The Study
Genetically Predicted Artificial Sweeteners and Stroke Susceptibility: A Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Study.
This study uses genetic data to guess how much artificial sweetener people might consume and then checks if those guesses are linked to stroke. It’s like using a weather forecast model to predict rain, but you can’t be sure it will actually rain. So, it shows possible links, but not proof that sweeteners cause stroke.
Analysis score
Maximum 0 for a computational/algorithm study.
Where the score came from
Scientists used genes to guess how much sweetener people might consume and looked at whether that was linked to strokes.
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 50 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The results suggest a possible link, but we can't be sure it's the sweeteners causing the risk — other habits like drinking tea or having high blood sugar might be involved.
- 2Tea sweetened with artificial sweeteners was linked to 3 times higher chance of one type of stroke.
- 3Low-calorie drinks were linked to 1.7 times higher chance of another stroke type.
- 4Sucralose in the body was linked to a small increase in stroke risk, but this flipped after considering blood sugar.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The International journal of neuroscience
Year
2026
Authors
Zurong Song, Hua Li, Yan Zhang
Related Content
Claims (4)
Some artificial sweeteners with no calories might raise your chances of having a stroke.
Drinking tea with artificial sweeteners might be linked to a higher chance of a certain type of stroke, and this could be connected to how people usually drink tea or coffee.
Scientists found a link between how our genes process artificial sweeteners like sucralose and a type of stroke, but that link seems to flip around when blood sugar is taken into account — meaning sugar levels might be the real player here.
Drinking more low-calorie drinks might be linked to a higher chance of a certain kind of stroke, but it's possible that this link comes from body weight or other metabolic factors instead.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.