盡管阿斯巴甜最近被列為 “可能” 致癌物，但專家并未對建議的阿斯巴甜飲食攝入量做出改變。

The WHO says it has listed aspartame as possibly carcinogenic on the basis of limited evidence that it may increase the risk of liver cancer. This places aspartame in the same hazard classification group as aloe vera and Asian pickled vegetables, but below those deemed probably carcinogenic such as night shift work and eating red meat.

世界衛生組織稱，基于有限的證據表明阿斯巴甜有可能增加罹患肝癌的風險，他們已將阿斯巴甜列為可能致癌物。這使得阿斯巴甜被歸類至與蘆薈和亞洲泡菜相同的危險物級別，但致癌風險低于被認為很可能導致癌癥的行為，比如值夜班和食用紅肉。

The WHO says the current safe daily limits for aspartame are unchanged. That means an adult weighing 11 stone or 70 kilos would need to drink more than four litres of diet soft drink a day to exceed the acceptable daily limit. When asked which was better for you, a can of diet or regular sugary cola, a WHO scientist recommended a third option, water.

世界衛生組織表示，目前針對阿斯巴甜的每日最高安全攝入量沒有改變。這意味著一個體重為11英石、即70公斤的成年人需要飲用超過四升的代糖低脂軟飲才會超過阿斯巴甜的每日允許攝入量。而當被問到無糖可樂和普通的含糖可樂相比，喝哪個更好時，世界衛生組織的一名科學家推薦了第三種選擇：水。

詞匯表

carcinogenic 致癌的
basis 基礎，根據
limited evidence 有限的證據，不完全的證據
risk 風險
hazard 危險物
night shift 夜班
safe daily limit 每日最高安全攝入量
stone （重量單位）英石
acceptable 可接受的
sugary 含糖的

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. Does aspartame definitely cause cancer? 

2. True or False? Aspartame is more likely to cause cancer than eating red meat. 

3. How much diet soft drink would someone need to drink to go over the daily limit?

4. Which drink did the WHO scientist recommend?

答案

1. Does aspartame definitely cause cancer?

No, it has been listed as possibly carcinogenic – it may increase the possibility of liver cancer, but it might not.

2. True or False? Aspartame is more likely to cause cancer than eating red meat.

False. The article says that aspartame is in a hazard classification group below that of eating red meat.

3. How much diet soft drink would someone need to drink to go over the daily limit?

A 70kg adult would have to drink more than four litres of diet soft drink to go over the daily limit.  

4. Which drink did the WHO scientist recommend? 

The scientist recommended drinking water.