The study, conducted by the CIC biomaGUNE Foundation and the Biogipuzkoa HRI Institute, showed that prolonged consumption of aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, may harm the functions of various body organs, despite its role in reducing fat accumulation.
The study focused on evaluating the effect of aspartame at low doses equivalent to one-sixth of the maximum recommended daily intake for human consumption, over a full year in mice.
Aspartame is widely used in sweets, low-fat soft drinks, baked goods, and chewing gum, and has a sweetness two hundred times greater than sucrose. Despite previous studies on its short-term effects, its long-term metabolic and behavioral effects remain poorly understood.
The results indicated that the sweetener reduced fat accumulation by 20%, but it was accompanied by a slight enlargement of the heart muscle and a decrease in cognitive performance, raising questions about its long-term effects on the heart and brain.
The researchers explained that "the doses used in the study are very low compared to the globally recommended maximum, yet it showed important results that warrant a review of the current guidelines for aspartame consumption."
The research team also noted that this study, which followed the mice for a full year, revealed previously uncharted effects due to the length and complexity of the experiment, and included detailed data analyses such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, PET molecular imaging, brain and liver spectroscopy, cognitive tests, temperature, and food and drink intake.
This study is part of a series of research aimed at monitoring the effect of nutrient modification on organ functions in both health and disease, with a focus on the physiological effects of aspartame on the heart, brain, fat levels and body weight, to compare them with other types of sugars and sweeteners.
It concluded that "prolonged consumption of artificial sweeteners, even at low doses, may negatively affect organ function, which calls for a careful review of current consumption guidelines."
The study was published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
