Artificial sweeteners linked to increased risk of heart disease, study finds

[Northerner]

Artificial sweeteners are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”, according to researchers.

The harmful effects of added sugars have been long established for multiple chronic diseases, leading food companies to use artificial sweeteners instead in a wide range of food and drinks consumed daily by millions of people worldwide.

However, their use has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, although study findings have been divided about their part in various diseases.

Their role in cardiovascular disease has previously been suggested in experimental studies, but data from human studies was limited and previous observational studies focused solely on artificially sweetened drinks used as a proxy.

Artificial sweeteners linked to increased risk of heart disease, study finds

Research involving 103,000 French adults shows sweeteners ‘should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Gwynn]

The article suggests more research is needed. I will be interested in the results of further study. For now the results are 'suggestive' and 'indicative'. I am not sure that it is a 'news' item as it does not really and solidy confirm its tennet.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

This is all very vague. It reminds me of the 'fats are bad' and the 'wholemeal carbs are good' messages.
In any case there are sweeteners and sweeteners. Some are awful and have been pushed for years and are documented to be worse than sugar in raising blood spikes and others have definite dangers and then there are others that have no effect on blood sugars and are naturally sourced and the only side effects are wind until you get used to them because they go straight through the system without really touching the sides.
It also depends on how you use them.
I would need to see properly described parameters for the research and which specific sweeteners they researched because you might as well say 'food is associated with death' because everyone who eats food dies eventually and some people die immediately if it is something like that poisonous fish that isn't prepared properly.
The only sensible approach is to carefully check information available about sweeteners and then make an informed choice about which sweeteners to use and to be on the safe side even then by using them in moderation.

 

[mikeyB]

Thankfully, that report is so vague that I will continue to drink chilled IrnBru XTRA which is sugar free, as I am now drinking as I type🙂

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

Thankfully, that report is so vague that I will continue to drink chilled IrnBru XTRA which is sugar free, as I am now drinking as I type🙂

sadly your drink of choice contains the exact sweeteners that are known to be very bad and the ones the research was on strong ground about

Things with stevia glycosides, monk fruit and or erythtritol are the safest options.
Acesulfame and Aspartame are ok if you only drink it once in a blue moon but not at all good as a regular drink