“My advice is to make the precautionary principle prevail and with substances such as aspartame it is better, in general, to avoid abundant and prolonged consumption”. This was stated to ANSA by Giorgio Calabrese, nutritionist and president of the National Food Safety Committee of the Ministry of Health, underlining the expectation also in the scientific community for the WHO conclusions regarding the possible carcinogenicity of aspartame, which should be announced on July 14th.
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Aspartame, explains the expert, «is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The recommended dose at the moment and considered safe is 2.8 grams per day for a man weighing an average of 70 kg. Now doubts are being raised and a comparison is underway to define a certain and safe dosage, especially in relation to aspartic acid». However, Calabrese points out “even if the WHO and the FAO make a decision on the matter, in my opinion it cannot in any case be a certain and definitive position and this is because the problem is not only the definition of the daily amount of aspartame that can be ingested without dangers, but also to understand if this substance taken in the indicated quantities is safe in the long term, i.e. if consumed continuously for a long time and years. That is, the goal should be not only to define the exact dosage per kilogram of body weight, but also to study the long-term effects of which very little is known”.
«As a nutritionist – he underlines – I have always supported the best quality of natural products and I believe that it is better to use half a teaspoon of sugar, rather than substances such as aspartame or other sweeteners, with which we tend to exceed. This even in the absence of certain proof of their carcinogenicity. So some advice to young people: «don’t be fooled by so-called ‘zero’ drinks. However, they are caloric and stimulate gastric secretion and gastritis. Water or natural fruit juices are much better».
In any case, concludes Calabrese, “we are awaiting the conclusions of the WHO and once the pronouncement has arrived, I will submit the question to the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, so that in-depth studies on this sweetener can be started”.
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