First they came for Sweetener, then they came for Sunscreen

Does sunscreen stop skin cancer? And even worse, is it associated with increased rates of skin cancer?

We have been told for decades to replace sugar with artificial sweetener, for the sake of our health. Ever since I was young, I was told me to avoid the stuff. This was on the basis that it is a relatively new ingredient to include in food and so any negative health impacts wouldn’t become apparent for decades. Consequently, I can’t stand artificial sweetener and have become somewhat of a sweetener supertaster, i.e. if I accidentally eat something with sweetener, I can instantly tell and have to stop eating or drinking it.

But sweetener had become part of the narrative and so claiming it wasn’t a healthy alternative was a no-go in the NPC (Non-player character) metaverse. Governments were and still are, fully on board, adding sugar taxes to foods meaning it was replaced with sweetener to keep the costs down. Today, it is almost impossible to buy any type of soft drink/fizzy drink/squash without sweetener.

I wrote about it in April 2022 in an article unimaginatively called “Do Artificial Sweeteners cause Cancer? A look at Aspartame, Acesulfame-K and Sucralose”. (But be aware, as I said in the article, sugar is not much better for you! So don’t suddenly start eating lots of sugar instead.)

So it came as no surprise to hear that, last week, WHO’s research agency had concluded that aspartame sweetener is a possible carcinogen. What!? You mean adding random chemicals into foods might be bad for you? Whoever would have thought?

The only surprise was that the WHO had actually admitted it. It has been claimed for a while that Donald Rumsfeld is the reason various sweeteners every got approved, so what has changed to allow it to suddenly be vilified. I don’t have the answer to that but if things public health tells us are healthy suddenly turn out not to be (such as smoking or sweeteners), what things that we are currently using might be found to be dangerous in the future?

What about suntan lotion (sunscreen for my American friends)?

Sunscreen has long been touted as a crucial tool in the fight against skin cancer. We are told that it blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays by public health campaigns worldwide. The common narrative suggests that regular application of sunscreen not only prevents painful sunburns but also significantly reduces the risk of developing cancer, particular melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

But does it?