WE all know that to be healthier we need to eat less sugar – and sweeteners offer a compelling alternative.
But a growing body of evidence suggests the substitutes – found in diet drinks – might be damaging your body in more ways than sugar itself.
Scientists found that just a small amount of sweetener in Diet Coke could leave you feeling anxiousGetty – Contributor
A US study on mice has found that diet fizzy pop can make us feel a little on edge.
The Florida State University researchers also found sweeteners in the popular beverages can also increase the risk of anxiety in the children of people who consume the drinks.
Aspartame is a sweetener which is often used in low calorie food and drinks, including Diet Coke and other diet drink options.
Previous studies have found that the ingredient could increase your risk of deadly cancer and even sepsis.
The new study, published in PNAS revealed that even just a small amount could be causing damage.
Lead author Professor Pradeep Bhide, said: “What this study is showing is we need to look back at the environmental factors because what we see today is not only what’s happening today, but what happened two generations ago and maybe even longer.”
The researchers gave mice free access to water dosed with aspartame.
The dose was equivalent to to 15 per cent of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDAs) recommended maximum daily amount for humans.
This is 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Experts said that mice that drank the spiked water displayed more anxious behaviour when tested.
They said the same effect could then be seen in the rodents’ offspring for up to two generations after them.
The researchers said much more work is needed when it comes to establishing links between the sweetener and anxiety.
However, they still urged caution when it comes to consuming the beverage.
They added: “Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming individuals and their descendants.
“Thus, human population at risk of aspartame’s potential mental health effects may be larger than current expectations, which only include aspartame-consuming individuals.”