(NewsNation) — The World Health Organization announced the artificial sweetener aspartame, found in thousands of products including diet sodas, is a “possible” cause for cancer. One expert says though we should be mindful of what we’re consuming, more evidence is needed.

“Specific language around aspartame, in this case, is ‘possibly.’ ‘Possibly’ means it falls into a class called 2B, meaning that it’s just kind of a found out to the researchers, that we need more evidence around aspartame and its health effects,” said Dr. Anthony Harris

Harris is the founder and medical director at HFit Health. He joined “NewsNation Prime” to discuss the conflicting research that has been released about the health impacts of aspartame.

“We should, you know, always pay attention to what we eat. Let’s talk about other things that are in categories that are a little bit higher than aspartame,” Harris added, pointing out red meat is classified in the “probable” cancer-causing class.

Aspartame was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1974 with an acceptable daily intake of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, which comes out to roughly nine to 14 cans of diet soda for an average person.

“If you’re not consuming in the amount of nine or 14 cans of you know, servings of diet soda, then you’re OK. Now granted, diet soda is 75% of the sales of aspartame,” Harris explained. “There are other substances, other foods that contain aspartame. So we have to be mindful again what we consume and these other foods that may have aspartame as well, because that does add up.”