Artificial sweeteners “should not be regarded as a safe substitute for sugar,” according to scientists, after its intake was linked to a 9% increased risk of heart disease.
Artificial sweetener usage was also associated with a roughly 20% increased risk of disorders that disrupt blood flow to the brain, according to researchers from France’s Sorbonne Paris Nord University.
The study compared individuals’ sweetener intake from all dietary sources, including beverages, tabletop sweeteners, and dairy products, to their risk of heart or circulatory illness.
The research, which was published in the British Medical Journal, included almost 100,000 individuals from France.
The average age of the participants was 42, of which four out of five were female.
Using diet records, the researchers kept track of their sweetener use.
Participants recorded everything they ate for 24 hours, including the brand, and the food diary was repeated three times at six-month intervals – twice on weekdays and once on weekends.
Artificial sweeteners were consumed by 37% of subjects.
1,502 cardiovascular events throughout a nine-year average follow-up period were recorded.
This includes heart attacks, strokes, transient ischemic episodes (also known as small strokes), and angina, which is defined as chest discomfort caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart muscles.
