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Revealed: WHO aspartame safety panel linked to alleged Coca-Cola front group (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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It uncovered eight WHO panelists involved with assessing safe levels of aspartame consumption who are beverage industry consultants who currently or previously worked with the alleged Coke front group, International Life Sciences Institute (Ilsi).

Their involvement in developing intake guidelines represents “an obvious conflict of interest”, said Gary Ruskin, US Right-To-Know’s executive director. “Because of this conflict of interest, [the daily intake] conclusions about aspartame are not credible, and the public should not rely on them,” he added.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 2 years ago (39 children)

I was under the impression the research showed that there was a risk but you needed to consume an exorbitant amount to get there. Around 20+ cans of coke a day which the majority of people don’t do.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (18 children)

Around 20+ cans of coke a day which the majority of people don’t do.

This guy has never met an American. Ever heard of a Big Gulp? We literally had private companies engineer bigger soda cups to handle how much fucking soda Americans drink.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (7 children)

This is fair lol. I’m Canadian and when I was 17-20 I’d consume around 4-6 cans a day which was a crazy amount to myself and most people. 20+ seems nuts just financially.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Agree. Even recently, I would have up to 5-6 cans worth myself (have since cut down a lot), but alongside the financial cost, there's also the acid eating away at your stomach lining and the excess caffeine to worry about alongside the Aspartame.

Frankly, given the stomach issues and acid reflux that too much soda can give you, I would imagine that people (even sodaholics) would have to stop much sooner than 20 due to all the other issues involved with sodas before the problems with Aspartame would even come into the picture.

Not to say that I'm not leery of Aspartame, but diet Soda has other major issues beside it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

The soda acid thing is also a myth. The PH level of your stomach acid is much higher than soda.

Edit: Yes, had that backwards...but my point stands...stomach acid is more acidic than soda. It's not an issue.

Yes...I concur, it's terrible for your teeth.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Lower pH means stronger acid. Soda is not more acidic than you stomach acid. The real danger that the acidity of soda poses is to your teeth.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

And considering the knock-on effects to the rest of your body from your teeth, it's not an issue to sneeze at.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

cut a stomach open, spread the stomach acid on a painted car hood, eat that shit right off. saying it's the same ph as stomach acid, is like saying 1 of a thing is safe but 2 of the same thing has to be safe as the 1 thing. idiocy. and said with such confidence. ah the internetz, such a boon to humanity.