Herbal Docs March/April 2022 - Do artificial sweeteners increase cancer risk? My qualm with medical research and the relationship between spinach and kidney stones 💧 🌿🩺
A Tik-Tok Video, Insta Infographic and an in-depth look at the Nutri-Net Sánte study.
Good Afternoon lovers of health,
Wow what a week! A quick update into the lives of two UK lifestyle doctors. Haris is currently in the foot of the the Himalayan mountain in Pakistan, creating great content about all things eastern medicine, lifestyle hacks and organic foods. We can’t wait for you to see it.
I have been working my Emergency Assessment Unit job at North Tees Hospital, Teeside. It’s been a hectic week but provided the setting for this weeks content. I came across an article stating a new study had shown an increased risk of cancers, particularly breast cancer associated with artificial sweeteners used by brands like Coca-Cola, Danone and Wrigleys.
I read the study and made a Tik-Tok video. It got 100k views, 1.2k shares and almost 300 comments. The comments were mostly positive but as the way with social media there were negatives too. Aside from looking like Ryan, from the Office (see the end for comparison).
Nutri-Net Sánte Study
French Population Based Cohort Study
Objective: to investigate the association between artificial sweetener intakes Aspartame [E951], Acesulfame-K [E950], and Sucralose [E955]) and cancer risk.
Cohorts: 102, 865 French adults, Median Follow Up Time to 7.8 years
Dietary intake of sweeteners obtained by repeated 24-hour dietary records including brand names of products.
You can find them here. Nutri Net Sánte Full Study
Results
Higher consumers of total artificial sweeteners (i.e., above the median exposure) had higher risk of overall cancer. In particular Aspartame and Acesulfame K. Higher risks observed for breast cancer and obesity related cancers for total artificial sweeteners.
All sounds pretty convincing right?
I sent the research to my friend who has a PHD in analysing medical research papers. This is what she said:
‘They are correlated with increased risk - but that does not equal causation’
‘In conclusion is it’s a risk factor. I agree. It’s part of a collection of issues’
‘To say that they cause cancer is in my opinion incorrect’
Medical Research
As a medical doctor we were taught to critically analyse the research that was presented to us. But it’s easy to let conformational bias kick in particularly when passionate and have a narrative are stuck in your head. You always have to take a nuanced approach to this and language used is so important when describing research papers.
Definitive → Associated
Causes → May Increase
My qualm with medical research is, you never really get a clear answer.
At what point do we stop sitting on the fence. My two cents is: any substance with increased consumption that increases cancer risk is carcinogenic. Literally the definition of a carcinogen.
Are artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Acesulfame K bad for us? I would love to know your thoughts. 👇🤔
Spinach and Kidney Stones
Many online creators are now suggesting to avoid leafy greens because of the risk of kidney stones.
Haris made a great post on Instagram about this.
Now it is true leafy greens contain oxalates. These molecules bind to calcium in your kidneys to produce small stones. This is happening every day and most of us will never notice them because we pee them out.
However in an unlucky few, these stones will cause problems.
Why?
Dehydration.
The problem isn’t oxalates necessarily, but it’s consuming them alongside inadequate water intake.
So instead of cutting out leafy greens, just drink more water instead! 💦
We love having you alongside us in our journey to provide as much education about health and wellness for you all. Feel free to email back to us, we try to respond all correspondence we receive! We can’t wait to show you our ongoing projects in the next few months!
Small Changes, Healthy Habits, Happy Lives 🌿🌎
Warm Regards,
Ryan the US Office
