A particular ingredient could cause chronic disease and disrupt your gut health and is found “everywhere”, he said.
A nutrition expert has urged people to avoid certain popular drinks where possible due to an ingredient linked to a number of health risks. According to Professor Tim Spector, the founder of Zoe Health, consuming artificial sweeteners could lead to chronic disease and weight gain.
These are often found in diet versions of soft drinks, which are a popular type of beverage in the UK. However, he warned artificial sweeteners are found “everywhere” – including in cereals, salad dressings and health foods.
Drinking the odd soft drink here or there won’t do any damage, he said. But you should not be having them every day due to the risks. Speaking on his Instagram page, Tim said: “We don’t want to petrify people into thinking that if they have one can of diet Coke or Pepsi they are going to get cancer or heart attack, that’s not going to happen. At the level of one drink a week people shouldn’t worry.
“If you really enjoy those drinks, you have them as a treat, but you don’t have it as a staple.” He was more concerned about artificial sweeteners found in foods that you wouldn’t expect.
Tim continued: “But I think the other big issue here is on hidden chemicals in foods. So you may have some favourite cereals, biscuits, some ready meals that contain these mixed up with salt and sugar to sort of camouflage it.
“Generally you know, you should be avoiding those ones. These are a sign that that food has been made by food chemists and see that as a sign of poor quality and try and move to substances that aren’t like that. I think that’s what shoppers should be doing.”
In the caption under the video he explained more about the potential health risks of artificial sweeteners. “New research suggests that zero calories don’t mean zero consequences,” Tim said.
“These sweeteners may disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut, which can lead to chronic disease, weight gain, and a weakened ability to process real sugar.”
One study, published in the British Medical Journal in 2022, linked artificial sweeteners with a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Artificial sweeteners were associated with a nine percent higher risk of any type of cardiovascular problem (including heart attacks) and an 18 percent greater risk of stroke.
In light of these findings, experts at Harvard Health recommended switching out diet drinks for healthier alternatives. They said: “Diet sodas and other artificially sweetened beverages (including teas and energy or sports drinks) are the biggest source of artificial sweeteners in the diet.
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“If you drink those products on a daily basis, try switching to flavoured, zero-calorie sparkling water, which now comes in many flavours, including watermelon, blackberry, and mango. Or add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice to plain sparkling water.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, a variety of scientific studies have evaluated associations of artificially sweetened beverages with the risk of cancer overall. However, the results of these studies have been “inconsistent”, with some establishing a link and others not doing so.
