He Aspartamo was discovered by Serendipia in 1965 by James M. Schlatterwho was investigating swear medication. When the product was spilled in his hand, he licked a finger and discovered his intense sweet taste.
Is A white, crystalline dust, without odor, that is derived from two amino acids: Phenylalanine and asparagic acid. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is often used as a table soaper or frozen desserts, gelatins, drinks and chewing gum.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified Aspartamo as “possible carcinogen”But has established that 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight is the limit of the daily intake that is acceptable to people.
Aspartamo: Fenylalanine + Asparagic acid
The Aspartamo, One of the most common artificial sweeteners in soft drinks and sugar -free foodsCould have negative effects on cardiovascular health, according to a study published in the magazine Cell Metabolism. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden discovered that the consumption of this sugar replacement can increase insulin levels and promote the accumulation of lipids in the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
The consumption of This sweetener can increase the insulin levels and prefer lipid accumulation In the arteries. The study arose when the main author, Yihai Cao, saw one of his students who drank a ‘light’ soft drink. “I said,” Why don’t you investigate that? “You remember, the expert in chronic diseases with regard to vascular disorders.
«I don’t think This vascular inflammatory mechanism is exclusively for sweeteners«, CAO explains to Sinc. “Sugars with a high caloric content, including energy drinks, can have comparable harmful effects.”
Thousands of soft drinks with sweeteners
To conduct the research, scientists feed mice for three months with daily doses of food that contain 0.15 % Aspartamo, A quantity that is equivalent to consuming about three cans of soda a day in people in humans. The results showed that, compared to rodents that have not received a diet with sweeteners, specimens fed with Aspartamo They developed larger arterial plates with a higher fat content, next to Higher levels of inflammation, both indicators of compromised cardiovascular health.
When analyzing the blood of the mice, the team found an increase in insulin levels after Aspartamo Will arrive your system. This result is attributed to the mouth, intestines and other substances are covered with receptors that detect sweetness and guide insulin delivery. The Aspartamo, That is 200 times sweeter than sugar, these receptors seemed to mislead to release more insulin than normal.
The study also showed that this excess of insulin de Link between Aspartamo -Consumption and arterial plaque -accumulation. In addition, the researchers identified an immune signal called CX3CL1, which mainly becomes active with high insulin levels and contributes to the inflammation and formation of plates.
«It’s true that Diet drinks in calories make people think they are less harmful, This leads to high consumption that would certainly increase the risk in our study, “adds CAO. “Our data suggest that sweeteners are not as healthy as we thought.”
The boundaries of research
However, the authors themselves warn about the need to take these results with tweezers. “There is a limitation in the study: the model of mice or animals cannot be relevant to people,” says Rafael Urarialde, a professor at the faculty of the biological sciences of complutense University, says SMC. «This limitation is comparable to many studies conducted, through physiological aspects and for the situation of adjustment of Metabolic processes in people by taking certain nutrients or connections«.
The European Food Security Agency (EFSA) has evaluated and reassessed on the various occasions on the different occasions Aspartamo, The last in 2013, given it safe. His considerations were maintained, even after who positioning in 2023, including the sweetener in his group 2B (possibly carcinogen) after finding “Limited evidence” that his consumption could increase The risk of cancer.
The following steps of the team will take place if these findings are confirmed in people and investigate whether CX3CL1 could be a goal to treat chronic diseases such as stroke, arthritis and diabetes. “The Artificial sweeteners are in almost all foodsIt is therefore crucial to understand the long -term health effect, “concludes the researcher.