Does drinking diet soda cause cancer?
Association between Aspartame Consumption and Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Large Prospective Cohort.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No dose-response relationship was observed despite statistically significant hazard ratios.
It contradicts the biological expectation that higher exposure to a carcinogen should increase risk. Previous studies often look for this pattern to support causality.
Practical Takeaways
Consider limiting aspartame intake, especially if you consume it daily in diet sodas or sweeteners.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
No dose-response relationship was observed despite statistically significant hazard ratios.
It contradicts the biological expectation that higher exposure to a carcinogen should increase risk. Previous studies often look for this pattern to support causality.
Practical Takeaways
Consider limiting aspartame intake, especially if you consume it daily in diet sodas or sweeteners.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2026
Authors
Xinyu Zhu, Jean A. Welsh, Marjorie L. McCullough, A. Sylvetsky, Terryl J Hartman, Alpa V. Patel, Emily L. Deubler, E. Ferranti, C. Um
Related Content
Claims (4)
Some artificial sweeteners with no calories might raise your chances of getting cancer.
Drinking diet drinks with aspartame might be linked to a higher chance of getting cancer, according to a big study of U.S. adults — but we can't say for sure it's the aspartame causing it.
Drinking diet drinks with aspartame might be linked to a higher chance of certain cancers in older Americans, especially in the gut and reproductive organs, but it doesn’t seem to matter if someone is already overweight, and more aspartame doesn’t clearly mean higher risk.
Eating more aspartame doesn’t seem to increase cancer risk in a predictable way, so if there’s any link, it’s probably because of other factors — not because aspartame directly causes cancer.