Aspartame consists of two amino acids (L-phenylalanine and L-aspartic acid). It is hydrolyzed and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) through the action of esterase and peptidases. Digestion releases methanol (10%), aspartic acid (40%) and phenylalanine (50%) (Table 1), which are absorbable in the intestinal mucosa [10]. These metabolites can be harmful at high doses and hence prolonged aspartame consumption may be a risk factor
From the paper that you definitely read and understood and didn't just copy/paste a random line from:
According to current knowledge benefits of aspartame use outweighs the possible side effects, hence this artificial sweetener remains basic excipient in products.
Aspartame is linked to a possible near zero to low increase in cancer risk. Not zero, theres enough evidence to say that some people if they drink a LOT over a LONG time it COULD cause something that MIGHT not have happened. There are multiple studies on Pubmed I can link to show this. However The evidence on excess sugar and carrying excess weight is ABSOLUTELY UNDENIABLE. The negative health outcomes for being overweight or having diabetes are just straight up facts.
So pick your poison, if you have a family history of bladder, bowel, stomach or colon cancer you may want to avoid the aspartame. If your doctor has just told you you have pre-diabetes and you're going to lose your foot or have a massive heart attack if you don't cut out the sugar and lose some fucking weight the minuscule risk of something thats an outside chance vs that...
Aspartame is, by far, the most tested food additive ever made. There have been no causal links to cancer ever proven when consumed at recommended levels. Not ever.
Aspartame is very mildly carcinogenic. An equivalent amount of sugar is much more carcinogenic, and is harmful in other ways, too. If you have to have a can of cola, diet is the healthier choice.
Based on a quick google search, the jury is out on whether artificial sweeteners affect blood sugar and insulin at all.
A study from the National Library of Medicine says they do but cites no source and the study itself isn't reaaly about that; it does demonstrate that diabetics that drink artificial sweeteners have higher insulin resistance, but is that a causal relationship? If so, which is causing which?
The mayo clinic says straight up that artificial sweeteners don't affect blood sugar at all.
There is a response to release insulin purely on tasting something sweet that's been demonstrated in some mammals using artificial sweeteners, but nobody's been able to consistently reproduce it in humans.
So... Eh? If there's any kind of scientific consensus on this it isn't clear to the layperson. Maybe I'll start measuring my blood sugar before and after having a coke zero just to see for myself.
Personally, I can ignore the effects of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels as they, like everything else, have no effect, and my insulin levels are only affected by when I inject it. I'm type 1 diabetic. When people make incorrect claims based on effects that aren't reproducible or weren't statistically significant in the first place about the safety of sweeteners, it causes direct problems for me. I've had bartenders mess up my blood sugar levels by lying about serving diet drinks because they think they're dangerous. Plus, if the people who push for artificial sweeteners to be banned had their way, there are plenty of things I couldn't ever eat or drink again.
It's worse than that. AFAIK, the WHO doesn't have a list of "does not cause cancer". Aspartame is on the least problematic category even when you disregard the effect size.
Others have cited sources about how wrong you are. It's also just common sense. With the sheer amount of diet soda that the world drinks, it would be fairly obvious by now if aspartame was significantly carcinogenic.
Even the text you quoted (but didn't cite, not helpful) only says that prolonged exposure may be a risk factor. Quite a leap to then say that "aspartame = cancer"