(NewsNation) — Aspartame raises insulin levels in animals, potentially increasing their risk of heart attacks and strokes, a recent study in Sweden found.
Researchers fed mice food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 weeks, the equivalent of consuming three cans of diet soda daily for humans. The mice developed larger, fattier plaques in their arteries and higher inflammation levels, a contributor to heart disease.
Researchers linked elevated insulin levels to arterial plaque buildup, known as atherosclerosis, and found that the immune signal CX3CL1, triggered by insulin, plays a role in trapping immune cells that fuel inflammation.
“Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps,” said senior author Yihai Cao, who studies chronic diseases related to blood vessel disorders at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. “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.”
When CX3CL1 receptors were removed in aspartame-fed mice, plaque buildup didn’t occur.
Researchers plan to verify these findings in humans and focus on CX3CL1, as blood vessel inflammation can lead to stroke, arthritis, and diabetes.
“Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to know the long-term health impact,” Cao said.
The research was inspired by a can of diet soda during a project meeting, according to Cao.
Natural sugar over aspartame
Dr. Bernard Ashby suggests consuming natural sugar instead of aspartame for better long-term health effects.
“Moderation is key, but I like to say natural is better,” he told NewsNation’s “Morning in America” Monday. “You want to stick to organic foods that are more holistic in nature, and just avoid the quick, fast solutions, because at the end of the day, natural is better.”
Ashby advised sweetening your water with natural sweeteners such as fruits or drinking coconut water.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is found in products like Nutrasweet, and Equal.
Aspartame was classified by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2023 as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
