Cancer-cola?

The cancer research wing of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is all set to soon declare aspartame, one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in foods and beverages, as a cancer-causing agent. According to a media report that was also carried prominently by this newspaper on Saturday, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is expected to soon list Aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Aspartame is used in a number of products available on the market, some of the most prominent and popular among them being Coca-Cola diet soda and Mars’ Extra chewing gum. While the WHO conclusion is reportedly based on a large number of published pieces of evidence against Aspartame, recommendations made by another body called JECFA (the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization’s Expert Committee on Food Additives), which is WHO’s expert committee on food additives, will also go into making this declaration in the next few weeks. As reported, IARC had assessed 1,300 studies in its June review, and though the findings were kept confidential until recently, it is likely to make its decision public on July 14. The IARC ruling, which was finalized earlier last month after a meeting of the group’s external experts, is reportedly intended to assess whether something is a potential hazard or not based on all the published evidence. It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume. Though the findings are said to be “the first fundamental step to understanding carcinogenicity,” the pro-Cola campaigners have already started criticizing IARC as having sparked off a needless alarm over the soft drink, which has already become an addiction for a sizable section of people even in India. The fact remains that while the WHO recommends consuming no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day, a can of Coca-Cola contains at least ten teaspoons of sugar. This dramatically raises blood sugar levels within 20 minutes, causing a burst of insulin. A sudden increase in the production of dopamine in the body will work as a neurotransmitter that helps control the pleasure and reward centres of the brain. According to studies, the way that Coca-Cola stimulates these centres is comparable to the effects of heroin. So, next time one desires to have a Cola, one should also remember these aspects.