For those of you who like to drink packaged drinks, you might have known about the presence of artificial sweeteners in those beverages. Artificial sweeteners are additional ingredients commonly mixed into products such as beverages, sweets or cereals. Aspartame, sorbitol, acesulfame potassium, and xylitol are some examples of artificial sweeteners that we often find in packaged food or beverage products.
In Indonesia, the four types of artificial sweeteners mentioned earlier have been allowed to use. Even though it is legal, consuming too much food or beverage products that contain artificial sweeteners can have a negative effect on the health of our body. According to a recent study published in the journal Stroke, consumption of drinks with artificial sweeteners can cause bad effect on the heart, especially on those in post-menopause age.
Based on research conducted by Albert Einstein College of Medicine on 81,714 postmenopausal women, the researchers found that they had a 23% higher risk of stroke, 31% of strokes due to blood clots, and 29% of heart attacks. This was found in those who consume 2 or more servings of packaged beverages per day. The researchers also found that high consumption of packaged drinks in postmenopausal women without a previous history of heart disease or diabetes had a higher risk of experiencing stroke caused by a blockage in the small arteries in the brain.
The researchers further explained that the research they were doing was still limited to postmenopausal women, and further research were needed to determine the risk of consuming packaged beverages in men or women before menopause. However, it is inevitable that artificial sweeteners in packaged beverages can affect health. Therefore, experts recommend to consume water, which is better for the health of the body.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay
Source(s):
- Rahman, Y.M., Kamensky, V., Manson, J.E., et all (2019). Artificially Sweetened Benerages and Stroke, Coronary Heart DIsease, and All-Cause Mortality in the Women's Health Initiative. Stroke, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023100.
- Medical News Today - Diet drinks linked to higher risk of stroke after menopause (2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324468.php, February 19, 2019.