Aspartame can harm the heart and brain

In a new study, a team led by Irati Ayestaran-Celaya examined the effects of long-term aspartame consumption. During the year, the mice received a dose equivalent to only one sixth of the maximum allowable daily allowance for humans. In terms of a person, this is about 7 mg per kilogram of body weight — well below the limit of 50 mg/kg set by WHO, EMA and FDA.

The results showed that aspartame actually reduced body fat in animals by about 20%. However, this effect was accompanied by moderate cardiac hypertrophy and cognitive impairment. According to the authors, this indicates that the potential benefits for weight control may come at the cost of adverse physiological changes in the cardiovascular system and, probably, in the brain.

The researchers pay special attention to the fact that negative effects were observed with a very low dose of the sweetener. Such data call into question the sufficiency of existing recommendations for the safe consumption of aspartame and emphasize the need to review them taking into account the long-term consequences.

The work was distinguished by the scale and depth of the analysis: scientists used functional and molecular imaging (MRI and PET), brain and liver spectroscopy, behavioral and cognitive tests, as well as monitoring of body temperature, nutrition and fluid intake. According to the authors, it was the duration of the experiment that made it possible to identify effects that had previously gone unnoticed.

The study was part of a broader series of studies on the effects of various nutrients and sweeteners on organ function in normal and diseased conditions. The findings do not imply a direct transfer of the results to humans, but they provide an important signal that even low doses of artificial sweeteners with prolonged use may have non-obvious health risks.