From low calorie desserts to zero sugar drinks, artificial sweeteners have always been a choice to satisfy people's sweet cravings. A new study recently published in the journal Cell Metabolism by a team from Karolinska Institute in Sweden reveals that one of the most commonly used sugar substitutes, aspartame, may have negative effects on vascular health. It will lead to the increase of insulin level in animals, which will cause atherosclerosis, increase inflammatory reaction, and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke over time. The team fed the mice with food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 consecutive weeks, which is equivalent to humans drinking about 3 cans of sugar free soda per day. The results showed that compared to mice that did not consume sugary foods, these mice had larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries, as well as higher levels of inflammation, which are negative indicators of cardiovascular health. Blood analysis showed that aspartame led to a significant increase in insulin levels in mice. This is because the receptors that perceive sweetness in various parts of the body will guide the release of more insulin when encountering aspartame, which is 200 times sweeter than regular sugar and can better promote this overreaction. Further research has shown that elevated insulin levels promote the growth of fatty plaques in arteries, particularly through the action of an immune signaling molecule called CX3CL1. When the CX3CL1 receptor was removed from an immune cell in mice during the experiment, the formation of harmful plaques was prevented, indicating that CX3CL1 plays an important role in the process of aspartame affecting arteries. This study provides a new perspective on how artificial sweeteners may potentially affect cardiovascular health and emphasizes the relevant mechanisms that need to be addressed in future research. (New Society)