Heart Disease and Artificial Sweeteners

A recent study revealed those who drink sugary and artificially sweetened drinks are at a higher risk for stroke and heart disease. That’s right. A link has been found between heart disease and artificial sweeteners.

The new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology studied 100,000 participants in the Nutre-Net Sante, an online and ongoing cohort study in France. Participants recorded their diet, activity levels, and health status at six-month intervals for the study. The research also found that consumption of sugary beverages are on a rise all around the world and with it, the detrimental effects on consumers’ heart health. 

What You Can Do About Heart Disease and Artificial Sweeteners

The best thing you can do is to stop drinking sugary or artificially sweetened drinks, which is much easier said than done, we know. What’s the best alternative to these beverages? Water, water, and more water. But people who regularly drink sugary drinks have a hard time converting to water drinking. Luckily, there are some great ways you can “sweeten” your water without adding harmful sugar or artificial sweeteners. Take a look at these options. 

Fruit-infused Water

Have you ever soaked a lemon and cucumber wedge in a bottle of water overnight? The results are divine. Lemon and cucumber isn’t the only combo you can use. The great news is, most home retailers offer fruit infusion pitchers just for this purpose. You can even find inexpensive ones at stores like Five Below. These special pitchers come with a tube for fruit that is placed directly into the pitcher of water. Overnight, you will have a new beverage concoction with very little effort on your part. All you have to do is slice the fruit! Here are some other fruit combo ideas that make delicious infused water. 

Strawberry, Basil and Lemon

½  cup of strawberries, five large basil leaves, and one sliced lemon is perfect for strawberry lemonade lovers. 

Honeydew, Cucumber, and Mint

For this concoction, use ½ cup of cubed honeydew, 1 thinly sliced cucumber, and about 10 torn mint leaves. 

Blackberry, Ginger, and Orange

One thinly sliced orange, a half-pint of blackberries, and one two-inch piece of ginger peeled and thinly sliced makes a spicy sweet beverage that’s great for ginger ale lovers. 

Blueberry, Lemon, and Rosemary

½ pint of blueberries, a thinly sliced lemon, and four sprigs of rosemary are all you need. 

Pineapple, Coconut, and Lime

You put the lime in the coconut and drink it up. Not quite but you can throw 1 cup of pineapple chunks, 1 cup of coconut chunks (fresh or frozen), and one sliced lime into a pitcher of water for a nice beachy concoction. 

Watermelon, Kiwi and Lime

One cup of cubed watermelon, one spiraled or diced kiwi, and one lime sliced into circles makes another fun summer drink. 

Pomegranate, Grapefruit, and Mint

½ cup of pomegranate seeds, one sliced grapefruit, and 10 torn mint leaves are a daring combo you should at least try once. 

Mango, Ginger, and Raspberry

For this you’ll need ½ pint of raspberries, 1 peeled and cubed mango, and one two-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced. 

With all these great recipes, you can fill your fridge with deliciously flavored drinks your entire family can enjoy every time guilt-free. The best part? You can drink as much of these as you want and your healthcare provider will thank you! For more great water infusion recipes check out Pinterest or a quick Google search. 

To learn more about the link between sugary and artificially sweetened drinks, click here.