Sweeteners are used as a sugar substitute in coffee, soft drinks, and other foods because they have no calories, but can consuming them cause colon cancer?
A study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) focused on those labeled 'light,' which are used in 'zero' products or intended for people with diabetes. The most common ones are sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin.
The studies were triggered because UNAM scientists discovered an increase in patients with this type of cancer, especially in men aged 30 to 59, when it previously mostly affected people over 60.
Do sweeteners increase the risk of developing cancer?
Sonia León Cabrera, a professor at the Faculty of Higher Studies Iztacala, led the UNAM study on whether light sweeteners cause colon cancer.
She based her work on an analysis conducted at the General Hospital of Mexico, where they found that women who consumed sucralose (Splenda) showed changes in their breast milk after giving birth, which affected pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins that act on inflammations in the body).
Consequently, the question arose as to whether consuming sweeteners during the perinatal period predisposes newborns to developing colon cancer in adulthood.
The team of scientists conducted experiments on rats. The first consisted of feeding them with non-caloric sweeteners, especially sucralose.
The offspring of this group of rodents showed 'abnormal inflammatory profiles in the intestine (...). When someone has an abnormal inflammatory profile, they are more susceptible to developing multiple diseases, including cancer,' stated León Cabrera in the UNAM Gazette.
Subsequently, they induced the condition in the offspring of mothers with a diet rich in these sweeteners and in descendants of mothers who never consumed them.
The other result was that those fed with breast milk altered by sucralose had a greater presence of tumors.
'Immune cells nearby lost their ability and effectiveness to control tumor development. This demonstrates that sucralose is not innocuous and can increase the susceptibility to developing colon cancer,' reads the conclusion in the UNAM publication.
Although human research is still needed, for now, it is recommended not to consume this type of sweetener during pregnancy or in lactating women.
What is colon cancer?
Colon cancer occurs when there is an uncontrolled proliferation of cells in this part of the large intestine, and although it usually affects the elderly, it can appear at any time, reported Mayo Clinic.
The formation of polyps (tissue growth) is one of the first signs of the disease, but there are no other signals; therefore, it is recommended to undergo studies to detect them in time.
Once it progresses, some symptoms develop, such as:
• Frequent diarrhea • Regular constipation • Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool • Cramps and abdominal pain • Increase in gas • Feeling of incomplete bowel evacuation • Weakness • Fatigue • Weight loss
The treatment for the condition is surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy; these depend on each patient and are previously evaluated by a doctor.
