Higher Intake of Artificial Sweeteners Linked to an Increased Risk of Overall Cancer

by | May 2, 2022 | Cancer, Sweeteners

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Results of this French-population based cohort study show a positive association between excessive intake of artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame, and an increased risk in breast and obesity-related cancers.

health hazards - artificial sweetenersWorld sugar consumption has tripled in the last 50 years and this trend has continued to rise, particularly in emerging countries 1. The World Health Organization states that free sugars should not represent 10% or more of the daily caloric contribution and suggest that sugar consumption should be reduced to 5% 2. A popular method to reduce the caloric density while maintaining sweetness in food is the use of artificial sweeteners, which contain a wide array of chemical compounds that increase sweetness levels in products while decreasing the number of calories in the product 3. One of the most popular artificial sweeteners is aspartame and it is currently present in over 5000 foods globally, such as chewing gum, yogurt, and coffee 4. Other low-calorie synthetic sweeteners include saccharin and sucralose, with many of these products being linked to undesirable side effects for consumers 5.

Excess consumption of artificial sweeteners has previously been linked to increased occurrence of obesity, insulin resistance, and cancer due to excess adiposity and cardiometabolic perturbations 6. Additionally, obesity is associated with an increased risk of cancer due to cell growth, chronic inflammation, and hyperinsulinemia 7. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world and accounted for almost 10 million deaths in 2020 8.

To better observe the potential influence of artificial sweetener intake with overall risk of cancer, Debras et. al conducted a population-based cohort study. Using data from the NutriNet-Santé study (2009-2021), a French population-based study assessing the association between nutrition and its role in overall health, 102,865 French adults (78.5% women) were included in the study. Participants, average age of 42.2 ± 14.5 years, completed annual questionnaires related to health status, anthropometric data, physical activity, lifestyle, and diet. Further information on dietary intake was submitted every 6 months and artificial sweetener intake was assessed based on the 24-hr dietary records provided by participants which include recollection of the exact food and portions consumed at meals. Development of cancer or severe illness was obtained through the annual health questionnaires and then further validated by a subject’s physician or medical records.

After evaluating data from this large population-based cohort study, the significant observational results are as follows:

  • Of the 102,865 participants, 36.9% used artificial sweeteners in their diet, with 58% of artificial sweeteners used in the form of aspartame. Only 5 participants exceeded the recommended intake of 15 mg/kg body weight/day for artificial sweetener consumption.
  • Intake of artificial sweeteners was significantly associated with risk of overall cancer (HR for higher consumers versus non-consumers = 1.13 [95% CI 1.03 to 1.25], P-trend = 0.002).
  • Consumption of aspartame was linked to an increased risk of cancer (HR= 1.15 [95% CI 1.03 to 1.28], P = 0.002) and it was also noted for consumption of the sweetener acesulfame-K (HR= 1.13 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.26], P = 0.007).
  • Aspartame consumption had an increased risk for breast cancer (HR=1.22 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.48], P = 0.036) and total artificial sweetener consumption had an increased risk for obesity-related cancers (HR= 1.13 [95% CI 1.00 to 1.28], P = 0.036).

Study results suggest that higher intake of artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame, result in an increase in overall risk of cancer. Consistent use of chemically engineered sweeteners negatively influences health through the potential increased occurrence of metabolic disorder such as obesity and insulin resistance. Further research should continue to explore the role both natural sugar and artificial sugar have on health outcomes in large population-based studies to further explore their associations. Study limitations include the fact that the participants included do not represent the average French citizen because the study was predominantly completed by women and people with higher educational levels with a stronger focus on health.

Source: Debras, Charlotte, Eloi Chazelas, Bernard Srour, Nathalie Druesne-Pecollo, Younes Esseddik, Fabien Szabo de Edelenyi, Cédric Agaësse et al. “Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based cohort study.” PLoS medicine 19, no. 3 (2022): e1003950.

© 2022 Debras et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted May 2, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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