Packages of Equal and Splenda artificial sweeteners are displayed at a coffee shop April 9, 2007 in San Rafael, California. (Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Researchers said in a new study that artificial sweeteners may be associated with a higher risk of heart disease, saying they “should not be considered a safe alternative to sugar,” but the findings have already been disputed.
The study, published in The British Medical Journal on Thursday, examined information on more than 100,000 French adults. Researchers evaluated the participants’ consumption of sweeteners from drinks, dairy products, tabletop sweeteners, and other products before comparing it to their risk of heart disease.
The individuals who partook self-reported their diet, lifestyle, and medical history from 2009 to 2021 as part of the NutriNet-Sante study.
The researchers noted that it is an observational study, meaning it can’t establish causality. And neither can the researchers rule out the possibility that other unknown factors may have impacted their results.
About 37 percent percent of the study’s participants consumed artificial sweeteners, averaging 42 milligrams per day, according to the study.
Over a nine-year follow-up period, 1,502 heart issues were recorded, including heart attack, stroke, and angina, according to the researchers. They also indicated that heart disease occurred in 346 out of 100,000 people who consume high levels of artificial sweeteners, compared to 314 among those who do not.
In all, they found that artificial sweetener consumption could be linked to a 9 percent higher risk of heart disease.
Aspartame, they said, is linked to an increased risk of cerebrovascular events. Acesulfame potassium and sucralose were associated with a greater risk of coronary heart disease, the researchers added.
“Our results indicate that these food additives, consumed daily by millions of people and present in thousands of foods and beverages, should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar, in line with the current position of several health agencies,” the researchers wrote in the BMJ.
And, they added, “The results suggest that artificial sweeteners might represent a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease prevention.”
The French researchers said that people who ingested artificial sweeteners “tended to be younger, have a higher body mass index, were more likely to smoke, be less physically active, and follow a weight loss diet.” They also ate fewer vegetables and fruit, and consumed more “sodium, red and processed meat, dairy products, and beverages with no added sugar” than those who did not.
Dispute
However, some experts urged caution about the new findings, saying that the study is flawed.
Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University, told the AFP news agency that the study “cannot answer the question posed.” He wasn’t involved in the research.
“This is because there are clearly major differences in many characteristics of people who consume artificial sweeteners compared to those who do not consume any,” he said.
Tracy Parker, the senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, told the Telegraph: “Observational studies like these can only show an association, and more research is needed to understand the links between artificial sweeteners and the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.”
She added, “While these findings shouldn’t cause undue concern, it’s always a good idea to look at the amount of sugar and sweeteners in your diet. Try to swap fizzy drinks for water and increase your intake of heart-healthy foods, like lentils, nuts and seeds, as well as fruit, vegetables and whole grains.”
The International Sweeteners Association, a group that represents producers of artificial sweeteners, reacted to the French study on Thursday and stressed there is no “causal evidence that low/no calorie sweeteners could increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
The group added that “the safety of all approved low/no calorie sweeteners has been confirmed by food safety bodies worldwide” such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.