Can artificial sweeteners cause Cancer?

Medically Reviewed by Checkmark Medically Reviewed By: Garima Dev Verman
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Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

The food industry uses artificial sweeteners in various foods and beverages as alternatives to added sugars, which can have deleterious effects on health. In this article, we will learn what artificial sweeteners are and do they cause cancer.

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes, are substances that are used instead of sucrose (table sugar) to sweeten foods and beverages. Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes are found in a variety of food and beverages marketed as “sugar-free” or “diet,” including soft drinks and baked goods. Six artificial sweeteners are approved as food additives by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K, or Ace-K), sucralose, neotame, and advantame. 

Do artificial sweeteners cause Cancer?

It’s debatable. The debate about artificial sweeteners causing a higher risk of cancer started when a study found an increased risk of bladder cancer in mice fed extremely high amounts of saccharin and cyclamate. Because of this, cyclamate was banned in the U.S. However, it was later found that it does not cause cancer. 

Similarly, saccharin in high doses was linked with bladder cancer in animals. But, studies have shown that the ways in which it causes cancer in humans do not apply to humans. 

CancerresearchUK has established that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame don’t cause cancer. They further state that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has ruled that they aren’t harmful within daily limits. These limits are more than most people would have in one day. For aspartame, the daily limit is equal to 12 cans of diet pop.

Contrastingly, another research published in 2022 found a positive association between artificial sweeteners and cancer. It found that artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame and acesulfame-K), which are used in many food and beverage brands worldwide, were associated with increased cancer risk.

In conclusion, further research is needed to establish the exact association between the two. The carcinogenicity of artificial sweeteners has been suggested by several experimental studies, but robust epidemiological evidence is lacking.

Dr. Manish Singhal, senior oncologist in New Delhi, reiterates the same findings of the study. However, he puts in an word of caution, “too much artificial sweeteners is not good for health”

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Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

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Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Team THIP

Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

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Dr. Shikha Shiromani
Dr. Shikha Shiromani
A dental surgeon by education and medical writer by profession, Shikha is passionate to bring her knowledge and experience in busting the myths around medicine and health. At THIP, she is involved in researching, fact-checking and answering all kinds of questions related to health.
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