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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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Stevia and Monk Fruit vs. Aspartame and Splenda

AHA Publisher — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:00:11 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. A number of artificial sweeteners have been approved in North America by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including aspartame and sucralose (sold as Splenda), but there are also natural “high-intensity sweeteners” found in plants. The global market for non-nutritive, or non-caloric, sweeteners, in general, is in the billions. This includes all the artificial ones and two natural ones extracted from plants—stevia and monk fruit. You may recall I’ve discussed stevia before, but what about monk fruit? That’s the subject of my video Is Monk Fruit Sweetener Safe?. “The fruits of Luo Han Guo [monk fruit in Chinese] have been used for hundreds of years in China as a natural sweetener and as a folk medicine….The non-caloric sweet taste…results primarily from mogrosides, a group of cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides that are present at about 1% in the flesh of the fruit.” “The mixed mogrosides have been estimated to be about 300 times as sweet as sucrose [table sugar] so that an 80% extract was nearly 250 times sweeter than sugar.” If you read reviews in Chinese natural medicine journals, you’ll see pronouncements like this: Monk fruit “has been shown to have the following effects: antitussive [anti-coughing], anti-asthmatic, anti-oxidation, liver-protection, glucose-lowering [blood sugar-lowering], immuno-regulation, and anti-cancer.” What they don’t tell you up front, however, is that they’re talking about reducing ammonia-induced mouse coughs. What is this about a “natural food sweetener with anti-pancreatic cancer properties”? Indeed, monk fruit “may be used for daily consumption as an additive in foods and drinks to prevent or treat pancreatic cancer”—in your pet mouse. There was a study conducted on the “antiproliferative activity of triterpene glycoside nutrient from monk fruit in colorectal cancer and throat cancer,” but it was on colorectal and throat cancer cells in a petri dish. As you can see at 1:53 in my video, researchers did show mogrosides killing off colorectal cancer cells and throat cancer cells, and our digestive tract could be exposed directly to these compounds if we ate them. What’s missing, though? The researchers didn’t test it against normal cells. I mean, you could pee in a petri dish and kill off cancer cells, but the whole point is to find something that kills off cancer while leaving normal cells alone, something the researchers weren’t able to show in this study. Are there any human studies on monk fruit? We’re in luck. “Owing to the rapidly growing popularity of natural plant-derived compounds, it will be of interest to determine whether natural NNS [non-nutritive sweeteners] would be a healthier alternative to sugar and artificial NNS for consumers.” So, researchers randomized people to drink beverages sweetened with either aspartame, monk fruit, stevia, or table sugar. They then measured blood sugars over 24 hours and found there was no significant difference amongst any of the four sweeteners. Wait a second. As you can see at 2:58 in my video, the sugar group was given 16 spoonsful of sugar, the amount of added sugar in a 20-ounce bottle of Coke. So, the other three groups consumed 16 fewer spoonsful of sugar yet still had the same average blood sugars? Table sugar causes a big blood sugar spike, as you can see at 3:20 in my video. Drink that bottle of sugar water with its 16 spoonsful of sugar, and your blood sugars jump 40 points over the next hour. If you’re given a beverage sweetened with aspartame, monk fruit, or stevia, though, nothing happens. That’s to be expected, right? Those are non-caloric sweeteners without any calories, so isn’t it just like drinking water? In that case, how could your daily blood sugar values average out the same as drinking