Do Artificial Sweeteners cause Cancer?

A look at Aspartame, Acesulfame-K and Sucralose

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Many sweeteners have been approved for use since the ‘50s but how healthy are they?

People replace sugar with sweeteners for various reasons. The first obvious one is that sugar itself is unhealthy and various publications have shown excessive consumption is associated with cancer risk and chronic and degenerative diseases. Sweeteners can also be used to assist with weight loss, improve dental hygiene, for various medical reasons (e.g. diabetes or hypoglycaemia), because it’s cheaper or just because people prefer the taste.

I personally can’t stand the taste of it. It tastes unnatural and chemically and, like a shark sensing a drop of blood in a vast ocean, I can detect its presence instantly. I avoid buying foods that contain sweeteners and if anybody buys me a diet coke, it gets poured down the sink when they aren’t looking.

That is just my personal preference but is it actually unhealthy? It is a highly controversial topic with conclusions from studies ranging from “safe under all conditions” to “unsafe at any dose”. There are various studies that have shown sweeteners actually encourage weight gain and cause various health hazards but in this article I will look specifically at whether they cause cancer.

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