Does Diet Coke Cause Cancer?

@modernemcee Hip-Hop News

Is Diet Coke safe? One McDonald’s employee says no, and it changes how this customer sees the drink. Research shows that there may be some valid concerns.

In a video reflecting on her recent visit to McDonald’s, Allie Wilson (@alliemariewilson) tells viewers about their recent purchase and how it left them “humbled.”

“I was just so humbled in the McDonald’s drive-thru,” she says. “I told the employee that the Diet Coke didn’t taste quite right, and she asked if it tasted like acid or syrupy, and I told her I wasn’t sure what was off about it. And she said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I don’t drink Diet Coke. That’s toxic to the body.’”

Wilson captions the video, “that’s fair sis,” seeming to understand the employee’s point. The video has over 20,300 views and 200 likes.

“Boom! Roasted!” says one commenter with a meme.

“Every diet coke girl i know is gorgeous, so i guess the toxins must have a beautifying effect,” says another.

“Diet coke is bad, but our food is so healthy,” says another commenter sarcastically, to which Wilson replied, “My thought too..standing behind the rest of the establishment except the soda.”

How Is Diet Coke Different From Regular Coke?

To understand if Diet Coke is bad for you, first, you need to understand how it’s different from the regular one. Sodas are typically sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose, according to an Ohio University article.

On the contrary, “common sugar substitutes used in diet soda include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose and stevia. Most sugar substitutes are considered ‘non-nutritive,’ meaning they offer little to no energy when consumed,” the article states.

Recent research has found some new concerns with a common ingredient in diet sodas: aspartame.

What Is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is 200 times sweeter than sugar. A recent World Health Organization report classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic.” However, the FDA notes, this “does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer.”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer “classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans … on the basis of limited evidence for cancer in humans. There was also limited evidence for cancer in experimental animals and limited evidence related to the possible mechanisms for causing cancer.”

A doctor at Orange County City of Hope Hospital breaks down this seemingly contradictory report.

“The WHO actually released two reports on aspartame at the same time. The first report said aspartame is possibly linked to cancer — in other words, it is potentially harmful. The second said aspartame is generally safe unless consumed in very large amounts — that is, the actual risk is low,” Doctor Misagh Karimi says.

So, is it safe to drink the Diet Coke at McDonald’s? In short, yes, in moderation.

AllHipHop has reached out to McDonald’s and Coca-Cola for comment via email and to Wilson for comment via TikTok message and comment. We will update this story if any party responds.