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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