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Friday, 5 July 2019

cyclamate






Side Effects of Sodium Cyclamate

Written by Chris Daniels; Updated December 07, 2018
Sodium cyclamate is the solid form of the artificial sweetener cyclamate. Because of potential health concerns, cyclamate is currently banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for consumption by humans. However, cyclamate is currently being considered for reapproval due to its safe use in other countries. Artificial sweeteners allow you to lower sugar in your diet, however, they should all be consumed in moderation.

What is Cyclamate?

Cyclamate is a synthetic artificial sweetener that is 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar -- the least sweet of all artificial sweeteners. Cyclamate does leave an aftertaste, although less so than other artificial sweeteners such as saccharin. Cyclamate is stable under heating and is commonly used in baked goods where other artificial sweeteners cannot be used. Cyclamate is also combined with other sweeteners, particularly saccharin, to improve palatability.

Regulatory Status

Because of concern over potential side effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of cyclamate in foods in 1969. Another petition of approval for cyclamate is currently pending with the FDA, although is not being actively considered. Cyclamate does not occur naturally, and foods that contain cyclamate are considered to be in violation of the FDA's tampering and alteration policy.

Cancer Risk

Early studies in the 1970s linked the use of artificial sweeteners containing a mix of cyclamate and saccharin to an increased risk of bladder cancer in lab animals. Other early studies showed that bacteria in the intestines may convert cyclamate to cyclohexamine, a carcinogen. However, follow-up studies and use abroad has suggested that there is no evidence that cyclamate causes cancer or increases the risk of another substance causing cancer. Further research has demonstrated that cyclamate does not pose an increased risk of bladder cancer in humans, and that the mechanism appears to be distinct to rodents.

Other Risks

A study published in "Toxicological Sciences," found that cyclamate contributed to testicular atrophy and interrupted the maturation of sperm in a subset of monkeys fed cyclamate over a long period of time. However, the results were sporadic and do not demonstrate conclusive evidence of cyclamate's toxicity. Additionally, the levels fed to monkeys were 20 to 100 times higher than the acceptable daily intake of other artificial sweeteners.

Choose a Different Sweetener

The goal to reduce your sugar intake is a noble one, and there are other sweeteners you can turn to that don't have the documented downsides of sodium cyclamate. Go the natural route by sweetening your food with stevia, an intense sweetener that packs a sweetening punch much more powerful than sugar. Alternatively, a very modest amount of honey or maple syrup can sweeten your food with slightly more nutrients than typical table sugar.






Sodium cyclamate (sweetener code 952) is an artificial sweetener. It is 30–50 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), making it the least potent of the commercially used artificial sweeteners. It is often used with other artificial sweeteners, especially saccharin; the mixture of 10 parts cyclamate to 1 part saccharin is common and masks the off-tastes of both sweeteners.[1] It is less expensive than most sweeteners, including sucralose, and is stable under heating. Safety concerns have led to cyclamates being banned in the United States and other countries, though the European Union recognizes them as safe.










The conclusion that cyclamate can be safely consumed has been reached by an increasing number of governments throughout the world. Health and safety organizations, including the World Health Organization's Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the European Union Scientific Committee for Food (now the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have examined and studied cyclamate over the past 50 years and found it to be safe for use as a general purpose sweetener and as a sweetener in prepared food and beverages. Cyclamate is approved for use in more than 100 countries including Canada, Mexico and Australia. It is used alone, with aspartame, or in blends with other low calorie sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame K and/or saccharin.
 
Cyclamate was synthesized in 1937 by a University of Illinois (U.S.) student by the name of Michael Sveda, who accidentally discovered its sweet taste. The patent for cyclamate was first purchased by Dupont and then later sold to Abbott Laboratories. The health care company's reported interest in those days was to use the product to mask the bitter taste of an antibiotic and a pentobarbital elixir. Abbott performed the necessary studies and submitted a New Drug Application for cyclamate in 1950. Cyclamate was initially marketed as tablets that were recommended for use as a tabletop artificial sweetener for diabetics and others who had to restrict their intake of sugar. In 1958, cyclamate was classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) in the U.S.

In 1970, following the results of a controversial study in which rats given extremely high doses of cyclamate and other substances developed bladder tumors, cyclamate was banned in the United States from use in food, beverages and drugs. The rat study, however, has been criticized by a number of scientists, including the study director himself. In addition, dozens of subsequent studies on cyclamate determined it safe for human consumption. In 1984, for example, the Cancer Assessment Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that cyclamate is not carcinogenic. This finding was confirmed in 1985 in an independent evaluation of the report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. A number of agencies across the globe including the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization's Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) of the European Commission and food safety authorities in Mexico have also analyzed cyclamate and approved it for use in a wide range of food products and beverages. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for cyclamate has been set at 11 mg/kg body weight by JECFA and at 7 mg/kg body weight by the SCF.

A petition shared by the Calorie Control Council and Abbott Laboratories for the reapproval of cyclamate in the United States has been submitted to the FDA. The petition seeks reapproval primarily in light of three sets of facts: 1) scientists from the American Statistical Association and the Society of Toxicology have called upon the FDA to reassess the statistical and scientific principles relied upon in its 1980 decision not to reapprove cyclamate; 2) new scientific evidence, including some 75 new studies, demonstrates the safety of cyclamate for human use as a sugar substitute and assists in determining safe consumption levels; and 3) JECFA has determined human cyclamate use is safe in its 1978, 1980 and 1982 reports, and has found sufficient data to establish a safe human consumption level.

A favorable decision would provide for a greater variety of low-calorie and sugar-free foods and beverages to help meet consumer demand.

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