Consumption of Aspartame-Containing Beverages and Incidence of Hematopoietic and Brain Malignancies

Abstract

Background: In a few animal experiments, aspartame has been linked to hematopoietic and brain cancers. Most animal studies have found no increase in the risk of these or other cancers. Data on humans are sparse for either cancer. Concern lingers regarding this widely used artificial sweetener. Objective: We investigated prospectively whether aspartame consumption is associated with the risk of hematopoietic cancers or gliomas (malignant brain cancer). Methods: We examined 285,079 men and 188,905 women ages 50 to 71 years in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort. Daily aspartame intake was derived from responses to a baseline self-administered food frequency questionnaire that queried consumption of four aspartame-containing beverages (soda, fruit drinks, sweetened iced tea, and aspartame added to hot coffee and tea) during the past year. Histologically

Consumption of Aspartame-Containing Beverages and Incidence of Hematopoietic and Brain Malignancies

“…The rates of hematopoietic (n = 12 cases) and brain cancers (n = 3 cases) among our study participants with high consumption, however, were not elevated. We found similarly null risk estimates, with tighter confidence intervals, for consumers of 600 mg or more aspartame (three or more 12-oz cans of diet soda) with no evidence of a dose response (2).…”

“…Diet soda alone accounts for over 70% of aspartame sales in the United States (3). Therefore, although we may have missed a small fraction of people in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort who consume large amounts of aspartame through items other than artificially sweetened beverages, it is unlikely that consideration of consumption by these individuals would have altered the overall null association we found for aspartame and hematopoietic and brain cancers (2).…”

“…1). Aspartame consumption for the majority of the public, however, comes largely from artificially sweetened beverages, which contain much higher amounts of aspartame per serving (180 mg per 12-oz can of diet soda, around 40-90 mg per cup of fruit drinks or iced tea, or 35 mg per table-top packet added to hot coffee or tea) than other food or pharmaceutical items (2). Diet soda alone accounts for over 70% of aspartame sales in the United States (3).…”

Aspartame Consumption and Incidence of Hematopoietic and Brain Cancers

“…To the Editors: Lim et al (1), using data from the 1995 to 1996 NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, tested the hypothesis that aspartame consumption is associated with risk of hematopoietic cancers or gliomas (2). However, inappropriateness of subjects and study protocols renders any conclusions drawn from the Lim et al study meaningless.…”

Effects of aspartame metabolites on astrocytes and neurons

“…Studies in humans show a higher incidence of glioma in people who consume aspartame [25]. However, some authors do not provide assurance that the cancer can be caused by other factors [16].…”