United States: Consuming just a few cans of diet soda each day reportedly raises your danger of experiencing cardiac arrest or a dangerous stroke, according to research from Sweden.
More about the news
Studies showed that aspartame, which exists in Diet Coke together with ketchup and candy products, helped develop dangerous fatty deposits in artery walls.
The grouping of fat cells, known as atherosclerosis, results in blood vessel narrowing, which reduces heart blood flow and causes systematic heart damage.
Dangerous blockages in blood vessels may occur when parts of the fatty plaque break from its surface, leading to risks of heart attack and stroke.
The researchers who performed the mouse study argued that their results revealed cause for concern since artificial sweeteners are extensively used by many people.
What do the experts warn about?
Experts outside the study have warned that the research produces concerning results, although its reliability remains incomplete.
An experimental investigation conducted by Karolinska Institute scientists, together with their US and Chinese collaborators, provided rodents with 12-week daily dietary aspartame consumption.
Scientists equated this sweetener consumption to three daily diet soda cans for human beings. Specialists examined tissue samples of mice that consumed aspartame and contrasted them against mice that received no aspartame feed.
Research on mice showed aspartame consumption resulted in an increase of fatty plaques along with elevated inflammation throughout their arteries, which leads to cardiovascular disease manifestations.
Further blood examinations on the mice demonstrated that their aspartame consumption triggered blood sugar elevation comparable to sugar consumption.
The scientific report published in Cell Metabolism demonstrated that this blood sugar peak triggered CX3CL1 protein production increases.
According to Professor Yihai Cao, the senior author of the study, chronic disease expertise revealed that this protein functioned similarly to adhesive material on blood vessels’ inner walls, which facilitated plaque formation.
“Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps,” he added.
“Surprisingly, not CX3CL1. It stays glued to the surface of the inner lining of blood vessels. There, it acts like a bait, catching cells as they pass by,” he continued.
While acknowledging the study has limited implications for people, Professor Cao said the team now plans to verify the findings in humans.
Furthermore, he stated, “Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to know the long-term health impact,” Daily Mail reported.