used for replace sugar in many beverages but also in food, sweeteners could be associated with a increased risk of cardiovascular disease, According to a French study published Thursday in the ‘British Medical Journal’.
Given the harmfulness of added sugars, artificial sweeteners are used as alternatives in thousands of food and drinks to reduce the amount of sugar and associated calories while maintaining a sweet taste. But the safety of these is debated. Food Additives.
People who consume more sweeteners, in particular aspartame Y acesulfame-K, have a higher risk of cancerconcluded a French observational study, published in March by researchers from different institutes (Inserm, Inrae, Sorbonne University Paris Nord, Cnam).
One sachet or 100 ml of diet soda
To explore the associated cardiovascular risks this time, the researchers used the same methodology on health and sweetener consumption data from 103,388 French adults who participated in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study. Among other information, the volunteers detailed their food consumption.
The 37% of participants consumed sweeteners, on average 42.46 mg/day, equivalent to a individual sachet of sweetener table or 100 ml of diet soda.
After collecting information on cardiovascular disease diagnoses during follow-up (2009-2021), statistical analyzes investigated associations between sweetener consumption and risk of such diseases.
According to the study, artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and coronary diseases. During nine years of follow-up there were 1,502 cardiovascular events (heart attacks, angina pectoris, angioplasty, stroke, etc.).
Until then, studies had suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with consumption of sugary drinks. Neither looked at exposure to sweeteners as a whole, according to the authors.
“These results, in line with the latest WHO (World Health Organization) report published this year, do not support the use of sweeteners as safe alternatives to sugar & rdquor ;, concludes Dr. Mathilde Touvier, director of research at Inserm and coordinator of the studio.
outstanding issues
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However, this has limits. This “observational study cannot answer the question posed” due to “big differences in many characteristics of people who consume artificial sweeteners compared to those who don’t,” Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic disease medicine at the University of Glasgow, judged in particular with the Science Media Center.
In his opinion, it “suggests too strongly a causal link between sweeteners and cardiovascular disease” with a methodology that is not robust enough, and would require “randomized trials to larger scale and longer term”. More research will be needed to replicate and possibly confirm these results.