“The IARC will reportedly classify aspartame as a possible carcinogen. But this isn’t a food safety agency, and the context matters.”
“The IARC will reportedly classify aspartame as a possible carcinogen. But this isn’t a food safety agency, and the context matters.”
Generally I agree with your point, but there is evidence that diet drinks increase cravings leading to greater overall calorie consumption. So it may not really be that much better.
I’m really far behind on clinical literature on the subject (I’m in a different field), but I remember a recent discovery that there were “sweetness” sensors in the gut. I’m not sure if it was speculation or already shown, but the theory is that detection of sweet things in the gut stimulated release of insulin. Since blood glucose doesn’t increase with zero calorie drinks, it can drop blood glucose, increasing hunger.
It’s known that some zero calorie sweeteners we can’t digest, but our gut bacteria can, and it changes them in a negative way.