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Day in Health
by Lisa Collier Cool
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Does your self-control need a boost? Could eating meat raise your risk of cancer? Best And Worst Celebrity Health Advice A New Test to Predict Heart Attacks More Articles
Aspartame made headlines this week when a new study found a correlation between drinking diet soda and an increased risk of leukemia, Non-Hodgkins
lymphoma and other blood-related cancers. However, the Harvard hospital that promoted the research later apologized for bringing increased attention to "weak science." The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was originally promoted by Brigham and Womens Hospital (BWH), a Harvard teaching facility with a press release titled, The truth isnt sweet when it comes to artificial sweeteners. But hours before the article went live online the hospital released a new statement. Upon review of the findings, the consensus of our scientific leaders is that the data is weak, and that BWH Media Relations was premature in the promotion of this work, wrote Erin McDonough, senior vice president of communications at BWH. The Top Breast Cancer Breakthroughs of 2012
risk for people who drank sugared sodas, saying further studies are needed. Epidemiological studies only show association; they never prove cause and effect, said Dennis Bier, editor of the journal. He said this paper was accepted in the same manner as every other article that gets published with outside peer reviewers. I do think this finding is strong enough to justify further study on aspartame and cancer risk, said Harvards Walter Willet, a co-author of the study and member of the editorial board of the ACJN in an NPR story. Ask The Expert: Chemotherapy
with aspartame, Walton reported. Here in the US, we allow these ingredients into our food supply until they are proven dangerous, said Robyn OBrien, a former food industry analyst and author of The Unhealthy Truth. In light of the fact that the President's Cancer Panel reports that 41 percent of us are expected to get cancer in our lifetimes and the burden that disease in placing on our economy, perhaps it is time to exercise precaution. Still, aspartame is one of the most studied food additives on the market. Cancer Learning Center: Bone Metastases