Sugar substitutes can lead to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. That is the latest research published in an online journal. According to the American Heart Association, an average American adult daily consumes 77 grams of sugar-roughly more than 6 tablespoons. Which surpasses the recommended limits for added sugar. For men at most is 36 grams which equals 9 teaspoons or 150 calories per day and for women is 25 grams which are equal to 6 teaspoons or 100 calories per day.
As an example, a 12-ounce regular soda can contain 32 grams or 8 teaspoons of added sugar. Most people have been trying to avoid added sugars for some time. Consuming much sugar, and in particular sugar-sweetened drinks, has been implicated in weight gain, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood and cardiovascular diseases.
From the 14 years study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, research found that individuals who consumed 17 to 21 percent of their calories from added sugar had a 38% chance of dying from heart disease compared to those who consumed 8% or fewer of their calories from added sugar. So how can 'diet,' 'light.' and 'zero' sugar sodas can be a better choice?
New Study New Diagnosis
September 7-A published journal in The BMJ contained some not-so-sweet news for artificial sweeteners users. The study suggests that people who consume higher amounts of sugar substitutes can potentially have a 9% higher risk of heart disease and an 18% higher risk for stroke compared to those who consume no artificial sweeteners.
The group of French researchers analyzed data from more than 103,000 French adults who joined the online nutrition study.
At the beginning of the study, the participants who were aged 42 started and were about 80% female, and completed questionnaires about their diet, health, education, exercise, smoking status, and occupation.
The participants also filled out a few diet assessments at the launch and every six months after for an average of nine years, which includes a 24-hour diet recall, in which each person was told to report every food and drink intake during the last day.
The team used those reports to estimate the consumption of artificial sweeteners, fruits, veggies, dairy products, red meat, and other categories of foods. Each participant also shared any new health occurrences that included biometric reports and diagnoses, including heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.
About 37% of these people reported consuming artificial sweeteners in some form, to the tune of approximately 42 milligrams on a daily average. That's equivalent to a single packet of sweetener or 3 and a half ounces of diet soda. Among the highest consumers has an average of 78 milligrams or 6 ounces of diet soda. Some participants consumed none.
Diet beverages make up 53% of the total artificial sweetener consumption, according to scientists' estimation. Other top-ranking sources were sweetener sachets (30%) as well as artificially sweetened yogurts and cottage cheese (8%). Beyond the fully synthetic sweeteners, the research team also asked about more natural-low or zero-calorie sweeteners like plant-based monk fruit, allulose, or stevia. The participants consumed too few of these to be significant enough for the study.
ALSO READ : Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe? New Study Warns They May Be Harder to Absorb, Changes Gut Microbiome
The Study Conclusion
Taking into account other differences and variances in age, sex, lifestyle, and family history, the scientists found that the subjects who fell under the 'high consumer' umbrella for artificial sweeteners had a 9% higher risk for cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed none.
The highest consumers also have a higher risk of stroke by 18%. They also tried to distinguish which was worse for health: added sugar or artificial sweeteners, and they claimed that artificial sweeteners should "not be considered a healthy and safe substitute to sugar," the decision is still not final.
More research is needed to confirm these diagnoses.
Until further studies develop, it is wise to stay with the World Health Organization recommendation of daily sugar consumption, which is 10% or less daily calories added sugar; ideally about 5% or less, as per AHA.
Limiting the added sweetener can be another added factor to the equation, the less sweetener added the better.
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