The Stronger By Science Podcast

Aspartame: The Surprisingly Interesting Science and History

Jul 19, 2023

05:43:57

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Episode notes

Introduction

3min

The Importance of Variety in Your Diet

3min

How to Get the Most Out of Your Micronutrients

5min

What Is Aspartame?

4min

The History of Artificial Sweeteners

3min

The Common Process of Refining Coke

3min

The Benefits of Collagen Supplements

4min

The History of Aspirin

4min

The History of Saccharin

5min

10.

Saccharin: The First Artificial Sweetener

4min

11.

The Truth About Sawdust in Parmesan Cheese

3min

12.

The Modern Definition of Adulteration

4min

13.

The History of Lab Safety

3min

14.

The History of Cyclamate

4min

15.

The History of Artificial Sweeteners

2min

16.

Saccharin and Cyclomate Cause Bladder Cancer

4min

17.

The History of Artificial Sweeteners

3min

18.

The Skepticism of Aspartame

3min

19.

The History of Aspartame

3min

20.

The FDA's Grand Jury Investigation Into Aspartame

2min

21.

Aspartame and Brain Tumors

2min

22.

The Cyril Sponsored Review on Aspartame

2min

23.

Aspartame and the Scientific Record

2min

24.

DuPont and Dow Chemical: Rod and Hell

2min

25.

The Asperton Controversy

3min

26.

The Conspiratorial Case for the Approval Process of Asperton

3min

27.

The Cost of Safety in the Age of Grand Jury Research

2min

28.

Betty Martini's Aspartame Truth

2min

29.

Aspartame Kills: A Hoax Email

2min

30.

The FDA's Response to the Aspartame Claims

2min

31.

The Evolution of Chain Email

3min

32.

The History of Aspartame Press Coverage

2min

33.

The Controversy Surrounding Aspartame in the Media

3min

34.

The History of Aspartame

2min

35.

The Aspartame Hoax

6min

36.

What Has Changed?

3min

37.

The Rise of Aspartame Safety in the New York Times

2min

38.

The History of Skepticism About Aspartame

5min

39.

The Criticisms of the Ramzini Studies

6min

40.

The Consequences of Rodent Research

5min

41.

The Media Response to the Ramizini Studies

2min

42.

The Ramizini Study on Rodents

2min

43.

The COVID Era and the Politics of Science

6min

44.

The Media Response to the Ramazini Study

6min

45.

The Importance of a Trustworthy Source for Article Citation

2min

46.

The Pros and Cons of Aspartame Studies

3min

47.

Aspartame: A New Classification by the World Health Organization

6min

48.

The New York Times' Article on Aspartame and Weight Control

2min

49.

Pepsi's Removing Aspartame From Sodas

2min

50.

The Evidence Supports Artificial Sweeteners Over Sugar

2min

51.

The Effects of Vitrioles on Public Discourse

6min

52.

The Death by Diet Soda Question

3min

53.

The Naturalistic Fallacy of Diet Coke

4min

54.

The New York Times Report on Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

2min

55.

The Effects of Artificial Sweeteners on Weight and BMI and Obesity

5min

56.

The New Tranette Saunte Study

2min

57.

The Effects of Aspartame on Cancer

5min

58.

The Effects of Smoking on Lung Cancer Risk

5min

59.

The Role of Foods in Cancer Risk

4min

60.

The Effects of Artificial Sweeteners on Cancer Risk

2min

61.

The Dose Response Relationship Between Aspartame and Cancer

2min

62.

The Case for Aspartame as a Possible Carcinogen

3min

63.

The Effects of Methylethanol on the Human Diet

4min

64.

The Limits of Aspartame Consumption

3min

65.

The Effects of Aspartame on the Body

5min

66.

The Risk of Getting Run Over by a Truck

4min

67.

The Difference Between Group One and Group Two Emeritus

5min

68.

The Dumping Ground for Carcinogenicity

2min

69.

The Different Types of Carcinogens

6min

70.

The Dangers of Being Around Wood Dust

5min

71.

The Lancet Oncology Decision to Classify Carcinogens

2min

72.

The Limits of Evidence for Cancer in Humans

4min

73.

The Risk of Hepatosellular Carcinoma

3min

74.

The Effects of Sugar Sweetened Beverages on Cancer Rates

3min

75.

The Residual Confounder of Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption

4min

76.

The Role of Residual Confounding in Cancer Risk

5min

77.

