Research on Cancer recently made waves by declaring aspartame a “possible carcinogen”, triggering a wave of press articles about the safety of consuming products containing aspartame. In this article I will give a brief overview of what happened, what it means and how you can make informed decisions about your risk tolerance in the future.
Who is the international agency for research on cancer?
The international Agency for research on Cancer is “The specialized agency against cancer of the World Health Organization.”Its stated Mission is to promote international cooperation in cancer research. The Organization was founded in 1965 and was born in response to a French Initiative aimed at dealing with the multiple pressures associated with the increase in the prevalence of cancer. Their website states that there are now 27 member countries and that over the past five decades the Organization has “conducted research around the world and helped thousands of cancer researchers from developing countries improve their skills through scholarships, courses and collaborative projects”.
In accordance with its Mission, the international agency for research on cancer maintains a List of carcinogenic classifications. They evaluate a range of “items” that can range from food ingredients or drinks to environmental or occupational exposures. These articles are classified in one of the four harmful categories listed in Table 1.
Of course, it is important to understand what these categories literally represent, because the details are important when this information is used to guide health-related decisions. The categories can be interpreted as follows:
- Group 1: There is enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans.
- Group 2A: There is strong evidence that it can cause cancer in humans, but at present it is inconclusive.
- Group 2B: There is evidence that it can cause cancer in humans, but at present it is far from conclusive.
- Group 3: There is currently no evidence that it causes cancer in humans.
Which category does Aspartame belong to?
The reason why this List of carcinogens is in the news is that the international agency for research on cancer has recently assigned aspartame to group 2B, which is “potentially carcinogenic to humans”.”As mentioned above, this reflects the Organization’s point of view that there is evidence of carcinogenicity in humans, but the evidence is far from conclusive. According to the website of the Occupational safety and Health Administration of the US Department of Labor, “this category is used for agents for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in laboratory animals.
It can also be used when there is insufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans, but sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. In some matters, an agent for which there is insufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals can be classified in this group, as well as supporting evidence from mechanistic and other relevant data. An active substance can only be classified in this category on the basis of solid evidence from mechanistic and other relevant data.”
