The Study
The in vitro cytotoxic, genotoxic, and oxidative damage potentials of the oral artificial sweetener aspartame on cultured human blood cells
This study tested aspartame on blood cells in a petri dish, not in real people. It found that super high doses of aspartame hurt the cells in the dish — but that doesn't mean drinking diet soda hurts you. It's like saying a flame burns paper — but that doesn't mean your kitchen is on fire.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if aspartame, a sugar substitute, damages human blood cells in a lab dish.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 537 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The dose that harmed cells (287 mg/L) is over 500 times higher than what a person would ever get from drinking diet soda (≤0.5 mg/L).
- 2At 287 mg/L, aspartame killed half the cells and caused chromosome breaks.
- 3At 100 mg/L or less, it didn't change antioxidant or stress levels.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Year
2020
Authors
K. Çadırcı, Özlem Özdemir Tozlu, H. Türkez, A. Mardinoğlu
Related Content
Claims (9)
Aspartame at concentrations of 25 mg/L and higher reduces the viability of human blood cells in laboratory cultures, with half the cells dying at 287.342 mg/L, demonstrating a direct toxic effect on lymphocytes.
When human blood cells in a lab are exposed to aspartame at concentrations up to 100 mg/L, there is no measurable change in their antioxidant capacity or oxidative stress levels.
Aspartame causes structural damage to chromosomes in human blood cells at concentrations that also kill cells, and this damage occurs because the cells are dying, not because aspartame directly breaks DNA.
When human blood cells are exposed to aspartame at concentrations of 25 mg/L or higher in a laboratory setting, cell viability decreases in a dose-dependent way, with half the cells dying at a concentration of 287.342 mg/L.
The amount of aspartame needed to damage human blood cells in laboratory tests is more than 500 times higher than the maximum amount people are exposed to through their diet.
At a concentration of 287.342 mg/L, aspartame increases the rate of chromosome damage in human blood cells grown in laboratory cultures.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.