Diet colas are another option for heavy cola drinkers with the belief of lesser sugar content than regular colas. But this will about to change. Scientists issued a dire warning to heavy diet cola consumers, revealing that one can add risk to heart attacks a day.
The study was published in the British Medical Journal on Sept. 7. Diet colas have artificial sweeteners added to cereal, yogurt, and ketchup, which is the main factor in the added risk of heart problems.
The scientist found that people who consume a can of diet cola or just 78 mg daily, similar to a half can think of diet fizzy pop, were ten times more likely to develop a heart attack. The study adds that Diet cola drinkers were also five times more likely to have strokes.
Based on the report from 4BC News Talk, in a podcast, nutritionist and holistic counselor Fiona Kane agreed with the result of the recent study, saying that all artificial sweeteners may cause health risks to everyone.
The Artificial Can Be Crucial
The French researchers conducted their study on the eating habits of 103,388 people. They found the biggest consumers of artificial sweeteners are prone to conditions affecting the blood flow into the brain.
Sugar substitutes are key ingredients in thousands of food and beverage products, with manufacturers using them to have lower or no-calorie versions of their main product. Earlier studies have already spotted a connection between obesity and artificial sweeteners. While other studies linked the over-consumption of food products with much sweetener content to high blood pressure, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes, which is connected to many medical woes. However, the results have mixed on whether the sugar substitute is behind illnesses such as cardiovascular disease.
ALSO READ: Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe? New Study Warns They May Be Harder to Absorb, Changes Gut Microbiome
The 9-Year Study on Sugar Alternatives
The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research gathered participants aged 42 on average and logged the food they took for three days.
The team then made a comparison against the medical records to allow them to link them to cardiovascular diseases.
The 37% of the group with sweeteners in their diet has an average regular intake of 42.5 mg or 100 ml of diet drink.
The consumers of artificial sweeteners tended to be fatter and younger than those who didn't.
All of the factors, except those who are young, are thought to have a higher possibility of heart issues.
In the nine years of study, there were 1,502 cardiac arrests, strokes, angina, and angioplasties. The common sugar alternative found in sugar-free drinks, soft-serve, and salad dressings is aspartame. It was linked to having the biggest chance of stroke. The researchers admitted that the result was observational. It doesn't prove artificial sweeteners can raise the risk of heart problems. But they note that their research was 'precise' and produced 'high-quality' data.
The researchers wrote in the journal that swapping sugar for alternative sweeteners appeared to have 'no benefit' on heart health.
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