Diet Coke - Is Aspartame Dangerous?!

I'm sure you've heard by now that "aspartame is super terrible for you and will kill you" and that you should "avoid it completely". 

Let's put a magnifying glass to the research.

In July, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) listed aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". Aspartame is the world's most common artificial sweetener, used in products like Coca-Cola diet sodas, Mars' Extra chewing gum, sugar-free syrups, sugar-free Jell-O, and some Snapple drinks. 

Past research on aspartame's link to cancer has not yielded conclusive evidence that it causes disease in humans. Many studies investigating this link have relied on animals, mice and rats to be specific.

A 2020 study found an increased incidence of cancer in mice when consuming aspartame. However, the doses were almost quadruple their weight.

The WHO's recommended limit (or ADI, the acceptable daily intake) for aspartame is 40-50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Note: the ADI is an estimate of the amount of substance in food/ drink that be consumed daily over a lifetime without adverse health effects. The ADI is derived after determining the absolute highest dietary intake level of an additive without adverse effects (No Observed Adverse Effects Level, NOAEL). The ADI is 100x LESS than the NOAEL to ensure a LARGE margin of safety.

TW: example using a weight calculation to follow.

So, how many diet cokes would a 200lb female need to drink to reach the ADI?

In kg, her weight is 90.9kg. 

Multiply this by 40-50mg/kg/day to get this person's ADI for aspartame:

90.9kg x 40 mg/kg/day = 3,639mg

90.9kg x 50 mg/kg/day = 4,545mg

A diet coke has ~200mg of aspartame

If we take 3,639mg and 4,545mg and divide this by 200mg...

..this person would need to drink 18-22 cans of diet coke per day to reach the acceptable daily limit.

That being said, we have bigger things to worry about when it comes to carcinogens (cancer causing to humans), like:

•  Prolonged, unprotected exposure to UV rays
•  Excess consumption of alcohol
•  Consistent tobacco use

If you still don't want to drink Diet Coke, that is totally fine. You have the autonomy to do so! But, others also have permission and autonomy to drink Diet Coke if they so choose. And, without fear.

The main take away?

It doesn't need to be a food rule! We know food rules are a root for more anxiety, stress, and shame.

Everyone has permission to have their own food preferences. Just because someone does or doesn't drink Diet Coke does not make them a better or worse person.