Aspartame: What effects do carcinogens have on your body?

Artificial sweetener, aspartame, is set to be named a possible carcinogen next month by a World Health Organization arm - but it’s in far more products than we’d initially think.

Diet Coke has taken the hit as being one of the biggest offenders containing the ingredient, but it’s also found in the likes of chewing gum, breakfast cereals, and dry bases for foods, after being approved in 1974.

The sweetener is thought to be 200 times sweeter than regular sugar, and its health risks have been up for debate for decades.

Some carcinogens are thought to cause cancer by changing a cell’s DNA, with cells dividing at a faster-than-normal rate. Others do not directly cause it, but long-term use can increase risk.