Diet Beverages Related to Heart Problems, Research Results

“Many people have said,’Well, diet sodas and artificially sweetened drinks may be better than sugar-sweetened drinks.’ But in the last few years, especially in women, artificially. There is recent evidence suggesting that sweetened beverages can cause harm, “freeman said.

Relationship, not causality

Volunteers were divided into three groups: non-users, low consumers, and high consumers of food or sugar drinks. Sweet drinks contained at least 5% sugar and 100% fruit juices, soft drinks, fruit drinks and syrups. Diet drinks contained only non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose and natural sweeteners such as stevia.

Separately from the first case of “stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, angioplasty” and sweet habits and eating habits during follow-up from 2011 to 2019 I compared.

The authors said they ruled out early cases of heart disease in the first three years, adjusted the “range of confounding factors” that could distort the data, and found small but statistically significant results.

Higher consumers were 20% more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease at a particular time than those who did not drink artificially sweetened beverages. Researchers found similar results when compared to non-users, with more consumers of sweet drinks.

However, the authors said the study could only show a link between the two, not a direct cause.

“Establishing a causal relationship requires replication and mechanical research in other large future cohorts,” the authors said.

The Calorie Management Council, an international association representing the low-calorie and low-calorie food and beverage industries, issued the following statement:

“Epidemiological studies, even those constructed with large sample sizes, are subject to potential pitfalls, including inverse causality. [subjects choose low and no calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as a tool to manage their weight after becoming overweight/obese] And residual confounding [inability to control for factors that influence health outcomes], As the researchers pointed out. “

Increasing research

Researchers say that the lack of such research is a major limitation. Because it is impossible to determine if the association is due to a particular artificial sweetener, beverage type, or other hidden health problem.

“People who consume diet soda may already be overweight or obese, so we need to wonder what other confounding factors and lifestyles already exist,” Freeman said. I will.

“We also know that when you eat sweets, your body knows a lot of other things that can cause insulin release and sometimes lead to weight gain.”

Still, this isn’t the first time diet drinks have been associated with heart problems.

The study found that women with no history of heart disease or diabetes and women of obesity or African American were at greatest risk.

“What about these diet drinks?” Asked Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and group health at the Albert Einstein Medical College in the Bronx, New York, who is the lead author of the 2019 study.

Until they find the answer, Freeman tells his patient to choose their drink wisely.

“Tell them that the best beverage for human consumption remains water, and probably always,” Freeman said. “And maybe in very close seconds of unsweetened tea and unsweetened coffee.

“And the rest probably shouldn’t be consumed on a regular basis-if any.”

What to do if you get addicted

Don’t go to the cold turkey. A tough love approach is difficult and can fail, so CNN contributor Lisa Dryer suggests a more gradual weaning.

Drink water, even carbonated water. According to experts, water is the perfect hydration for the human body. If it’s not your favorite drink, try adding some sparkle.

“Try injecting fruit into water. Buy a pitcher, fill it with water, add oranges, lemons, strawberries, watermelons, or slices of your favorite fruit, inject fruit flavor into the water, and sweeten You can give it a taste, “she said.

If you find yourself crazy about soda fizz crackling and pop, give in to carbonated water.

“Alternating with selzer / sparkling water can help reduce the amount,” Drayer added. “Ultimately, if you’re hungry for soda, you can replace soft drinks with selzer or sparkling water.”

Try a short sugar-free challenge. According to Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergkist, an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, our taste buds change every two weeks, so we can teach ourselves to thirst for something unsweetened in a short period of time.

She proposes to try a two-week sugar-free challenge. After those first intense sugar cravings, your taste buds will be adjusted to find “sugar is a more satisfying natural food,” she said.