Diet Soda and Cancer. New Studies reveal more truths..

Posted by Maria Kang on June 27, 2007

Diet Soda has come under some scrutiny lately in this newest article, sent to me by a FitnessCure reader, Thom!

Just to let y’all know, I GREW UP drinking diet soda. Living with a diabetic mother has made me very familiar with ‘fat free’ or ‘fake sweeteners’ treats. However, I was always taught that there were risks for cancer if I consumed too much.
Of course, that ‘myth’ was the same story my mother gave me about my lips turning black if I wore lipstick too early!
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New Cancer worries for Diet Soda Drinkers
A new study on the effects of low daily doses of the artificial sweetener aspartame shows a statistically significant increase in leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats. Consumer advocates are calling for the FDA to take another look at the safety of aspartame in light of the study, but the FDA seems uninterested.

“Because aspartame is so widely consumed, it is urgent that the FDA evaluate whether aspartame still poses a ‘reasonable certainty of no harm,’ the standard used for gauging the safety of food additives,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “But consumers, particularly parents, shouldn’t wait for the FDA to act. People shouldn’t panic, but they should stop buying beverages and foods containing aspartame.”

The study, which can be read here, followed a group of 4,000 rats who were given low daily doses of aspartame (comparable to what a dedicated human diet soda drinker might consume, were he/she a rat) beginning during “prenatal” life. The rats were dissected after natural death and the effects of the aspartame calculated.
Read entire article here.
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So what does this mean for us?
- Aspartame has been KNOWN to be bad for you so avoid it.
- Try to eat organic and unprocessed foods more often
- LISTEN to your body. You will notice your body hates digesting sweeteners! Mine Does!
- There are no shortcuts to ‘cheating’ on a diet – just don’t do it.

Fitness Cure