diet coke caused cancer? it contains aspartame which gives you cancer? i had no idea....?

Question

i'm 14 and since the age of 10 i started drinking diet coke regularly-2 cans of it nearly everyday because i was on a diet as i was obese. Now that i'm 14 i'm currently healthy and maintain a healthy weight, although i still drink diet coke. Then, my aunt told me that it contains aspartame which is linked to cancer. As you can imagine i was so shocked. Stopped drinking it now. But one thing bothers me, why do they make it in the first place when it is dangerous to our health? Shouldn't they get rid of it? I mean i'm sure lots of us out there are unaware and many of you, by reading this question will find out.... so why?


Thanks i appreciate the answers.

Star this question if you didn't know.

Answer 1

Yes, it can cause cancer. That is why artificial sweeteners such as Splenda have been said to cause cancer, because they contain aspartame or sucralose. It seems as if almost everything can cause cancer now a days. I wouldn't worry too much. It doesn't seem very common. Plus, anyone can get cancer even if you have never had health problems before.

And I don't think most companies care if they are killing their consumers as long as they are getting money in their pockets. Just look at tobacco companies.

Answer 2

so does orbit gum

Answer 3

A good place to go whenever you see/hear one of these stories is Snopes. They're like the Mythbusters of the internet.

Answer 4

Museofsatie states it very well. The amount of aspartame that they fed rats that developed cancer would be equal to about 30 cans a day for about 10 years for humans. (this isn't the exact number but it is an extreme amount on a long term basis.) Look at that "popcorn lung" guy. He ate 2 bags of microwave popcorn a day for 10 years and breathed in the steam of every bag every time. This is pretty extreme. Moderation is everything.

Answer 5

I believe that it's been proved to cause brain tumours in Rats. However the level of intake required is much higher than anyone would drink normally, and it's unlikely to cause cancer before several other products.

Here's a list of things I've heard, I can't guarantee anything..

Although it's not carcinogenic a product used in Polo mints was also a tumour agent. It's quite possible that long term use of mobile phones may be a problem. Many preservatives are suspect in the long term, and for Organic users, some fungus that can grow on organically treated fruit may also cause problems in the long term.

Answer 6

it is the same deal with cigarettes and alcohol, and many other things, they are unhealthy but they are still produced and people STILL buy and use them

basically some companies will do anything to make money, even if it means killing their consumers, its messed up i know but true

and yes, you would have to have very large amounts for it to actually have an effect

just in case you want to read more on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke
http://www.lightparty.com/Health/DietCokeAspartame.html

Answer 7

In some medical studies Aspertame has been linked to certain cancers, lymphoma, memory loss, etc. However, all of those studies also say these things occur if the subject has been consuming vast amounts of it (something like 30 cans a day, every day for 10 years) for quite a long time.

Hell, a good number of our every day foods contain one chemical/substance or another that, when consumed too often, could cause serious health issues. However, the amount one would have to consume is gargantuan and not something that ordinary people need to worry about.

Answer 8

Did you know that once coke was sold with cocaine in it... true story. Twenty years from now they will prove that cell phones cause IQ points to go down, then the next year someone will say it was the test itself.

Every bit of processed foods have something that reacts badly for someone or other. There are those who believe that they can make more money keeping people sick than in making them well. You've spotted one of several hundred additives that do not work well with the human body.

Look into drinking tea, as many are good for you! Read the labels on your 6 most favorite processed foods and do a web search on the ingredients... SURPRISE!

Answer 9

Ive been through my scared of aspartame phase, to the point where i would look at the labels of everything before i ate or drank it. Then i figured - if it were that dangerous it wouldnt be allowed.

Answer 10

Don't believe all the hype about aspartame. If Coke products actually caused cancer, don't you think they would have made a direct association with this by now? Coke has been on the market for YEARS. If you ever want to find out if something is true or not, go to the website TruthorFiction.com and type in the word aspartame.