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Revealed: WHO aspartame safety panel linked to alleged Coca-Cola front group (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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It uncovered eight WHO panelists involved with assessing safe levels of aspartame consumption who are beverage industry consultants who currently or previously worked with the alleged Coke front group, International Life Sciences Institute (Ilsi).

Their involvement in developing intake guidelines represents “an obvious conflict of interest”, said Gary Ruskin, US Right-To-Know’s executive director. “Because of this conflict of interest, [the daily intake] conclusions about aspartame are not credible, and the public should not rely on them,” he added.

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[–] [email protected] 186 points 2 years ago (30 children)

We've studied this chemical literally more than any other food additive and there's still nothing definitive. Also mice are not a good stand-in for humans. They are really only used for acute toxicity and such.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (7 children)

My gripe is that swapping out sugars for fake ones doesn't seem healthy long term regardless of any direct impact aspartame itself may have. Just have less sugar imo.

Edit: didn't realise how controversial that soft opinion would be lol. Look, drink what you want but I'm going to stick with water unless it's a treat. I know it's not healthy for me to scratch the dopamine itch with sugary tasting treats all the time; fake sugar or not. My perspective is less about trying to say, diet soda is bad but that there must be better alternatives to suggest than just sweetener filled copies?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (6 children)

How do you mean?

I've heard of things like the sensation of sweetness being decoupled from satiation leading to a greater urge for sweetness in compensation, but at least personally that's not happening to me lol.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's pretty acidic which sucks for your teeth for one but that wasn't what I was trying to say

Yeah I just really mean as a diet as a whole though. If you have an issue with sugar intake then you're probs drinking way too much sugary drinks. To suggest just swapping out sugars for fake ones I don't think is best choice to suggest for most people.

I think there's probably tons of other issues too just aside from the excess glucose. So fix the diet not the sugar.

Yeah I agree it's fine that a most of these chemicals are safe in moderation and well researched. My gripe is the hot swap fix-all attitude that people can take from it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

That makes sense. I'm coming at this as someone who drinks diet coke because they like it rather than to avoid drinking sugar.

Amusingly it's the fact that diet coke is relatively less sweet that makes me like it.

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