Artificial sweeteners are unhealthy, linked to heart disease, weight gain: study

Artificial sweeteners offer an answer for those with a sweet tooth who don’t need refined sugar or the excess calories of regular sugar like honey, dates and maple syrup.

Because artificial sugars are man-made synthetic substances that are generally not tracked in nature. A study published in The BMJ shows the same for these artificial sweeteners.

The findings suggest that these food additives, consumed daily by millions of people and found in thousands of foods and beverages, are a healthy alternative to sugar, in line with the current position of several health agencies. indicates that it should not be considered a safe substitute for

Aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, saccharin, and xylitol are some of the common artificial sweeteners. Artificial sugar substitutes like saccharin are considered unsafe.

Artificial sweeteners are widely used as zero- or low-calorie alternatives to sugar. They represent a $7.2bn (£5.9bn, €7bn) global market, with thousands of products around the world, especially ultra-processed products such as artificially sweetened beverages, some snacks and low-calorie ready-to-eat meals. found in food.

Several studies have shown that consumption of artificial sweeteners or artificial sweeteners (ASBs) is associated with weight gain, hypertension, and inflammation, but not with various diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Results have been mixed as to the role of artificial sweeteners in the cause of . Furthermore, although several observational studies have used ASB consumption as a surrogate for investigating cardiovascular disease risk, none have measured intake of artificial sweeteners from the whole diet.

To investigate this further, the French National Institute of Health and Medicine (Inserm) and a team of colleague researchers analyzed data from 103,388 participants (mean age 42 years, 80% female) of the web-based NutriNet-Sante study. used. It was launched in France in 2009 to investigate the relationship between nutrition and health.

Dietary intake and consumption of artificial sweeteners were assessed by repeated 24-h dietary records, taking into account various potentially influencing health, lifestyle, and sociodemographic factors.

Artificial sweeteners from all dietary sources (drinks, tabletop sweeteners, dairy, etc.) and by type (aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose) were included in the analysis.

A total of 37% of participants consumed artificial sweeteners, with an average intake of 42.46 mg/day, equivalent to approximately 1 bag of tabletop sweetener or 100 mL of diet soda.

Among participants who consumed artificial sweeteners, mean intakes in the low and high consumer categories were 7.46 mg/day and 77.62 mg/day, respectively.

Compared with non-consumers, higher consumers were younger, had a higher body mass index, were more likely to smoke, were less physically active, and were more likely to follow a weight-loss diet. , consumed less alcohol, saturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and consumed more sodium, red and processed meats, dairy products, and sugar-free beverages. , the researchers considered these differences in their analyses.

During the average 9-year follow-up period, 1,502 cardiovascular events occurred. They included heart attack, angina pectoris, angioplasty (a procedure to widen a blockage or narrowed artery to the heart), transient ischemic attack, and stroke.

Researchers found that total intake of artificial sweeteners was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (absolute rates of 346 per 100,000 person-years among 314 per 100,000 person-years).

Artificial sweeteners were specifically associated with the risk of cerebrovascular disease (absolute probabilities were 195 and 150 per 100,000 person-years for high-income and non-consumers, respectively).

Aspartame intake was associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular events (186 and 151 per 100,000 person-years in high- and non-consumers, respectively). Acesulfame potassium and sucralose, on the other hand, were associated with increased coronary heart disease risk (acesulfame potassium: 167 and 164 per 100,000). person-years; sucralose: per 100,000 person-years, 271 and 161 in high and non-consumers, respectively).

Since this is an observational study, we cannot determine the cause. Nor can the researchers rule out the possibility that other unknown (confounding) factors may have influenced the results.

Nonetheless, this is a large-scale study that used accurate, high-quality dietary data to assess individual artificial sweetener intake, and the results suggest that artificial sweetener exposure and health It is consistent with other studies that associate several markers of deterioration.

As such, the researchers say their results suggest that substituting artificial sweeteners for added sugar does not provide any benefit to CVD outcomes.

Further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these results, they add, and studies are needed to clarify the biological pathways.

In the meantime, they said, the study provides important insight into the context of the reassessment of artificial sweeteners currently being conducted by the European Food Safety Authority, the World Health Organization, and other health organisations. suggests.

There is input from the agency.

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