Worried About Diet Drinks? The Truth About Sweeteners

A new study published last week in the journal "Stroke," released by the American Heart Association, claims there is a direct link between diet drinks and artificial sweeteners and diseases like dementia and stroke.

The study caused a big stir among the public, but researchers quickly voiced strong doubts about the study's results. According to the study, 3.3% of participants suffered a stroke, and 5.4% were affected by dementia. These are low percentages, and there is no significant difference between the disease rates of those who drank diet drinks and those who consumed high-sugar drinks.

Additionally, researchers like Dr. Maayan Barnea-Zohar, an expert in biochemistry and nutrition, pointed out that the selection of participants might not allow for accurate results. For example, people in the study who consumed diet drinks were initially individuals who suffered from overweight issues, high blood pressure, or diabetes—conditions which themselves pose a significant risk for stroke or dementia.

Artificial sweeteners have always been considered problematic and suspicious. Various sweeteners were banned in the past but were reinstated after studies proved their safety, such as aspartame, sucralose, and others.

Prof. Oren Froy, head of the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition at the Hebrew University and head of the Department of Food and Environment in the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, told the "Makor Rishon" newspaper that the mentioned study is problematic and inaccurate, and there is no need to stop consuming diet drinks because of it. He argues that the notion "natural means healthy" is fundamentally flawed, and often artificial substances contain well-tested and completely safe ingredients, whereas various natural products might actually have harmful substances.

According to Professor Froy, it is generally recommended not to overconsume sweet or sweetened drinks, which accustom the body to a sweet taste and sugar consumption. It is definitely better to prefer drinking water. However, the great fear of sweeteners is unjustified.