Cancer Prevention Study Urges Immediate Review of Aspartame Safety

Note from Connie: Oh goodness, here comes the latest in a number of studies suggesting that aspartame could be dangerous. As I mention in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, in spite of the fact that experts insist the artificial sweetener is safe, more than 10,000 complaints flooded the FDA, reporting 92 different symptoms. Now, here's Karen's item on this new, alarming study.

Aspartame caused dose-related increases of lymphomas, leukemias and breast cancer in rats when ingested at levels approaching "acceptable daily intake" for humans, according to a study conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) and recently reported on by NewsTarget.com.

The study, "Lifespan Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning During Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats," confirmed earlier findings by the non-profit cancer prevention organization that identified the artificial sweetener as a carcinogen and demonstrated that those effects increased when lifespan exposure began during fetal life.

Groups of male and female rats ingested aspartame with their feed at concentrations of 2,000, 400 or zero parts per million from their twelfth day of fetal life until natural death. Among the results:

• 31.4 percent of female rats and 17.1 percent of male rats that received aspartame at a concentration of 2,000 ppm developed lymphomas or leukemias.
• 12.6 percent of female rats and 9.5 percent of male rats that received no aspartame developed lymphomas or leukemias.
• 15.7 percent of female rats and 2.9 percent of male rats that received aspartame at a concentration of 2,000 ppm developed breast cancer.
• 5.3 percent of female rats and zero male rats that did not receive aspartame developed breast cancer.

The report appeared online earlier this month in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences journal Environmental Health Perspectives and issued a chilling conclusion:

"On the basis of the present findings, we believe that a review of the current regulations governing the use of aspartame cannot be delayed. This review is particularly urgent with regard to aspartame-containing beverages, heavily consumed by children."

By Karen James for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog