Eating artificial sweeteners may increase heart disease risk

Research published Sept. 7 BMJMore The journal included over 103,000 French adults who participated in a web-based nutrition study. The average age of participants at initiation was 42 years old, and nearly 80% were female.

At the beginning of the study, people filled out questionnaires about diet, health, physical activity, and personal information such as education, smoking status, and occupation.

They also completed multiple dietary assessments at the beginning of the study and every 6 months thereafter. was given.

This allows researchers to obtain detailed estimates of artificial sweetener consumption from all sources, as well as fruit, vegetable, dairy, red meat, and other types of food and nutrient intake. I got

People also reported new health events, treatments, and tests, including those related to cardiovascular disease such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Overall, 37% of participants consumed some form of artificial sweetener. On average, these people consumed about 42 milligrams per day. That’s the equivalent of an individual packet of tabletop sweetener or his 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) of diet soda.

The average intake of artificial sweeteners for “advanced consumers” was approximately 78 milligrams per day. For “low consumers,” it was about 8 milligrams per day. There was also a group that did not consume artificial sweeteners at all.

Those with higher artificial sweetener intake were younger, had a higher body mass index (BMI), were more likely to smoke, were less physically active, and were more likely to follow a weight-loss diet.

They were also lower in calories overall and lower in alcohol, saturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables.

The researchers took into account these differences as well as other factors such as age, gender, physical activity, education, smoking status and family history of cardiovascular disease.

“After adjustment [for these]There are still signals that cardiovascular events appear to be on the rise in people reporting increased use of artificial sweeteners. Elizabeth H. Dineen Deneen, a cardiologist at UCI Health’s Susan Samuel Institute for Integrative Studies in Orange County, California, was not involved in the study.

After following people for an average of nine years, researchers found that consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease overall.

Specifically, those who consumed high amounts of artificial sweeteners had a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who ate no artificial sweeteners.

Those who ate the most artificial sugars had an 18% higher risk of stroke and other types of cerebrovascular disease than those who did not consume them.

Furthermore, higher aspartame consumption was associated with a higher risk of cerebrovascular disease. Higher acesulfame potassium and sucralose consumption were associated with higher coronary heart disease risk.

Dietary assessments recorded intake of other types of artificial sweeteners, including plant-based stevia, but participants had to consume less of these artificial sweeteners for the researchers to include them in their analyses. It was too much.

The researchers also looked at whether substituting artificial sweeteners for added sugar reduced the risk of overall cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, or coronary heart disease. “We were not suggesting a profit,” they wrote.

Given the results of the study, artificial sweeteners “should not be considered as a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”, especially “the widespread use of these substances in products on the global market,” they said. writing.

Dineen said the study was well done, but had certain limitations. For one, this is an observational study, so researchers cannot prove a causal relationship between artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular disease.

However, other studies have found that people who consume large amounts of artificially sweetened beverages are at increased risk. Cardiovascular disease in general When stroke.

Most previous studies on cardiovascular disease risk have focused on the intake of artificial sweeteners in beverages. However, this study included all food sources.

“Beverages are, of course, an important source of artificial sweeteners, but these sweeteners appear to be found in unexpected foods such as crackers and bread,” he said. Lori ChongRDN, LD, Registered Dietitian, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

A new study found that sugar-free soft drinks accounted for 53% of artificial sweetener consumption, but people also consumed tabletop sweeteners (30%) and yogurt and cottage cheese (8%) artificial sweeteners. was doing.

Heart-related risks are just one of the concerns associated with consuming artificial sweeteners.

Another study by the authors of a new study published in March 2022 pro swanfound that higher consumption of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame and acesulfame-K, was associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Dineen, an assistant professor of medicine at the UCI School of Medicine in Irvine, California, and an assistant professor of medicine in cardiovascular disease, said, “Based on this study and other studies, it seems prudent to limit artificial sweeteners. .

Additionally, “it is important for everyone to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease by following preventive strategies such as dietary interventions,” she said.

Chung said that even before the study, he had encouraged people to minimize their intake of artificial sweeteners, but “minimizing doesn’t mean avoiding them altogether. “

Of course, limiting your intake of artificial sweeteners means different things to different people.

“A practical approach, therefore, is to assess whether you regularly consume foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners and consider alternatives to these products. [ways to] Reduce them,” Chong said.

This doesn’t mean going back to just adding sugar. [added] We need to limit sugar in any form,” Chong said.

A good rule of thumb is the World Health Organization’s recommendation Consume no more than 10% of your daily calories as added sugars, or no more than 5% for added health benefits.

She also suggests people look at the ingredient list on food packages.

“Short and simple is better than long and complicated,” she said. “And buy enough whole foods that don’t require labeling, like fresh fruits and vegetables.”

This new study and others can help guide people to eat healthier, but healthy eating is often intuitive, Dineen said.

“Most people generally know what’s healthy and what’s not,” she said. [sometimes] It becomes difficult to break those habits. “

Individual or group dietary counseling by a nutritionist may be helpful for some people who struggle to change their eating patterns.

she also mediterranean diet“When it came to heart disease, it was a staple in the world of prevention.”

This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. Traditionally, the Mediterranean diet includes seafood, but the diet should be tailored to a person’s health factors and personal preferences, Dineen said.

In general, “the more natural and less processed, the better,” she said. [new] Research helps support that. “