A recent study reveals that aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener used in many diet products, may cause significant health risks. This research, published in Cell Metabolism, indicates that aspartame can lead to higher insulin spikes compared to regular sugar. This spike may accelerate the build-up of fatty plaques in arteries, which raises the chance of heart attacks and strokes.
Aspartame is known for being 200 times sweeter than sugar, making it a common ingredient in soft drinks, baked goods, and candies labeled as sugar-free. While it helps reduce calorie intake, it seems to trick the body’s insulin response, causing higher levels of insulin over extended periods.
The study involved feeding mice a diet with 0.15% aspartame, similar to a human consuming three cans of diet soda daily. The mice showed a quick increase in insulin levels within 30 minutes of eating aspartame, which continued throughout the study. In just four weeks, these mice began to develop arterial plaques, while the mice given regular sugar only saw plaque formation after 12 weeks. This suggests that long-term aspartame consumption may contribute to insulin resistance, a major factor in developing type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Christopher Yi, a vascular surgeon, notes that although artificial sweeteners are often marketed as healthier alternatives to sugar, this research raises concerns about their metabolic effects. Aspartame seems to lead to chronic insulin levels, promoting the release of inflammatory signals that may worsen plaque formation in arteries.
Understanding how aspartame influences insulin dynamics can help inform future health guidelines and possibly lead to treatments that target the related inflammatory processes. As more evidence emerges, it highlights the need for ongoing research into what we consume, even in products we consider healthy.
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