Health experts have revealed that an artificial sweetener used in Diet Coke and several other food products has been linked to cancer in humans.
According to experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for research on Cancer (IARC), the artificial sweetener aspartame is “possibly carcinogenic to humans” Reuters wrote on Thursday.
The findings are expected to be published in an official report next month and will include evidence linking aspartame to cancer.
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While WHO researchers have labelled the substance as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, the IARC have listed the ingredient under two more threatening categories including “probably carcinogenic to humans” and “carcinogenic to humans”.
While the ingredient will likely be published as harmful in the researcher’s official report, it is still unclear as to how much of the substance a person can consume without suffering from cancerous side-effects.
Aspartame has been used as a popular artificial sweetening agent since the 1980’s in popular food and beverage including Diet Coke, ice creams, cereal and chewing gum.
The findings of the recent study are set to be released on July 14.
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