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The average American adult consumes 77 grams of sugar (just over 6 tablespoons) per day, according to the American Heart Association. Compare that to the AHA’s recommended limits for added sugars…
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Men: no more than 36 grams, which is equivalent to 9 teaspoons or 150 calories, per day
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Women: no more than 25 grams, which is equivalent to 6 teaspoons or 100 calories, per day
For reference, a 12-ounce regular soda contains 32 grams (8 teaspoons) of added sugar. Many of us have been trying to avoid added sugars for years. Excessive consumption of sugar, and in particular sugar-sweetened beverages, has been linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a 14 1/2-year study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% increased risk of dying from heart disease (compared to those who got 8% or less of their calories from added sugar ). So we turn to Artificial sweeteners. Hey, if a diet soda has no sugar, it’s a better choice, right?
A new study published September 7 in the journal BMJ You have some not-so-sweet news if that has been your solution to reducing your sugar intake. People who consume higher amounts of artificial sweeteners potentially have a 9% increased risk of heart disease and an 18% increased risk of stroke compared to their peers who do not consume artificial sweeteners.
Read on to learn more about the possible connection between sugar substitutes and cardiovascular disease, then discover other ways to reduce your sugar intake in heart-healthy ways.
Related: Everything you need to know about sugar substitutes
What this heart health study found
To reach this conclusion, a group of French researchers analyzed data from more than 103,000 French adults who participated in an online nutrition study. At the start of the study, the participants — who had an average age of 42 at the start and about 80% were women — completed questionnaires about diet, health, exercise, education, smoking and occupation. They also completed multiple dietary assessments at launch and then every six months for an average of nine years. These included a 24-hour diet reminder, in which each person was told to report all the food and drink they consumed in the past day.
The scientists used these reports to estimate consumption of artificial sweeteners, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, red meat, and other food categories. Participants also shared any new health events, including biometric and diagnostic reports, including heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
About 37% of these people reported consuming artificial sweeteners in some form, to the tune of about 42 milligrams per day on average. That’s equal to a single packet of sweetener (like you might add to coffee or tea) or about 3½ ounces of diet soda. Among the heaviest drinkers, the average was about 78 milligrams (about 6 ounces of diet soda). Some did not consume any.
Diet sodas accounted for about 53 percent of total artificial sweetener consumption, the researchers estimated. Other top-tier sources included sweetener packets (30%), as well as artificially sweetened yogurts and cottage cheese (8%). Beyond fully synthetic sweeteners, scientists also asked about more natural low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners, such as plant-based. allulose, monk fruit either stevia. The participants consumed too little of these to be significant enough for research.
Related: The worst food for gut health, according to a dietician
Compared to nonconsumers, those who ate or drank products with the most sugar substitutes differed in a few ways:
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They were more likely to be younger
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had a major body mass index (BMI)
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were more likely to smoke
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Tended to be less physically active
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They were more likely to follow some form of weight-loss diet
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Consumed fewer calories, saturated and polyunsaturated fats, fiber, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables
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Consumed more sodium, red and processed meats, and dairy products
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drank less alcohol
Taking into account these other differences and variations in age, sex, activity, education, smoking status and family history of heart disease, scientists found that subjects who fell under the umbrella of “high consumer” of artificial sweeteners had a 9% increased risk of heart disease compared to those who consumed none. The heaviest users also had an 18% increased risk of stroke.
The researchers also tried to determine which was worse for heart health: added sugars or artificial sweeteners. They said artificial sweeteners “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar,” but the jury is still out.
The bottom line
More research, including studies that include more accurate dietary monitoring than self-reports (it’s easy to lie or forget), is needed to confirm these results. Future studies should also include a more diverse group of participants and a more consistent gender breakdown.
Until we learn more, it is advisable to continue with the World Health Organization recommendation to consume 10% or less of daily calories from added sugars; ideally around 5% or less if you ask the AHA. keep an eye out for these Top 7 Sources of Added Sugars. And try to limit your intake of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin. More research is also needed on plus low or no calorie natural sweeteners and sugar alcohols like xylitol, erythritol, allulose, stevia, and monk fruit, but the less sweetener you add, the better.
Stick to natural fruit sugars, when possible, and try our 30 day challenge to lower your blood sugar to help you lower slowly.
