The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” while reaffirming its recommended intake of the popular artificial sweetener is safe.
In an analysis published in The Lancet Oncology, the organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), made up of 25 scientists from 12 countries, said “limited evidence” shows there may be a possible link between aspartame and liver cancer.
The IARC relied upon scientific data from various sources, including peer-reviewed papers, government reports, and regulatory studies when making its findings, but could not rule out other confounding variables that could have contributed to the increase in cancer, such as lifestyle habits or exposure to other carcinogens….