Now consumers need even more reasons to be wary of their sugar intake, according to a new study published this week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. According to this new study, sugar consumption is linked with larger fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen, which can cause other associated health risks.
“When we consume too much sugar, the excess is converted to fat and stored,” said one of the study authors, PhD student So Yun Yi. “This fat tissue located around the heart and in the abdomen releases chemicals into the body which can be harmful to health.” Sugar is enemy number one, according to this observational study, which examined consumption of both sugary beverages like soft drinks and juices as well as sugary and sugar-added foods, utilizing data from Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA), an ongoing cohort study in the U.S.
But what do we conclude about artificial sweeteners, are these substitutes are open to debate themselves? There have been numerous studies measuring various outcomes of using artificial sweeteners dating back to the early 2000’s. Of concern are the effects as they relate to potential weight gain and other general health. For example studies suggest that aspartame may paradoxically stimulate appetite according to a study by Blundell & Hill, 1986) and thereby lead to weight gain (Swithers & Davidson, 2008). There has been accumulated evidence going back to 2008 suggesting sucrose-sweetened beverages and high sucrose diets have adverse effects on body weight by Johnson et al., 2007) and are associated with other medical complications, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. What we do know is excess sugar can have negative consequences. The American Heart Association recently released a statement recommending discretionary sugar intake be limited to just over 30 grams (100 calories) per day for average-sized women and just over 45 grams (150 calories) for average-sized men.
More recently, natural alternatives such as Stevia which is a plant-based alternative has shown minimal negative effect in multiple studies and has been readily accepted as an excellent alternative with respect to taste. Stevia has been found to increase insulin sensitivity and have beneficial effects on blood glucose and insulin levels in human studies, which also suggests it may have a role in moderation of food intake.
“Our findings provide more evidence that consuming too much added sugar and sugary drinks is related to a higher amount of fat tissue,” said another study author, Lyn Steffen, Ph.D., University of Minnesota School of Public Health, in the press release. “And, we know that fat deposits are connected with higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.”
Steffan also advised consumers to look out for sugary ingredients such as syrups, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose – something brands are already seeing as consumers push for healthier sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, allulose and erythritol instead.
In a study Randomized Controlled Trial conducted at Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in 2012, Replacement of caloric beverages with noncaloric beverages as a weight-loss strategy resulted in average weight losses of 2% to 2.5%. over a 6 month period, demonstrating the value of sugar alternatives. This strategy has public health significance and is a simple, straightforward message. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov
At this point, I do not need to tell you reduction of sugar in your diet is healthy, We know that. But, Despite the fact that consumers seek healthier sweetness from their food and drink, I believe that excess sugar consumption continues to be an issue worldwide.
For example, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as the countries with the highest per capita sales of sugary drinks and the demand for sugar is expected to increase in Asia, Africa and Russia. In fact Qatar recently enacted a “sugar tax” Jan 1 2020, which placed a 100% duty on sugar drinks, in an effort to combat diabetes and obesity in its country. On a recent trip to Qatar, to promote development of my companies healthy non sugar beverages with distributors, I noticed a popular USA energy drink can priced at $8.00 on the shelf. Qatar as is much of the middle east fighting obesity with economics.
So what are the alternatives? Below I have listed some of the common sweeteners available in the US and Europe, and the characteristics.
- Aspartame. Sold under the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, or Sugar Twin, aspartame is 200 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Acesulfame potassium. Also known as acesulfame K, it’s 200 times sweeter than table sugar. It’s suited for cooking and baking and sold under the brand names Sunnet or Sweet One.
- Advantame. This sweetener is 20,000 times sweeter than table sugar and suited for cooking and baking.
- Aspartame-acesulfame salt. Sold under the brand name Twinsweet, it’s 350 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Cyclamate. Cyclamate, which is 50 times sweeter than table sugar, was used for cooking and baking. However, it has been banned in the United States since 1970.
- Neotame. Sold under the brand name Newtame, this sweetener is 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar and suited for cooking and baking.
- Neohesperidin. It’s 340 times sweeter than table sugar and suited for cooking, baking, and mixing with acidic foods. Note that it is not approved for use in the United States.
- Sacchari. Sold under the brand names Sweet’N Low, Sweet Twin, or Necta Sweet, saccharin is 700 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Sucralose. Sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter table sugar, is suited for cooking, baking, and mixing with acidic foods. It’s sold under the brand name Splenda.
The most common ones include aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neotame, and acesulfame potassium.
Is there a downside to artificial sweeteners? Yes.
