Artificial sweeteners used in these, are one of the most common food additives worldwide
If you are concerned about your waist line and fizzy drinks with artificial sweeteners are your poison, think again.
A new study to be presented later this month at the 2018 Experimental Biology Meeting in San Diego shows artificial sweeteners too can lead to diabetes and weight gain. It suggests switching from regular to diet products may be a case of ‘out of the frying pan, into the fire.’
Artificial sweeteners are one of the most common food additives worldwide. They are frequently consumed in diet and zero-calorie sodas and other products. Previous studies have linked artificial sweeteners with negative health consequences. But there were concerns about potential bias thanks to the sponsorship of those studies.
This new study is the largest examination to date on the matter. It tracks biochemical changes in the body after consumption of sugar or sugar substitutes. Researchers also looked at impacts on vascular health.The studies were conducted in rats and cell cultures.
“Despite the addition of these non-caloric artificial sweeteners to our everyday diets, there has still been a drastic rise in obesity and diabetes,” said lead researcher Brian Hoffmann, PhD, assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University. “In our studies, both sugar and artificial sweeteners seem to exhibit negative effects linked to obesity and diabetes, albeit through very different mechanisms from each other.”
Results suggest artificial sweeteners change how the body processes fat and gets its energy. In addition, they found acesulfame potassium seemed to accumulate in the blood. At higher concentrations it has a more harmful effect on the cells that line blood vessels.
The team fed different groups of rats diets high in glucose or fructose (kinds of sugar), or aspartame or acesulfame potassium (common zero-calorie artificial sweeteners). After three weeks, the researchers saw significant differences in the concentrations of biochemicals, fats and amino acids in blood samples.
The results suggest artificial sweeteners change how the body processes fat and gets its energy. In addition, they found acesulfame potassium seemed to accumulate in the blood. At higher concentrations it has a more harmful effect on the cells that line blood vessels.
“We observed that in moderation, your body has the machinery to handle sugar; it is when the system is overloaded over a long period of time that this machinery breaks down. We also observed that replacing these sugars with non-caloric artificial sweeteners leads to negative changes in fat and energy metabolism,” Hoffman said.
So, which is worse, sugar or artificial sweeteners? Researchers cautioned that the results do not provide a clear answer and the question warrants further study.
It is well known that high dietary sugar is linked to negative health outcomes and the study suggests artificial sweeteners do, too.
