Here's a bitter pill to swallow: Artificial sweeteners may be doing more harm than good
A $2.2 billion industry to help people lose weight through artificial sweeteners may be contributing to type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
The whole point of artificial sweeteners was supposed to be that their lack of calories compared with sugar would be beneficial for weight loss or weight control.This was of course based on the idea that weight gain and obesity primarily reflect an excess of calorie intake over calorie expenditure - which has long shown to be an overly simplistic, and largely unhelpful one.
In the decades following the widespread adoption and use of 'non-nutritive sweeteners' by both individuals and the food industry, rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes have continued to increase significantly - and evidence now indicates that these additives may be doing more harm than good.
As the senior author of this new review notes:
- People who use artificial sweeteners are more likely than others to gain weight over time - and have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
- In addition, using artificial sweeteners does not appear to lead people to reduce their intake of sugary foods and drinks, and may even do the opposite.
As usual, the researchers conclude in their published paper that 'more research is needed' into the long-term effects of using artificial sweeteners.
However, in addition to the expense of long-term trials, finding an 'unexposed' control group is not easy, as these additives are now used in so many foods and drinks that they are extremely difficult for consumers to avoid.
For details of this research, see
For more articles on artificial sweeteners, see:
17 December 2019 - MedicalXpress
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A $2.2 billion industry to help people lose weight through artificial sweeteners may be contributing to type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
A recently published review led by UniSA Professor Peter Clifton reveals that people who use low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are more likely to gain weight, the exact opposite of what consumers expect.
This is despite controlled clinical trials showing that artificial sweeteners do lead to weight loss.
There has been a 200 per cent increase in LCS usage among children and a 54 per cent increase among adults in the past 20 years, Prof Clifton says.
Low calorie sweeteners are used in place of sucrose, glucose and fructose. They have an intense sweet flavour without the calories, but recent studies have highlighted potential adverse health effects.
Prof Clifton says a US study of 5,158 adults over a seven-year period found that those who consumed large quantities of artificial sweeteners gained more weight than non-users.
"Consumers of artificial sweeteners do not reduce their overall intake of sugar. They use both sugar and low-calorie sweeteners and may psychologically feel they can indulge in their favourite foods.
"Artificial sweeteners also change the gut bacteria which may lead to weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes," he says.
Artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) are also linked with increased risks of death and cardiovascular disease, and strokes and dementia among older people, but it is not clear why.
Prof Clifton cites 13 studies which investigated the effects of ASB intake on the risk of type 2 diabetes, all of which found either no link or a positive one. One study found that substituting ASB for sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juices was associated with a 5-7 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
"A better option than low-calorie sweeteners is to stick to a healthy diet, which includes plenty of whole grains, dairy, seafood, legumes, vegetables and fruits and plain water," Prof Clifton says.
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