Study Links Artificial Sweeteners to Heart Function and Irregular Heartbeat
New York: A new study by researchers at the University of Chicago suggests that the human heart has sweet taste receptors that respond to artificial sweeteners, potentially influencing heart function and contributing to irregular heartbeat.
The findings, which will be presented at the 69th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in Los Angeles (February 15-19, 2025), indicate a possible link between aspartame consumption and heart failure risk.
The study found that heart muscle cells contain TAS1R2 and TAS1R3, the same sweet taste receptors found on the tongue. When stimulated by sweet substances, these receptors were observed to modulate the heartbeat and, in some cases, cause arrhythmic behaviour.
To examine the effects, the researchers used aspartame, a common artificial sweetener, on both human and mouse heart cells. The results showed an increase in heart muscle contraction and accelerated calcium handling, a key process for maintaining a healthy heartbeat. The study suggests that these effects may explain why artificial sweeteners are linked to arrhythmias and could contribute to an increased risk of heart failure.
"After you eat a meal, it's been shown that your heart rate and blood pressure actually are increasing," said Micah Yoder, a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago, who was involved in the study.
"Previously, this was thought to be a neural axis that's being signalled. But we're proposing a more direct consequence, where we have a spike in our blood sugar after eating a meal, and that's binding to these sweet taste receptors on the heart muscle cells, causing a difference in the heartbeat," he added.
The research also found that patients with heart failure had more sweet receptors in their heart cells, suggesting a potential link between overstimulation of these receptors and heart disease. "Artificial sweeteners like aspartame particularly stimulate these sweet taste receptors, and overstimulation can lead to an increase in arrhythmic-like behaviour in heart cells," Yoder noted.
The findings may help researchers develop new treatments for heart failure by targeting these sweet receptors in the heart. However, the researchers emphasized that more studies are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on heart health.
The team has called for further investigation into how these receptors could be targeted to strengthen heart function and whether modifying dietary intake of artificial sweeteners could help mitigate heart risks.