What sweeteners can lead to cancer?

Some sweeteners may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, researchers at the French National Institute of Health and the Sorbonne University in Paris have come to this conclusion.

The results of their study are reported in an article published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

To assess the potential carcinogenicity of sweeteners, the researchers analyzed data on 102,865 French adults who participated in the long-term NutriNet-Santé cohort study from 2009. Volunteers reported on their medical history, sociodemographic data, diet, and lifestyle. Experts collected data on the consumption of artificial sweeteners and conducted a statistical analysis to see if there was a link between these substances and cancer risk.

The analysis also took into account additional risk factors, including age, gender, education, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, height, weight gain during follow-up, diabetes, family history of cancer and diet.

People who consumed higher amounts of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, were found to have a higher risk of developing cancer compared to those who did not (a risk ratio of 1.13). At the same time, higher risks were observed for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers.