A new study has found a link between artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas and other snacks and cancer. A team of researchers from Sorbonne Paris North University and the French Network for Nutrition and Cancer Research poured over nearly a decade of health data from over 100,000 people and found that those who consumed products with artificial sweeteners were 13% more likely to develop cancer than those who didn't.
Aspartame, which is the most commonly used artificial sweetener, was associated with the highest risk of developing breast and obesity-related cancers.
People who consumed products with sucralose had the lowest risk of developing cancer, though the study authors noted that exposure to the artificial sweetener was significantly lower than other sweeteners.
The study authors said they were concerned about the abundant use of artificial sweeteners and do not believe they should be used in foods or beverages as an alternative to sugar.
"In line with official recommendations from several public health agencies, these findings do not support the use of artificial sweeteners as safe alternatives for sugar in foods or beverages," study coauthors Charlotte Debras and Mathilde Touvier told Insider.
"The recommendation is to limit processed foods with either added sugar or artificial sweeteners. This objective must be achieved by reducing the overall sweet taste of food, and this from an early age," they added.