Named the impact of artificial sweeteners on heart disease

Experts argue about the health effects of sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, a new French study has found. Researchers in Paris looked at participants’ consumption of sweeteners from all food sources, including drinks, tabletop sweeteners, and dairy products.

Artificial sweeteners ‘should not be considered a safe alternative to sugar’ after scientists found their consumption was linked to a 9% increase in heart disease risk sky news.

Researchers at the Sorbonne Paris-Nord University in France also found that consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with an almost 20% higher risk of conditions that affect blood flow to the brain.

The study examined participants’ consumption of sweeteners from all food sources, including drinks, table sweeteners, and dairy products, before comparing them with cardiovascular disease risk.

The researchers used data from over 100,000 French adults for the study, which was published in the British Medical Journal. The median age of the participants was 42, and four out of five were women. The researchers tracked their consumption of sweeteners using food records.

Participants recorded everything they ate, including which brand they used, over a 24-hour period, with the food diary repeated three times six months apart—twice on weekdays and once on weekends.

About 37% of participants consumed artificial sweeteners.

During a median follow-up of nine years, participants had 1,502 cardiovascular problems, which included heart attacks, strokes, transient ischemic attacks (also known as mini-strokes), and angina—chest pain associated with poor blood flow to the heart. muscles.

The researchers found that consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with a 9% increased risk of heart disease. And when the scientists looked specifically at each type of disease, they found that consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with an 18% increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, conditions that affect blood flow to the brain.

A particular type of sweetener, aspartame, has been associated with a 17% increase in the risk of cerebrovascular events, while acesulfame potassium and sucralose have been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, Sky News reports.

“In this large-scale putative cohort of French adults, artificial sweeteners (particularly aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose) were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and coronary disease,” the authors write. “The results indicate that artificial sweeteners may represent a modifiable risk factor for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.”

“The results demonstrate that these nutritional supplements, consumed daily by millions of people and present in thousands of foods and drinks, should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar, according to the current position of several health agencies,” the study authors said.

However, commenting on the study, British Heart Foundation (BHF) Senior Dietitian Tracy Parker notes: “Observational studies such as these can only show a link, and more research is needed to understand the link between artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular disease risk. Most adults in the UK eat too much sugar and this is linked to health problems such as obesity and tooth decay. Artificial sweeteners are an attractive way to cut down on sugar before they can be added to food in Europe, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) must approve their use. It’s a rigorous process, so you can be sure they’re safe to eat.”