Effects on appetite
Some people believe that artificial sweeteners might increase appetite and promote weight gain
The idea is that artificial sweeteners may be unable to activate brain pathway needed to make you feel satisfied after you eat. Astudy by the international journal of obesity in 2016, noted The energy ‘saved’ from replacing sucrose with artificial sweeteners was fully compensated for at subsequent meals, although it was also noted “The sucrose-sweetened beverage led to large spikes in blood glucose and insulin responses within the first hour
Artificial sweeteners taste sweet but lack the calories found in other sweet-tasting foods, this confuses the brain into still feeling hungry, Additionally, some scientists think you’d need to eat more of an artificially sweetened food, compared with the sugar-sweetened version, to feel full.
It has been suggested that sweeteners may cause cravings for sugary foods as reported in the Yale journal of biology and health 2010.
Effects on weight
Randomized controlled studies report that artificial sweeteners may reduce body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference. In a study published in 2015 in the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology titled Non-Nutritive Sweeteners and Obesity, John D. Fernstrom notes “Indeed, the most straightforward findings to the contrary derive from several intervention studies in both children and adults showing that the chronic, covert replacement of dietary sugar with NNSs (sugar alternatives) does not increase, and can in fact reduce, energy intake and body weight.” These studies also show that replacing regular soft drinks with sugar-free versions can decrease body mass index (BMI) by up to 1.3–1.7 points.
What’s more, choosing artificially sweetened foods instead of those with added sugar may reduce the number of daily calories you consume. Various studies ranging from 4 weeks to 40 months show that this may lead to weight loss of up to 2.9lbs. Artificially sweetened drinks can be an easy alternative for those who regularly consume soft drinks and want to decrease their sugar consumption as well as lose weight.
Artificial sweeteners and diabetes
Choosing artificial sweeteners, may offer diabetics a sweet taste without the accompanying rise in blood sugar. Many controlled studies show that artificial sweeteners do not affect blood sugar or insulin levels.
Artificial sweeteners and metabolic syndrome
Here is where I think it gets complicated. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of medical conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
These conditions increase your risk of chronic disease, such as stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes association published in 2009 a comprehensive study administered by John Hopkins University suggesting diet soda drinkers could have up to a 36% higher risk of metabolic syndrome (At least daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater relative risk of incident metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with nonconsumption.
More recently however, Mark A. Pereira, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA published in 2013 , “Although some studies have reported that ASB may increase risk, these observations appear to be an artifact of reverse causality. The limited experimental evidence does not support an effect of ASB on obesity or chronic disease”
One study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2012, had people with obesity and excess weight drink either a quarter gallon (1 liter) of regular soda, diet soda, water, or semi-skimmed milk each day.
By the end of the six-month study, those drinking the diet soda weighed 17–21% less, had 24–31% less belly fat, 32% lower cholesterol levels, and 10–15% lower blood pressure, compared with those drinking regular soda. In fact, drinking water offered the same benefits as drinking diet soda.
My conclusion based on reviewing multiple studies: Artificial sweeteners are unlikely to increase your risk of metabolic syndrome. Replacing sugary drinks with artificially sweetened ones might decrease your risk of several medical conditions, and provide positive results.
Artificial sweeteners and cancer
Since the 1970s, debate about whether there is a link between artificial sweeteners and cancer risk has raged. It was ignited when animal studies found an increased risk of bladder cancer in mice fed extremely high amounts of saccharin and cyclamate. However, it was found mice metabolize saccharin differently than humans. Since then, more than 30 human studies have found no link between artificial sweeteners and the risk of developing cancer.
One such large study published in 2007 in the Annals of oncology, administered by universities throughout the world followed 9,000 participants for 13 years and analyzed their artificial sweetener intake. After accounting for other factors, the researchers found no link between artificial sweeteners and the risk of developing various types of cancer.
Furthermore, in 2015 the international journal of clinical practice conducted a review of studies published over an 11-year period and did not find a link between cancer risk and artificial sweetener consumption. One exception is cyclamate, which was banned for use in the United States after the original mouse-bladder-cancer study was published in 1970. Since then, extensive studies in animals have failed to show a cancer link. However, cyclamate was never re-approved for use in the United States
Safety and side effects
Artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe for human consumption, although some people should avoid consuming them. Individuals with the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize aspartame. Some people are allergic to sulfonamides, or saccharin as we know it. For them, saccharin may lead to breathing difficulties, rashes, or diarrhea.
Overall, the use of artificial sweeteners poses few risks and may have benefits for weight loss, blood sugar control.
These sweeteners are especially beneficial if you use them to decrease the amount of added sugar in your diet.
That said, the likelihood of negative effects can vary by individual and depend on the type of artificial sweetener consumed.
Some people may feel bad or experience negative effects after consuming artificial sweeteners, even though they are safe and well-tolerated by most people. If you’d like to avoid artificial sweeteners, try using natural sweeteners instead.
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