the sugar-sweetened drink? The only way that could happen is if the non-calorie sweeteners somehow made your blood sugar spikes worse later in the day. Indeed, when people drink Splenda mixed with sugar water, they get a greater blood sugar spike and a greater insulin spike chugging the sugar with sucralose (Splenda) than without, even though Splenda alone causes no spike of its own, as you can see at 4:04 in my video. What about aspartame? Does it do the same thing? At the one-hour mark, the researchers fed the study participants a regular lunch, and their blood sugars went back up and down as they normally would after a meal. In the sugar group, their post-lunch levels didn’t spike as high as they did an hour earlier when they drank straight sugar water, though; there was just a gentle up and down. In the aspartame group, however, even though their blood sugars didn’t rise at the time they drank the aspartame-sweetened beverage, their blood sugars shot up higher, an hour later at lunch, as if they had just drank a bottle of soda. What about the natural sweeteners? What happened in the stevia and monk fruit groups? The same thing happened. There was the same exaggerated blood sugar spike after a regular meal eaten an hour after drinking the naturally sweetened drinks. And, remember, this despite the fact that the three non-caloric sweetener groups—aspartame, stevia, and monk fruit—took in 16 fewer spoonsful of sugar. So, you can see how it all equals out in terms of average blood sugars, at least in part because those in the non-caloric sweetener groups ate more. After drinking a Diet Coke, you’re more likely to eat more at your next meal than after drinking a regular Coke. In fact, you’re likely to eat so much more that the energy “saved” from replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners is fully compensated for at subsequent meals, so there is no difference found in total daily calorie intake. The sugar-sweetened beverage led to large spikes in both blood sugar and insulin, whereas these responses were higher for the three other beverages following the lunch eaten later. So, when it comes to calorie intake, blood sugars, or insulin spikes, they were all just as bad. Is Stevia Good for You? is the video I mentioned. KEY TAKEAWAYS The global market for non-caloric sweeteners is in the billions and includes artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose (sold as Splenda), as well as two natural ones extracted from plants—stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo). Monk fruit has been used for centuries in China as both a natural sweetener and a folk medicine. The non-caloric sweet taste has been estimated to be about 300 times as sweet as table sugar, and monk fruit has been said to be antitussive (anti-coughing), anti-asthmatic, anti-cancer, and more, but those were from animal and petri dish studies. When researchers randomized human subjects to drink beverages sweetened with aspartame, monk fruit, stevia, or table sugar and then measured their blood sugars over 24 hours, no significant difference was found amongst any of the four sweeteners despite the sugar group getting 16 spoonsful of sugar, the amount of added sugar in a 20-ounce bottle of Coke. Although the three non-caloric sweetener groups—aspartame, stevia, and monk fruit—took in 16 fewer spoonsful of sugar, it all equaled out in terms of average blood sugars. This is due in part to those in the non-caloric sweetener groups eating more. Indeed, after drinking a Diet Coke, you’re more likely to eat more at your next meal than after drinking a regular Coke and are more likely to eat so much more that the energy “saved” from replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners is fully compensated for at subsequent meals. The sugar-sweetened beverage led to large spikes in both blood sugar and insulin, but the responses were higher for the three non-caloric sweetened beverages following lunch eaten an hour later. So, when it comes to calorie intake, blood sugars, or insulin spikes, they were all equally bad. To read the original article click here.

