Saccharin and hardened arteries in mice on a high-fat diet
What it found
In mice fed a high-fat diet, saccharin in their drinking water made atherosclerosis worse.
The study was in animals, not people.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Atherosclerosis worsened
Saccharin significantly aggravated high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis in the mice.
Cholesterol handling disrupted
Saccharin made lipid metabolism worse by helping the gut absorb cholesterol and reducing the liver's ability to excrete it.
TMAO levels rose
Circulating trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) levels rose markedly in the saccharin-exposed mice.
Gut damage
Saccharin intake depleted goblet cells and damaged the intestinal structure, leading to increased colonic permeability.
Plaque instability
These effects led to endothelial dysfunction and together enhanced atherosclerotic plaque formation and instability.
What the authors conclude
“In summary, this is the first study to alert the potential pro-atherosclerotic role of SA and emphasize the need for reevaluating food additive safety in public cardiovascular health.”
Also in their conclusions
- They state this is the first study to alert the potential pro-atherosclerotic role of saccharin.
- They emphasize the need for reevaluating food additive safety in public cardiovascular health.
How it was done
The authors note that non-nutritive sweeteners have been linked to cardiovascular disease risk, but the effect of saccharin on atherosclerosis progression has not been sufficiently clarified.
Mice lacking apolipoprotein E (ApoE -/- mice) were given free drinking water with 0.1 mg/mL saccharin for 3 months while on a high-fat diet.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are animal studies. They can't show what happens in people.
- The mice were genetically modified to develop atherosclerosis and were fed a high-fat diet, so the results may not apply to people eating a typical diet.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- China Agricultural University, China; Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, China
The paper
- Title
- Saccharin Supplementation Aggravates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis through Lipid Metabolism Disorder and Intestinal-Impairment-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction in ApoE -/- Mice
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Li Y, Sun Y, Wang X, et al (2025). Saccharin Supplementation Aggravates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis through Lipid Metabolism Disorder and Intestinal-Impairment-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction in ApoE -/- Mice. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5c05681PubMed 40847258DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error