In 2010, a review of
studies on artificial sweeteners published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine found that overall, artificial sweetener use promoted weight gain.
There are lots of conflicting
studies on artificial sweeteners though.
A review of previous
studies on artificial sweeteners published in the journal Neuroscience supports this idea, with the author of the review noting that «artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence.»
Also, there is such limited
study on artificial sweeteners that I can not trust them.
A recent and very thorough
study on artificial sweeteners demonstrated that they are contributing to higher blood sugar levels after meals.
Not exact matches
On that latter possibility, however, it's important to note that the
study didn't specifically link
artificial sweeteners with worse health effects.
A
study on fruit flies by the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research found that those who were exposed to a diet laced with
artificial sweetener for more than five days consumed 30 % more calories when they were then given naturally sweetened food.
The vast majority of baby milk formula options available
on the market are non-organic, which means they could potentially include worrying chemicals such as preservatives, corn syrup solids and
artificial flavors, colors or
sweeteners that you certainly would want to avoid as
studies have shown an inconclusive potential to exacerbate hyperactivity in kids or affect a child's health; a potential that's not worth the risk.
«We are by no means thinking that based
on this
study we could deduce direct recommendations for
artificial -
sweetener consumption,» says Elinav.
In a
study that has implications for humans with inflammatory diseases, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and colleagues have found that, given over a six - week period, the
artificial sweetener sucralose, known by the brand name Splenda, worsens gut inflammation in mice with Crohn's - like disease, but had no substantive effect
on those without the condition.
I'm reluctant to stop using
artificial sweeteners on the basis of a single
study.
In a
study that has implications for humans with inflammatory diseases, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and colleagues have found that, given over a six - week period, the
artificial sweetener sucralose, known by the brand name Splenda, worsens gut inflammation in mice with Crohn's disease, but had no substantive effect
on those without the condition.
A
study conducted at Purdue University suggest that
artificial sweeteners found in diet soda can have adverse effects
on the body's capacity for regulating the calorie intake
on the basis of sweetness of consumed food.
Aside from the problems I touched
on so far, other health issues that have been related to
artificial sweeteners in scientific
studies as well as observations are:
Studies suggest that
artificial sweeteners like saccharin (Sweet»N Low, SugarTwin), aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), and sucralose (Splenda) trick the brain into forgetting that sweetness means extra calories, making people more likely to over do it
on sweet treats.
I've been reading more
studies lately
on the effects of
artificial sweeteners and one thing that appears clear is that it's not a good idea to try to «fool» your body.
All of the
studies were done
on caffeinated coffee vs. decaf, minus any sugar,
artificial sweeteners and creamers.
The debate rages
on concerning the safety of
artificial sweeteners and some
studies have shown that those that consume sugar - free drinks,
on average, have bigger waistlines than those who don't.
Sure,
artificial sweeteners like sucralose, saccharine, and aspartame save
on calories, but a recent Israeli
study shows they can skew the composition of gut bacteria, or our microbiome in a way that promotes obesity and diabetes.
In a
study of high - intensity
artificial sweeteners performed
on college students, there was no evidence that
artificial sweetener use was associated with a decrease in their overall sugar intake either.
However, based
on the
studies I've seen and the side effects I've experienced, I avoid all
artificial sweeteners including Sucralose.