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Do Artificial Sweeteners Increase Your Cancer Risk?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 06 May 2022 07:00:31 +0000

Ethan Boldt via Dr. Axe – The widespread use of artificial sweeteners occurred, at the end of the day, because food and beverage manufacturers saw a business opportunity: They could tease their low-calorie foods or even zero-calorie drinks to potential customers who were looking to cut back on their calorie and sugar consumption. The bonus sounded too good to be true: You could enjoy the taste (okay, not quite like the real thing but close) of a soda or some chewing gum, for example, but without the calories, all the while helping your trim down. A win-win, right? That, of course, is not how it’s worked out. Already linked to worsening several chronic diseases, now artificial sweeteners are definitively linked to one of the worst diseases: cancer. Study: Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer Risk While artificial sweeteners were already linked to several chronic diseases, a group of French researchers noted the safety of these food additives remains a debated topic and conflicting reports abound. “In particular, their carcinogenicity has been suggested by several experimental studies, but robust epidemiological evidence is lacking.” Therefore, their objective was to examine the associations between artificial sweetener intakes and cancer risk, and this type of study was the first of its kind (investigating intakes as well as different types of sweeteners). The most commonly consumed artificial sweeteners were aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose, so they received the most scrutiny. Over 100,000 French adults were included in the study, with a median follow-up time of just under 8 years. Dietary intakes and consumption of sweeteners were tracked daily. Meanwhile, adjusted for other factors, links between sweeteners and cancer were assessed. In the end, researchers found a link between some artificial sweeteners — especially aspartame and acesulfame-K — and an increased risk for cancer. Higher risks were also recognized for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers. What It Means Simply put, these results suggest that artificial sweeteners “may represent a modifiable risk factor for cancer prevention,” says the authors. Remove them from your diet, lower your cancer risk. Seems like a no-brainer. Ultimately, of course, such a finding will also apply pressure to health and safety agencies across the world when it comes to the regulation of foods, beverages and other products that use artificial sweeteners. Study authors are already asking the European Food Safety Authority to re-evaluate food additive sweeteners. How to Avoid Artificial Sweeteners 1. Remove all products that contain artificial sweeteners from your diet Maybe you’re one of those people who eat a pretty healthy diet and consider a diet soda, for example, part of that approach. This study should dispel that notion. While many so-called diet foods and drinks can even be addictive, this study proves that these products are not worth the risk (i.e. cancer risk). 2. Do a solid label check to make sure artificial sweeteners aren’t sneaking into your diet The diet sodas and “sugar-free” chewing gums are pretty obvious. But did you know that artificial sweeteners are often found in fiber supplements, flavored water, meal replacement bars, sports drinks, yogurt and even vegetable juice?! Scour that nutrition label before purchasing. 3. Opt for natural low-calorie sweetener instead We’re not advocating that you suddenly switch back to sugar for your bit of sweetness (though a little can’t hurt you). Instead, try the many great natural sugar substitutes that exist today, such as no-calorie options stevia and monk fruit as well as natural sweeteners raw honey, maple syrup, banana puree and dates. For example, it’s easy to find soda, gum and even protein powder that’s sweetness comes from stevia rather than artificial sweetener. To read the original article click here.

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Artificial Sweeteners May Not Be Safe Sugar Alternatives

AHA Publisher — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:00:43 +0000

PLOS via Newswise – Artificial sweeteners reduce added sugar content and corresponding calories while maintaining sweetness. A study publishing March 24th in PLOS Medicine by Charlotte Debras and Mathilde Touvier at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France and colleagues suggests that some artificial sweeteners are associated with increased cancer risk. Many food products and beverages containing artificial sweeteners are consumed by millions of people daily. However, the safety of these additives has been a subject of debate. To evaluate the potential carcinogenicity of artificial sweeteners, researchers analyzed data from 102,865 French adults participating in the NutriNet-Santé study. The NutriNet-Santé study is an ongoing web-based cohort initiated in 2009 by the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN). Participants enroll voluntarily and self-report medical history, sociodemographic, diet, lifestyle, and health data. Researchers gathered data concerning artificial sweetener intake from 24-hour dietary records. After collecting cancer diagnosis information during follow-up, the researchers conducted statistical analyses to investigate the associations between artificial sweetener intakes and cancer risk. They also adjusted for a range of variables including age, sex, education, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, height, weight-gain during follow-up, diabetes, family history of cancer, as well as baseline intakes of energy, alcohol, sodium, saturated fatty acids, fiber, sugar, whole-grain foods, and dairy products. The researchers found that enrollees consuming larger quantities of artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame and acesulfame-K, had higher risk of overall cancer compared to non-consumers (hazard ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.25). Higher risks were observed for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers. The study had several important limitations; dietary intakes are self-reported. Selection bias may also have been a factor, as participants were more likely to be women, to have higher educational levels, and to exhibit health-conscious behaviors. The observational nature of the study also means that residual confounding is possible and reverse causality cannot be ruled out. Additional research will be required to confirm the findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms. According to the authors, “Our findings do not support the use of artificial sweeteners as safe alternatives for sugar in foods or beverages and provide important and novel information to address the controversies about their potential adverse health effects. While these results need to be replicated in other large-scale cohorts and underlying mechanisms clarified by experimental studies, they provide important and novel insights for the ongoing re-evaluation of food additive sweeteners by the European Food Safety Authority and other health agencies globally”. Debras adds, “Results from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (n=102,865) suggest that artificial sweeteners found in many food and beverage brands worldwide may be associated with increased cancer risk, in line with several experimental in vivo / in vitro studies. These findings provide novel information for the re-evaluation of these food additives by health agencies.” To read the original article click here.

