Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Increased Risk of Liver Cancer and Disease, Study Finds
A recent study has raised concerns about the potential dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners, as researchers have found a significant increase in the risk of chronic liver disease and liver cancer among those who regularly consume these additives. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sheds light on the potential harmful effects of artificial sweeteners on human health.
Background and Context
In light of the World Health Organization’s designation of aspartame as a carcinogen, the scientific community has become increasingly interested in exploring the impact of artificial sweeteners on the human body. This is of particular concern given that more than half of the global population consumes sugary drinks or artificial sweeteners on a daily basis.
Recognizing this growing concern, Dr. Longgang Zhao from Harvard Medical School led a research team in conducting a groundbreaking study to investigate the relationship between artificial sweeteners and liver cancer or disease. This pioneering study aimed to analyze the actual impact of artificial sweeteners on liver health, the first of its kind.
Study Findings
The research team followed a cohort of 98,786 women over an average period of 20.9 years through the Women’s Health Initiative, a large-scale women’s health program. Throughout the follow-up period, 207 participants developed liver cancer, while 148 participants tragically lost their lives due to chronic liver disease.
The analysis revealed that women who consumed more than one serving of beverages sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners per day had a significantly higher risk of developing liver cancer compared to those who consumed these drinks less than three times a month. The annual prevalence rate of liver cancer was 18.0 per 100,000 individuals among high-consumption consumers, significantly higher than the 10.3 per 100,000 rate observed among those who consumed these drinks less frequently. In fact, the risk of liver cancer was found to increase by a staggering 1.85 times for those who consumed sweet drinks or artificial sweeteners once a day.
Similarly, chronic liver disease exhibited a similar trend. The annual death rate from chronic liver disease among individuals who consumed sugary drinks or artificial sweeteners more than once a day was 7.1 per 100,000 individuals, compared to 5.3 per 100,000 individuals among those who consumed them less than three times a month. The risk of death from chronic liver disease was statistically elevated by 1.68 times in individuals who consumed these sweetened beverages at least once a day.
Expert Analysis
Dr. Longgang Zhao, the lead researcher, emphasized the significance of this study as the first of its kind to analyze the effects of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages on liver health. “This research opens doors to further exploration and understanding of the impact of these drinks on liver function,” he stated.
This study serves as a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with the regular consumption of artificial sweeteners. As the debate surrounding their safety intensifies, it is crucial to consider these findings and prioritize our health by making informed choices about our beverage consumption.
Aspartame has been designated a carcinogen and a debate is brewing, another study warning of the dangers of artificial sweeteners is attracting attention.
According to a study, the risk of dying from chronic liver disease as well as liver cancer increases significantly if artificial sweeteners are consumed regularly.
Studies have shown that drinking drinks sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners significantly increases the risk of liver cancer and liver disease.
On the 8th local time, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the results of a large-scale study on the effects of artificial sweetener intake on liver cancer and chronic liver disease (10.1001/jama.2023.12618).
Recently, since the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated aspartame as a carcinogen, interest in the effects of artificial sweeteners on the human body has increased.
This is particularly alarming given that more than half of the world’s population consumes sugary drinks or artificial sweeteners every day.
This is also the background to the study of the effect of artificial sweeteners on liver cancer or liver disease by a research team led by Dr. Longgang Zhao from Harvard Medical School.
This is to determine if artificial sweeteners actually affect the liver. This study is the first in the world to analyze this.
Accordingly, the research team analyzed the effects of artificial sweeteners on the liver by following 98,786 women for an average of 20.9 years through the ‘Women’s Health Initiative’, a large-scale women’s health initiative.
As a result, during the follow-up period, 207 patients developed liver cancer and 148 patients died due to chronic liver disease.
At baseline, 6.8% of women ended up consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, etc. at least once a day, and 13.1% consumed artificial sweeteners at least once a day at the 3-year follow-up.
As a result of the analysis, women who consumed more than one serving of drinks sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners per day had a significantly higher risk of liver cancer compared to those who consumed less than three times a month.
The prevalence rate was 18.0 per 100,000 people per year, which was significantly higher than the 10.3% per 100,000 people per year, which is the statistics of people who eat less than 3 times a month. Statistically, the risk of liver cancer increased 1.85 times just by consuming sweet drinks or artificial sweeteners once a day.
Chronic liver disease also showed a similar trend. The death rate from chronic liver disease was 7.1 per 100,000 people per year when sugary drinks or artificial sweeteners were consumed more than once a day, compared with 5.3 per 100,000 people per year who drank less than 3 times a month.
Statistically, the risk of death from chronic liver disease increased 1.68 times when sugary drinks or artificial sweeteners were consumed at least once a day.
“It is meaningful as this is the first study in the world to analyze the effects of drinks sweetened with sugar and artificial sweeteners on the liver,” said Dr Longgang. We can open it,” he said.
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