Sweeteners such as sucralose or aspartame increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to a study published in September.
A study published on September 7 in the British medical journal (BMJ) reveals a link between consumption of sweeteners and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Cnam and Sorbonne Paris Nord University within the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN) have studied the consequences of the consumption of sweeteners on health and especially the risk of heart diseasewhich affect the arteries that supply blood to the heart, and cerebrovascular diseases (brain damage caused by insufficient blood circulation or hemorrhage cerebral). The sweetenerscommonly called fake sugars, are food additives used to give a sweet taste to food or medicine. We find them in many beverages and other foods such as dairy products. It’s a alternative to sugar. The study focused on aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
Researchers analyzed health data from 103,388 French adults participating in the French study NutriNet-Health, a public health study coordinated by the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (Eren, Inserm/INRAE/Cnam/Sorbonne Paris Nord University). They took into account many potentially confounding factors such as age, gender, physical activity, smoking, family history of cardiovascular disease, as well as energy intake, alcohol, sodium, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, sugar, fruits and vegetables, and red and processed meat. “The results of this study suggest a potential direct association between increased consumption of artificial sweeteners and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.” concludes the British Medical Journal article. Regarding the types of sweeteners, aspartame would increase the risk of cerebrovascular diseases (brain) and acesulfame-K and sucralose coronary heart disease risk (heart).
“These results do not support the use of sweeteners as safe alternatives to sugar and provide new information to respond to scientific debates regarding their potential health effects. They also provide important data for their ongoing reassessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other public health agencies around the world“, concludes Dr Mathilde Touvier, research director at Inserm and coordinator of the study.
Sources:
– The consumption of sweeteners would be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Inserm, September 8, 2022
– Artificial sweeteners and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, British Medical Journal, 7 September 2022