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High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages the Brain Like Cocaine

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 08:00:25 +0000

Jonathan Landsman via NaturalHealth365 – The latest research shows that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is not only addictive but can cause behavioral reactions similar to those produced by drugs such as cocaine. The results of these studies were presented by addiction expert Francesco Leri, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. These results clearly suggest that the current (global) obesity epidemic, violent crimes, and disease largely stem from poor quality food laced with HFCS, MSG, plus many other additive ingredients. Yet, the lame-stream media continues to focus on promoting greater governmental control over our lives to “save us.” How Does HFCS Alter (Damage) Brain Function? Did you know that drug addicts and high fructose corn syrup users – use the same (overused) brain circuits? There is significant activity in all areas of the brain, especially in the hippocampus, when consuming potent sweeteners. When addicted to powerful substances – you can literally burn out the brain from over-simulation. So, when you consider that a healthy brain is essential for learning, memory, and emotional wellbeing – it’s no wonder we have so many health problems from these unnatural sweeteners. Dr. Leri stated, “We have evidence in laboratory animals of a shared vulnerability to develop preferences for sweet foods and cocaine.” Dr. Leri investigated the behavioral, chemical, and neurobiological changes induced by the consumption of “addictive foods” in the body and brains of lab animals. Though we don’t always equate human studies with animal ones, there is one thing we surely have in common – humans (and animals) are being used experimentally. HFCS, aspartame, and GMOs do not have adequate safety testing – yet soulless politicians have approved them, and the health consequences are devastating. We Are What We Eat – Literally Our diet can modulate numerous pathways that can cause all types of inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. And, let’s not forget, food significantly influences our moods and behavior. If you’re feeling a little depressed – clean up your diet! Food can switch critical genes off and on, modulate cell-signaling molecules and target different organs. When we consume unnatural (toxic) substances – we make it easy for the “wrong” message to get into our cells. What do you think – could all of this toxic food be causing the rise in autoimmune disorders? In a small human study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to track blood flow in the brain of young normal-weight individuals. The scans showed that drinking plain glucose “turns off the areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” according to Dr. Robert Sherwin, Chief of Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine. According to Dr. Sherwin, it also showed that with fructose, “we don’t see those changes” and “as a result the desire to eat continues – it isn’t turned off.” The researchers saw these changes in the hypothalamus, insula, and striatum, which are regions in the brain that regulate appetite, motivation, and reward processing, in addition to increasing connections in certain brain pathways linked to satiety. Clearly, multinational food producers are profiting from metabolic “dis-ease.” More and more people (literally) don’t know how to stop eating. Millions of people (aimlessly) purchase billions of dollars in processed foods, and it’s slowly killing off humanity. Is HFCS Worse Than Sugar? Researchers found that fructose was more potent than glucose in bringing about changes within the central nervous system. We all know that excessive sugar intake can produce opiate-like effects similar to psycho-stimulants. Well, HFCS is no different – causing all kinds of food cravings, binging, and withdrawal issues. High fructose corn syrup may take longer to produce a cocaine-like reaction – but it’s real and quite harmful. In addition, HFCS will cause you to experience less focus and mental clarity, more drowsiness, and a higher level of anxiety. If you’re having difficulty concentrating or being productive – remove processed sugar (and artificial sweeteners) from your diet. We all want the same thing for ourselves and future generations – freedom, great health, and happiness. If we really want to improve our society by eliminating senseless violence and avoiding disease, we must improve humanity’s diet. Our future depends on it. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov ScienceDaily.com NIH.gov 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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Diet Sodas Increase Type 2 Diabetes by Altering the Gut Microbiome, Study Warns

