Artificial sweetener triggers insulin spike, leading to blood vessel inflammation in mice

Medical Xpress / Cell Press / Cell Metabolism ^ | Feb. 19, 2025 | Yihai Cao et al

[ConservativeMind]

New research shows that aspartame, one of the most common sugar substitutes, may impact vascular health.

The team found aspartame triggers increased insulin levels in animals, which in turn contributes to atherosclerosis—buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which can lead to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke over time.

The researchers fed mice daily doses of food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 weeks—an amount that corresponds to consuming about three cans of diet soda each day for humans.

Compared to mice without a sweetener-infused diet, aspartame-fed mice developed larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries and exhibited higher levels of inflammation.

When the team analyzed the mice's blood, they found a surge in insulin levels after aspartame entered their system. The team noted that this wasn't a surprising result, given that our mouths, intestines, and other tissues are lined with sweetness-detecting receptors that help guide insulin release. But aspartame, 200 times sweeter than sugar, seemed to trick the receptors into releasing more insulin.

The researchers then demonstrated that the mice's elevated insulin levels fueled the growth of fatty plaques in the mice's arteries, suggesting that insulin may be the key link between aspartame and cardiovascular health.

Next, they investigated how exactly elevated insulin levels lead to arterial plaque buildup and identified an immune signal called CX3CL1 that is especially active under insulin stimulation.

"Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps," says Cao. "Surprisingly, not CX3CL1. It stays glued to the surface of the inner lining of blood vessels. There, it acts like a bait, catching immune cells as they pass by."

Many of these trapped immune cells are known to stoke blood vessel inflammation, says Cao.

[jonrick46]

I am buying allulose for it’s anti-inflammatory properties; and may help prevent obesity and reduce the risk of chronic disease. They say it is comparable in taste (with no aftertaste) to sugar. It is good for dental health. The comparison of cost with Splenda may be the results of a trip to Fred Mayer’s.

Erythritol and xylitol have studies showing risk of heart attack and stroke.