Looking to indulge your sweet tooth while maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle?
Aspartame may not be the best option when it comes to artificial sweeteners, according to a new study.
Researchers in Sweden conducted experiments on mice that showed the artificial sweetener triggered increased insulin levels. That in turn leads to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, noted previous research linking sugar substitutes to increases in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
During the 12-week study, scientists fed mice food that consisted of 0.15% aspartame, which is the equivalent of a person consuming three cans of diet pop each day.
When compared to mice who were not fed the artificial sweetener, the ones consuming it possessed larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries and higher levels of inflammation.
After analyzing the blood from the mice, researchers noticed a large jump in insulin levels after aspartame was consumed.
While that is typical when consuming sugar, the sweetness-detecting receptors inside the rodents’ bodies were tricked into releasing additional insulin due to aspartame being 200 times sweeter than regular sugar.
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The scientists then set out to show how the surge in insulin the mice experienced aided the growth of fatty plaques in their arteries, and then identified an immune signal called CX3CL1 that became very active.
“Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps,” senior author and Karolinska Institute researcher Yihai Cao told EurekAlert.
“Surprisingly, not CX3CL1. It stays glued to the surface of the inner lining of blood vessels. There, it acts like a bait, catching immune cells as they pass by.”
After eliminating that receptor from one of the immune cells in the mice who consumed aspartame, plaque did not build up.
Cao said he and his team will study the effects of CX3CL1 on humans to confirm their findings.
“Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to know the long-term health impact,” Cao said.