The Study
Sweet Surprises: An In-depth Systematic Review of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Association with Cerebrovascular Accidents
This study looks at other studies to see if there's a link between artificial sweeteners and strokes. It found that people who drink more artificially sweetened drinks might have a higher chance of having a stroke, especially a certain kind called ischemic stroke. But it can't prove that the sweeteners caused the strokes — just that they were seen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review.
Where the score came from
This study looked at other research to see if fake sugars in drinks might increase the chance of having a stroke, especially in some groups of people.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, this could be important because many people drink diet beverages every day, and even small increases in stroke risk might matter over time.
- 2Most studies found that drinking more diet drinks with fake sugar was linked to more strokes, especially in women and Black people.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Current Nutrition Reports
Year
2024
Authors
Khushal B. Girigosavi, Indu Etta, Saisravika Kambham, B. Panjiyar
Related Content
Claims (4)
Some artificial sweeteners with no calories might raise your chances of having a stroke.
Women and Black people might be more affected by artificial sweeteners when it comes to stroke risk, suggesting these groups could be more vulnerable due to what they eat.
Drinking a lot of diet sodas or foods with artificial sweeteners might increase your chances of having a stroke, especially the kind caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain.
Drinking a lot of diet sodas or drinks with artificial sweeteners might increase your chances of having a stroke, and the more you drink, the higher the risk could be.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.