Reacción a "Reactions: aspartame sweetener is classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans, although the acceptable daily intake remains unchanged"

Aspartame has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization.   

That means its safety at current doses is not a major concern and we need to do more and better research to understand its effects. To put this in context, the evidence is stronger for the links between alcohol and cancer, or red meat and cancer. 

Sugary drinks are the bigger problem. There is good evidence for an association of sugary drinks with diabetes, dental decay, and other chronic diseases. But they have not been reviewed by IARC. 

The problem with studying diet drinks containing aspartame is that people may be selecting these products because they are already at high risk of nutrition related disease, and they want to reduce that risk. So it can be difficult to untangle these effects. 

We need urgent action to improve our food environment in New Zealand.