Scientists have discovered that the sweetener aspartame has an effect on the health of several generations of mice
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During research on mice, scientists found that the sweetener aspartame, even in low concentrations, has an effect on the health of mice and their next generation. Mice that used the sweetener showed deficits in attention and memory, and these changes were also seen in their offspring. This is stated in a study by scientists from the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, which was published in Scientific Reports, reports Science Alert. Scientists observed two groups of mice that consumed aspartame in their drinking water. Photo: HeikeRau/Depositphotos For 16 weeks, they were given the sweetener in doses equivalent to 7% or 15% of the recommended maximum daily intake for humans. This supplement is considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And then they compared their results with the control group. Mice that consumed aspartame showed significant deficits in spatial learning and working memory. For example, mice given the sweetener were slower than the control group to find a 40-choice escape box. Significant differences between groups with different concentrations were not observed. In parallel, scientists also fed male mice with aspartame, and then bred them with female mice that drank only water. Their offspring also performed worse in tests of spatial learning and working memory than the new generation of mice that did not consume aspartame. The authors suggest that the effect of aspartame on cognitive functions is selective, because they did not observe changes in reversal learning, memory retention, or recall. Epigenetic changes (modifications of DNA that do not change the underlying genetic sequence) in sperm are thought to be the mechanism by which aspartame-induced traits are inherited. However, these changes only affected one generation, so scientists plan to further investigate the impact and long-term consequences for humans. As a reminder, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are found in chewing gum, soft drinks, protein bars, flavored syrups, and ice cream toppings. The WHO has classified this additive as “possibly carcinogenic.” Read also: Scientists have investigated what happens to a person’s consciousness on the verge of death
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