Artificial Sweeteners Could Possibly Link to Heart Disease

Artificial sweeteners are consumed largely in many different ways soft drinks, snacks, ready-to-go meals, dairy products, and probably one of the most common: the packets that are found in restaurants, or that are available to buy in stores. Some of the people that consume these artificial sweeteners do so due to the risks that come with real sugar.

As it turns out, artificial sweeteners could possibly affect health, more so when they are consumed in more large amounts. These risks include heart-related risks, as suggested by French researchers. The researchers concluded that people who consumed higher amounts of artificial sweeteners have increased risks for cardiovascular disease, and also stroke, and other types of cerebrovascular disease.

The study, which was published on September 7 in the BMJ, included over 100,000 French adults that participated in a nutrition study, that was web-based. The average age of the participants at the beginning was around 42 years old and 80% of the participants were female.

At the start of the study, participants did questionnaires consisting of questions about their health, physical activity, diet, and personal information some of which included smoking status, occupation, and education.

A series of dietary assessments were completed at the beginning and as well as 6 months later. In the midst of these diary recalls, participants were asked to take note of every food and drink over 24 hours. This information provided the researchers with valuable compressive approximants of people’s consumption of artificial sweeteners, from all of the sources, and intake of fruits, red meat, vegetables, dairy products, and any other types of nutrients or foods.

People also reported on any new medical treatments, health events, and examinations. Including ones that are related to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

In general, 37% of the participants consumed artificial sweeteners in some type form. On average people consumed about 42 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to one packet of tabletop sweetener or 3.4 ounces of diet soda.

The average intake of high consumption of artificial sweeteners was close to around 78 milligrams each day. The average intake of low consumption of artificial sweeteners was around 8 milligrams each day. Also included were people who did not consume any artificial sweeteners at all.

The participants who had a high consumption of artificial sweeteners were made up of people who were younger, more likely to smoke, have a higher body mass index, and be less physically active; while following a weight loss diet. Overall they consumed fewer calories, as well as alcohol, fiber, saturated and polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. But they consumed a higher amount of dairy products, red and processed meats, and sodium.

Researchers took these observations into consideration, including other aspects such as sex, age, education, smoking status, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease history in the family.

Dr. Elizabeth H. Dineen, a cardiologist at the Susan Samueli Integrative Institute at UCI Health in Orange County, California, stated that “after the adjustment [for these], there is still a signal that there appear to be increased cardiovascular events in those reporting increased use of artificial sweeteners.” Dineen wasn’t involved in the study.

A smaller study published last month discovered that consuming non-nutritive sweeteners, which are sugar replacements with low calories or nutrients, may change a person’s gut flora and perhaps increase blood sugar levels. One’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or stroke can increase with high blood sugar.

Prior to that, a lab study conducted in June discovered that artificial sweeteners caused gut bacteria to intrude on cells in the intestine wall, which could potentially increase the risk of infection or organ failure.

Artificial sweeteners have also been linked in earlier studies to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a higher chance of developing cancer.

Written By Lance Santoyo
Edited by Sheean Robertson

Sources:

NBC News: Spate of new research points to the potential harms of artificial sweeteners

Healthline: Eating More Artificial Sweeteners May Increase Risk of Heart Disease

Medical News Today: Sugar disrupts microbiome and immune function, leading to metabolic disorders

Featured Image Courtesy of Becky Stern Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Inset Image Courtesy of Mike Mozart Flickr Page – Creative Commons License