Artificial sweeteners are perceived to be a healthy alternative to sugar and are therefore used commonly in various soft drinks and fruit juices. However, data from recent studies show that artificial sweeteners could be linked to an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease (as well as other health problems like hypertension and diabetes).
This was derived from a cohort study undertaken by researchers at the University of Paris. Initially, the 104,760 participants of the study did not have cardiovascular disease. Ten years of data (2009-2019) from the follow-up of participants was collected (part of which included lifestyle questionnaires that were filled out every six months by participants). After the data was analysed (and adjusted to prevent reverse causality bias), 1,379 of the participants had developed CVD. This led to them having a variety of medical conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.
The conclusion for this cohort study was that people who consumed sugary beverages daily (whether sugar or artificial sweeteners) have a 20% increased risk of developing CVD. The study also showed that consumption of artificial sweeteners presented a greater health risk for females.
However, there is some opposition to this study who claim that other sources of sugar intake were not considered appropriately. The data does not yet provide a causal link between sugary drinks and CVD but is strongly suggesting the negative impacts of soft drinks, supporting an increase in taxation on these products. Researchers say further studies will be needed to prove the causal link.