AHA Publisher — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – When the first diet sodas appeared on the U.S. market back in the 1950s, for many people, it was love at first sight. The low-calorie, zero-sugar beverages quickly captured the hearts of millions. Diet sodas offered an escape from their sugar-loaded counterparts. Today, about 20% of the U.S. population consumes diet drinks daily. Yet, sadly, the majority of them never realize that the zero calories come with a high risk to their health. If it was only about calories, it might make sense to enjoy diet drinks once in a while. But the truth is, diet sodas give a false sense of security to the people who reach for them. Soda manufacturers invested millions of marketing dollars selling you on the idea that they are healthier than regular sodas. Many believe that diet drinks are a better option that can help lose weight and even prevent diabetes. But what does the science say? Daily Consumption of Diet Sodas Increases the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 75% Of the many artificial sweeteners on the market today, aspartame is one of the most popular. Marketed under NutraSweet and Equal, this sugar substitute is present in thousands of food products and many diet sodas. But, the widespread use of aspartame is a growing concern because of the mounting evidence suggesting a link between artificial sweetener-containing foods and drinks and cardiometabolic disorders. Studies have found that people who regularly consume diet drinks have a greater risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and insulin resistance. One study revealed a shocking 75% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes among those who consume aspartame-containing diet sodas every day. Aspartame Alters the Gut Microbiome and Triggers Metabolic Disease New evidence suggests that aspartame triggers metabolic disease. By altering the gut microbiome, aspartame seems to wreak havoc in the body. Since the microbiome plays a vital role in metabolism and caloric extraction, any disruption to the gut microbiota can lead to impaired metabolic function. Multiple studies confirmed that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame interfere with the body’s ability to balance calorie intake. A group of researchers from the University of Calgary came to similar conclusions. The 10-week animal study results showed that although aspartame positively impacted calorie count, it increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Increasing Metabolic Syndrome … One Sip at a Time The most troubling part of the diet soda story is that when people drink them for many years, end up developing the very diseases they were trying to avoid. Metabolic syndrome puts people at risk for many potential health problems. Tragically, most diet soda drinkers are unaware that they face a 34% higher risk of developing the condition over a decade. What about your waistline? Contrary to common belief, consumption of diet sodas does not seem to lead to weight loss. In fact, the results are quite the opposite. One study concluded that those drinking two or more cans of diet soda a day increase their waistline by 70% more in only a decade than those who don’t drink sodas at all. Several other large-scale studies found a positive correlation between artificial sweetener use and weight gain. How to Cut Back on Drinking Diet Sodas? If you are trying to kick a decade-long soda drinking habit to the curb, the first thing you should do is to congratulate yourself on your decision. Changing habits does not have to be a difficult journey. Check out these tips to make it easier on yourself. If you have been drinking diet sodas because you love the carbonation and flavor, the first tip is for you. Try swapping your soda can with a glass of seltzer and the juice of a lemon or lime. If it’s the caffeine that keeps you coming back for more, wean yourself slowly. Cut back on the number of cans you drink each day. While you do that, work on improving your sleep routine and aim to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep every night. When you get more quality sleep, over time, you will find it easier to get through the day without caffeine. Find a friend or family member to support you and help hold you accountable. It is much more difficult to throw in the towel when there is someone by your side to cheer you on. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealthResearch.org, NIH.gov To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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