A recent medical study revealed “shocking results” related to the negative impact of processed sweeteners, which are used as a substitute for sugar in some foods and drinks.
The study, published Thursday in the journal “Plus Medicine”, said that eating foods and drinks that use processed sweeteners may increase the risk of cancer.
The data for the study showed that products containing commonly used artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and acesulfame “K”, increased the risk of cancer for those who consumed them by 13 percent, compared to those who did not eat them.
The researchers noted that the risk was higher for breast cancer specifically, at 22 percent, and for types of “obesity-related” cancers such as stomach, liver and colorectal cancer, by up to 15 percent.
The director of the nutritional epidemiology research team at the Sorbonne University in Paris, the study’s lead author, Mathilde Touver, said: “Our results provide important and new information about the controversy over the potential adverse health effects of artificial sweeteners. These products do not represent a safe alternative. of sugar in foods and drinks. We need to dig deeper and do more studies to reveal more information.”
In the study, researchers analyzed the diet data of 102,865 French adults, who shared with the scientists their medical history and information about their social and demographic conditions, as well as diet, lifestyle and numerous health data.
The researchers estimated the participants’ processed sweetener intake based on their consumption of foods and beverages containing them, over a 24 hour period.
The data showed that of the participants, 3,358 were diagnosed with at least one type of cancer, 601 of whom were considered “high consumers” of artificial sweeteners, and 744 described as “low consumers” of those products.
Toufer commented on the results of the study, saying: “The recommendation of public health authorities is to limit processed foods, especially those containing added sugar or artificial sweeteners. This goal must be achieved by reducing the sweet taste of food in general from an early age.”