The Role of Gene Expression in Cancer

2min

78.

The Limits of Evidence for Aspartame

4min

79.

The Media Coverage of Aspartame

4min

80.

Aspartame Is Only the Latest Battleground for Multinational Companies to Push Back Against New Studies

2min

81.

The Importance of Sample Size in Epidemiology Research

4min

82.

The Aspartame Warning and the Jack Foot Effect

2min

83.

How to Report on Aspartame Sweetener

3min

84.

The Importance of Leaks in Reporting

4min

85.

The New IR Classification of Aspartame Causes Cancer

3min

86.

The FDA Approval Process and the Importance of Skepticism

2min

87.

The FDA Approval Process for Aspartame

2min

88.

The Impropriety of the Ramazini Institute Study

3min

89.

The Importance of Industry Conflicts of Interest

6min

90.

The I Arc Guidelines for Pickled Vegetable Consumption

2min

91.

Aspartame and Cancer

2min

92.

The Problem With Aspartame

3min

93.

The Importance of Being Alive

4min

94.

How to Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

2min

95.

How to Improve Your Health

5min

96.

The Importance of Recommendations

2min

97.

The American Beverage Industry and Aspartame

4min

98.

The Naturalistic Fallacy of Artificial Sweeteners

2min

99.

The Naturalistic Fallacy of Artificial Things

4min

100.

The Benefits of Organic Products

5min

101.

The History of Aspartame and Cancer

6min

102.

The Misinterpretation of Science

3min

Greg and Lyndsey dive into the history, conspiracies, science, and media coverage of aspartame to present a thorough overview of the recent WHO reports linking aspartame and cancer risk.

Is this one of the longest "podcast episodes" ever? Probably. But it's packed with fascinating history, relevant research breakdowns and media criticism, and takeaways for interpreting and navigating our society's abundance of health warnings.

TIME STAMPS

History of artificial sweeteners preceding aspartame (9:43)
The very sketchy approval process for aspartame and subsequent media coverage (1:02:35)
Breaking down the World Health Organization's decision to classify aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic" (3:17:50)
The fallout from the WHO's classification (4:24:27)
Closing thoughts (5:22:04)

MORE FROM THE SBS TEAM

Join the Research Spotlight newsletter: Get a two-minute breakdown of one recent study every Wednesday. Our newsletter is the easiest way to stay up to date with the latest exercise and nutrition science.
Join the SBS Facebook group and Subreddit.
Try MacroFactor for free: Use code SBS to get a 14-day free trial of our nutrition app MacroFactor. MacroFactor has the fastest food logger on the market and its smart nutrition coach adapts to your metabolism to keep you on track with your goals. Download it today on the App Store or Google Play.
Work with a Stronger By Science coach: Get personalized training and nutrition plans and ongoing support from one of our expert coaches.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

MASS Research Review: Subscribe to the MASS Research Review to get concise and applicable breakdowns of the latest strength, physique, and nutrition research – delivered monthly.
BulkSupplements: Next time you stock up on supplements, be sure to use the promo code “SBSPOD” (all caps) to get 5% off your entire order.

SOURCES AND LINKS

Intro

Greg's recommendation: Factor meals
Lyndsey's recommendations: Sturdy Girl Club stand-up series and Casey Johnston’s newsletter “She’s a Beast”

WHO Reports

WHO: Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released
The Lancet summary: Carcinogenicity of aspartame, methyleugenol, and isoeugenol

Full source list

We had too many links to include here (lol), so please go to the page on Stronger By Science for a fully guided tour of our derangement: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/podcast-episode-116/

MORE FROM THE SBS TEAM

Work with a Stronger By Science coach: Get personalized training and nutrition plans and ongoing support from one of our expert coaches.
Join the Research Spotlight newsletter: Our newsletter is the easiest way to stay up to date with the latest exercise and nutrition science.
Join the SBS Facebook group and Subreddit.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Try MacroFactor for free: Use code SBS to get a 14-day free trial of our nutrition app MacroFactor. MacroFactor has the fastest food logger on the market and its smart nutrition coach adapts to your metabolism to keep you on track with your goals. Download it today on the App Store or Google Play.
BulkSupplements: Next time you stock up on supplements, be sure to use the promo code “SBSPOD” (all caps) to get 5% off your entire order.
MASS Research Review: Subscribe to the MASS Research Review to get concise and applicable breakdowns of the latest strength, physique, and nutrition research – delivered monthly.