ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:
YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THE DANGERS
One option is artificial sweeteners, which are often used in low-calorie
foods and beverages to provide a similar sweetness like sugar. These sweeteners
are often used in products like diet sodas, sugar-free gum and other processed
foods as a way to provide the sweetness but few or no calories. But concerns
remain about their safety over the long-term, including on health. In this
article, we take a look at the potential benefits and health risks of
artificial sweeteners.
What is Artificial Sweetener
Artificial Sweeteners Sugars that have been modified so they cannot be
digested turned into sweet substances so close to sugar yet do not provide any
or very few calories. Many artificial sweeteners are upwards of several hundred
fold sweeter than normal sugar so just a tiny amount is needed to reach the
desired sweetness. A few well-known artificial sweeteners are:
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low)
Stevia (steviol glycosides, derived from the stevia plant)
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)
Artificial Sweeteners are Strengths
1. Weight Management
Artificial sweeteners are a better choice of people who want something to be
sweeer wothout the calories, making it easier for them not to put on weight or
easier control their wieght. Because artificial sweeteners replace sugar, they
can help you cut down on the number of calories you eat when trying to lose
weight while also satisfying your inevitable cravings for something sweet.
2. Diabetes Management
People with diabetes can make use of them as they are also non-Calorie
sweeteners that do not increase blood glucose levels. This can make them a less
dangerous option for someone wanting to keep his or her sugar in check.
3. Dental Health
It is not good for your teeth, as in sugar that will cause cavities but it
does NOT contribute to tooth decay due to its artificial chemical nature;
Consequently, they can be a safer alternative of tooth preservation.
Health Hazards Posed by Artificial
Sweetener
These have received criticism for health concerns, with some people worried
about their safety in the long term.
1. Cancer Concerns
One of the first concerns raised about artificial sweeteners was their
connection to cancer. Initial studies indicated that there was an increase in
the incidence of bladder cancer among rats fed with saccharin, but later
researches were unable to provide adequate evidence associating saccharin
consumption with any form of increased risk for cancer signifying events
occurring within humans. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose
have also been deemed safe to consume within suggested daily limits by
regulatory bodies including the FDA and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
2. Role of Metabolism in Weight-Gain
Despite being marketed as low-calorie alternatives to regular sweeteners for
apparent weight loss benefits, some studies have indicated that artificial
sweetened products may be inaccurate because they stimulate hunger more than
normal sugar and promote the desire of "sugar" with fat (hence
promoting obesity) when ingested. That, according to a few studies published in
Nature (here and here), artificial sweeteners can change the profile of bugs in
your gut biome — some variation on that could muck with glucose tolerance and
put you at higher risk for metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.
3. Gut Health
More and more evidence has been found that shows artificial sweeteners have
a potential negative impact on your gut health. Sucralose, saccharin and other
common artificial sweeteners disrupt our gut bacteria, potentially leaving us
with digestion problems down the line. This disruption can subsequently result
in metabolic disorders but further investigations are required to make any conclusions
in the human organs.
Regulatory Guidelines
The FDA and other regulatory agencies set Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)
levels to allow use of artificial sweetners. Aspartame has an ADI of 50
milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) body weight and sucralose, it's 5 mg/kilogram.
The controlled doses are often times far below what most people take in their
daily diet anyway.
Conclusion
Artificial sweeteners are very useful in that they offer a lot of benefits
to weight control, diabetes and dental health. That said moderation is key with
the question of whether or not they are carcinogenic, their metabolic effects
and what it does to our gut still up for investigation.