How sweet is it really? Non-nutritive sweeteners and the control of blood sugar levels
"These findings go a long way to answering some of the fundamental questions we have around the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners and show that despite the misconception that they are metabolically inert, their habitual high intake can alter distinct mechanisms of sugar handling...."
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FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
The whole point of 'non'nutritive' sweeteners - which allowed them to gain approval as food additives in the first place, and has made them so easy to sell to both food producers and consumers - is their lack of calories relative to sugar.(In fact, weight gain is not ONLY about calories - which is why attempts to lose weight that focus only on the simplitic notion of 'eating less and moving more' - or 'calories in, calories out' are usually counterproductive)
The idea was supposed to be that these substances - by providing the taste of sweetness, but 'without the calories' - would help to prevent weight gain and obesity, and help in the prevention and management of related health conditions, most notably diabetes.
However, not only have sweeteners failed to stem the relentless increase in rates of obesity, diabetes and related health conditions, but accumulating scientific evidence indicates that they might even be contributing to these conditions - via the effects they can have on gut microbial balance and metabolism and other mechanisms.
The first evidence from human clinical trials that sweeteners might promote weight gain and metabolic problems was published almost 10 years agom, and those findings have since been replicated - although the negative effects of sweeteners on metabolism and weight gain appear to differ between individuals (as might be expected given the individuality and extraordinary complexity of gut microbial balance and diversity) See:
By 2023, a deatiled review by the World Health Organisation concluded that the risks of these additives probably outweigh their benefits. See:
However, regulatory authorities have not yet seen fit to take any action to limit the use of sweeteners - which has instead increased further in recent years, along with increased public awareness of the negative effects of excessive sugar intake, and the relentless increase in consumption of the ultra processed foods and drinks in which sweeteners are found.
As usual, 'defiinive evidence' of causal effects - which regulatory authorities almost always take to mean evidence from long-term randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trials in humans - is difficult if not impossible to provide, for both ethical and practical reasons. For a comprehensive review of the scientific issues, please see:
This new animal study adds yet more evidence that sweeteners may have harmful effects on gut micobial balance that promote, rather than reduce weight gain - by actually increasing the uptake of sugar from the gut.
For detais of this research, see:
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And for more information in this topic, please see the following article lists, which are frequently updated:
27/11/24 - Medical Xpress
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Non-nutritive sweeteners are often perceived as healthier than sugar, but new findings have confirmed new ways they may interact with sugar handling in the body.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide have examined the impact that sweeteners, like Splenda, have on the ability to control blood glucose levels. Previous research has linked the habitual and high intake of sweeteners to increased occurrence of type 2 diabetes.
The team published the results of a two-week preclinical study in the journal Nutrients .
"In this proof-of-concept study, we wanted to discover how non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda) and acesulfame-K might alter sugar handling," said Associate Professor Richard Young, Senior Research Fellow, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide.
"Specifically, whether these sweeteners interact with sweet sensing pathways in the gut that govern the rate of sugar uptake directly, or indirectly through effects on gut bacteria.
"Using antibiotics, we cleared the gut bacteria of half of the mice, and then, over two weeks, gave sucralose and acesulfame-K in drinking water."
The mice that received the sweeteners absorbed sugar at a faster rate from their gut compared to those who didn't, regardless of whether they were given antibiotics, showing that these sweeteners directly affected sugar uptake in the intestine.
Their administration over two weeks, however, did not change overall blood sugar responses.
Their administration over two weeks, however, did not change overall blood sugar responses.
"These findings go a long way to answering some of the fundamental questions we have around the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners and show that despite the misconception that they are metabolically inert, their habitual high intake can alter distinct mechanisms of sugar handling," said Dr. Braden Rose, Early Career Postdoctoral Researcher, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide.
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