Heart Attack Risk Goes UP With the Consumption of Artificial Sweeteners, New Study

AHA Publisher — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 07:00:11 +0000

News Staff via NaturalHealth365 – It’s no secret that too much sugar is bad for your health. But what about artificial sweeteners? In case you didn’t notice, the mainstream media barely says a word about this toxic creation. Unfortunately, too many people still consume artificial sweeteners … thinking they’re “better” than real sugar. The fact is there are many respected researchers and medical doctors like, Dr. Russell Blaylock warning the public about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. For example, a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggests artificial sweetener consumption may be linked to heart attacks! WARNING: Study Links Artificial Sweeteners to Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk Artificial sweeteners are suspected of contributing to a whole slew of health problems. However, researchers have struggled to come to a consensus on just how harmful they might be. The new BMJ study reveals a shocking link between sweeteners and heart attack risk. The study looked at information on over 100,000 participants in France. At the beginning of the study, the average participant’s age was 42, and the majority were female. The study followed people for an average of 9 years. First of all, participants filled out personal information such as their physical activity level, diet, smoking status, and jobs. The web-based study then tracked artificial sweetener dietary consumption, which included numerous popular brand-name sweeteners. The study concluded that higher intakes of artificial sweeteners were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. Aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium were especially linked to the increased risk of heart disease. This is especially concerning, considering that artificial sweeteners are widespread in many processed foods. But Wait, That’s Not All! Obesity Is a Real Danger Besides the ominous heart disease concerns, artificial sweeteners have been singled out as increasing the risk of other diseases as well. Yet, many people still use them for health reasons. Those with diabetes mellitus, dental issues, or reactive hypoglycemia tend to think these sweeteners will help them to avoid blood sugar spikes. Many other people also use them to substitute sugar and avoid calories when trying to lose weight. However, animal studies have suggested worrisome links that sugar substitutes promote carcinogenicity, obesity, and weight gain. Given their widespread use, artificial sweeteners may soon be re-evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organization. How to Improve Heart Health Through Diet Considering the recent BMJ study, the smartest choice would be to avoid artificial sweeteners. Even though there is disagreement among the scientific community on just how detrimental artificial sweeteners might be, why take the risk with your health? Eliminating or minimizing processed foods from your diet goes a long way toward improving your overall health. Besides cutting out unhealthy foods, there are several simple things you can do to keep your heart and body healthy. Consuming a diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts is beneficial for your cardiovascular system. Additionally, healthy fats like avocado and coconut are great for your heart. Ultimately, a natural, organic diet is a wonderful way to promote heart health. Additionally, lifestyle changes like consistent exercise, adequate sleep, avoiding alcohol consumption and developing a more positive mindset will contribute to a strong, healthy heart. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com BMJ.com NIH.gov Healthline.com To read the original article click here.

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Commonly Used Sweeteners May Promote Antibiotic Resistance

AHA Publisher — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 08:00:02 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers in Australia have conducted a study showing that commonly used nonnutritive sweeteners can promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes in the intestine. The study found that the sweeteners saccharine, sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium all promoted horizontal transfer of the genes between bacteria in both environmental and clinical settings. The sweeteners accelerated the exchange of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via a process called conjugation. The genes are transferred from donor to recipient bacteria, which may then go on to develop multidrug resistance, says Zhigang Yu and colleagues from The University of Queensland in St. Lucia, Brisbane. Writing in The ISME Journal, the team says the findings provide insight into the spread of antimicrobial resistance and point to the potential risk associated with the presence of these sweeteners in food and drink. Antimicrobial Resistance Poses One of the Greatest Global Threats Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the most significant global threats to public health and biosecurity in the coming decades. Currently, 700,000 people worldwide die from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria every year. It is estimated that 10 million people will die from such infections by 2050 if action is not taken immediately. The emergence of ARGs that give rise to resistant bacteria is generally attributed to the misuse or overuse of antibiotics. The spread of ARGs among different bacterial species is mainly driven by a process called horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Conjugation is an HGT mechanism that transfers ARGs carried on mobile genetic elements such as plasmids from one bacterial cell to another. The ARGs are transferred via a pilus or pore channel connecting the host and recipient bacteria. Where Do Sweeteners Come In? Although nonnutritive sweeteners have been developed and promoted as safe food additives that allow individuals to avoid the adverse effects of consuming sugar, some commonly used sweeteners have recently been associated with health risks. For example, in vitro studies have shown that the sweeteners saccharin (SAC), sucralose (SUC), and aspartame (ASP) can induce the formation of urinary bladder tumors. These sweeteners are also associated with glucose intolerance, which is thought to arise through alterations in the gut microbiota. Studies have also provided evidence that SAC, SUC, and ASP, as well as acesulfame potassium (ACE-K), cause DNA damage in bacteria. The researchers say this is likely to activate the DNA damage response system (SOS response). Furthermore, evidence suggests that conjugative ARG transfer may be related to the SOS response. Studies have also recently demonstrated that the use of SAC, SUC, and ASP is associated with shifts in the gut microbiota that resemble those caused by antibiotics. “As antibiotics can promote the spread of ARGs, we hypothesize that these nonnutritive sweeteners could have a similar effect,” writes Yu and the team. What Did the Researchers Do? The team used three model conjugation systems to investigate whether SAC, SUC, ASP, and ACE-K promote plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer in both environmental and clinical settings. The conjugation process was also visualized at the single-cell level using microfluidics and confocal microscopy. The researchers carried out whole-genome RNA sequencing analysis and measured changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, the SOS response, and cell membrane permeability. What Did They Find? All four sweeteners were found to promote plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer between the same bacteria and different phylogenetic strains. Bacteria exposed to these compounds exhibited increases in ROS production, the SOS response, and conjugative ARG gene transfer at environmentally and clinically relevant concentrations. Cell membrane permeability, especially that of the donor, also played an important role in the frequency of conjugative transfer. When the cell permeability of the donor (but not the recipient bacteria) was increased, a significant increase in conjugative transfer was observed. When the cell permeability of the recipient (but not the donor) was increased, no significant change in conjugative transfer was observed. “It has been reported that in the transfer of ARGs, donors with high expression of the conjugation machinery were shown to be associated with low-receptivity recipients,” says Yu and colleagues. “Thus, the increased permeability of the donor may cause increased ARG transfer to the recipient and result in increased conjugative transfer frequency.” What Are the Implications of the Study? The researchers say studies have previously shown that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can serve as hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs due to HGT among indigenous bacterial species. Since the concentrations of nonnutritive sweeteners used in this study were environmentally relevant, it is reasonable to assume that upon exposure to these compounds, the transfer frequency of ARGs would be promoted in WWTPs, says the team. “It is possible that these sweeteners could cause a cascading spread of ARGs in the WWTPs, thus facilitating increased development of antibiotic resistance in downstream environmental bacteria,” writes Yu and colleagues. “Considering the substantial application of these sweeteners in the food industry (over 117,000 metric tons globally consumed per year), our findings are a wake-up call to start evaluating the potential antibiotic-like roles induced by nonnutritive sweeteners,” concludes the team. To read the original article click here.

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Heart Attack Risk Goes UP With the Consumption of Artificial Sweeteners, New Study

Commonly Used Sweeteners May Promote Antibiotic Resistance