Aspartame is the sweetener found in many of the brands of soda, gum and foods frequently labeled ‘sugar-free’ or ‘reduced sugar,’ including big names such as Diet Coke.  

Why Aspartame Has Scientists Worried 

Discovered accidentally in 1965 by a chemist licking a finger during his research, aspartame hasn’t yet been banned, but plenty of scientists and doctors have expressed grave concerns about the super-sweet additive. 

In June 2023, observational studies on human subjects recorded results showing an association between aspartame and several types of cancer. However, aspartame avoided being labeled at that time as a known carcinogen but was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B substance: “possibly carcinogenic …