In a recent tweet, Elon Musk’s dietitian mother Maye Musk referenced a World Health Organization (WHO) statement noting “limited evidence” that aspartame, a key ingredient in Diet Coke, can cause cancer.
What Happened: Mother Musk took to Twitter to share the WHO’s stance on aspartame, a common ingredient in diet sodas. “The WHO noted there’s “limited evidence” that aspartame can cause cancer and listed the sweetener as a Class 2B carcinogen, which includes Asian pickled vegetables, gasoline engine exhaust fumes, lead and talc-based body powder,” she said
Mother Musk’s tweet comes after her son’s earlier remarks over the weekend, saying that if aspartame caused cancer, he would have been “dead long ago” due to his consumption of Diet Coke.
See Also: Elon Musk Threatens To Unfollow A Subscriber If ‘They Keep Posting About It’
Why It Matters: Last week, a WHO committee declared that aspartame, a widely used artificial sweetener in diet drinks and low-sugar foods, might be a potential carcinogen.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer based its conclusion on limited evidence from three observational studies that linked the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages to an increase in cases of liver cancer.
Meanwhile, another WHO committee held steady on its assessment of a safe level of aspartame consumption.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has criticized the global agency’s findings and maintained its stance that aspartame is safe.
According to Statista, Diet Coke holds a market share of 8% in the U.S. as per 2021 data as one of the Coca-Cola Company’s leading brands. Diet Coke’s popularity remains high despite concerns over its impact on health. Other than Musk, former President Donald Trump is known for liking Diet Coke.
Maye Musk photo by lev radin on Shutterstock
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