Researchers fed mice an aspartame-laced diet, the equivalent of drinking three cans of diet soda daily. Within 30 minutes, their insulin levels spiked.
This is because our bodies have sweetness detectors—receptors that expect a sugar rush when we eat something sweet. But aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and it tricks your body into overreacting.
Even worse? The insulin levels stayed high over time, leading to insulin resistance—a direct path to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
High insulin isn’t just a problem for blood sugar. It also damages your blood vessels.
This study found that mice developed fatty plaques in their arteries after just four weeks on an aspartame diet. These are the same dangerous clogs that lead to heart attacks and strokes.
And if you think regular sugar is worse—guess what? The mice eating sugar didn’t develop plaques until week 12.
That means aspartame may be even worse for your heart than sugar!
This isn’t the first time artificial sweeteners have been caught red-handed. Research has linked them to:Gut damage: Artificial sweeteners disrupt gut bacteria, leading to digestive issues and inflammation.Neurological symptoms: Headaches, dizziness, and even anxiety have been tied to sweeteners like aspartame.Weight gain: Despite being “calorie-free,” artificial sweeteners mess with hunger hormones and lead to overeating.So much for “healthy” alternatives!
Want to cut down on sugar without damaging your health? Try this instead:Stick to natural sweeteners: Limited amounts of raw honey, monk fruit, and stevia (in pure form) are better choices.Choose whole foods: The less processed your diet, the better your insulin levels will be.Skip the diet drinks: Water, herbal teas, and even black coffee are better than sodas spiked with artificial sweeteners.Food companies love marketing these chemicals as “healthy.” But aspartame is no better than sugar—maybe even worse.
So, next time you reach for a diet soda, ask yourself: Do you really want to be tricking your body into heart disease?
Cheers!
Dr. Scott, ND
LivingWellDaily.com
P.S. Another "safe" sweetener puts you in HARMS way.
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SOURCE:
Wu, W., Sui, W., Chen, S., Guo, Z., Jing, X., Wang, X., Wang, Q., Yu, X., Xiong, W., Ji, J., Yang, L., Zhang, Y., Jiang, W., Yu, G., Liu, S., Tao, W., Zhao, C., Zhang, Y., Chen, Y., . . . Cao, Y. (2025). Sweetener aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation. Cell Metabolism. |
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