Diet sodas pose relatively small risks
July 27, 2023
The World Health Organization published a report last week indicating that aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in many diet sodas, causes cancer. However, the US Food and Drug Administration stated that the level of risk from aspartame is quite low, and signaled that it has no intention to remove this additive from the US market.
The absolute danger posed by aspartame in doses used in diet soda is low. The WHO says that individuals would not exceed maximum recommended exposure unless they drank between 9 and 14 cans of diet soda daily. Beverages that are sweetened by sugar or high fructose corn syrup are associated with obesity which has substantial medical risk. There is some research that suggests that artificial sweeteners in general are paradoxically associated with weight gain, because they cause food cravings.
Implications for employers:
Employers can offer multiple different beverage options, including water or zero calorie carbonated or noncarbonated beverages that are not artificially sweetened.
Individuals should stay hydrated and determine what to drink based on what they like, avoiding excessive intake of both “naturally” and artificially sweetened beverages.
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Jeff