The Truth About Artificial Sweeteners
What is an artificial sweetener?
An artificial sweetener is a substitute for sugar that contains little to no calories. A large variety of people, from people trying to lose weight to people who have diabetes, utilize artificial sweeteners in hopes of cutting down on sugar, but does it actually work?
Studies against artificial sweeteners
Since artificial sweeteners aren’t metabolized in the human body, they are generally considered safe for consumption. However, according to the National Institute of Health, studies show that when compared to water, artificial sweeteners increased glucose levels by 20% and increased the rate that insulin was secreted at. Additionally, another study showed that between two groups, the group that used artificial sweeteners increased their average BMI more than the group that didn’t use artificial sweeteners. These studies point towards the notion that artificial sweeteners are not a sufficient sugar substitute. Weight gain isn’t the only concern, however, as some artificial sweeteners have been found to be carcinogenic, potentially increasing the risk of cancer or damaging DNA.
What’s better, artificial sweeteners or sugar?
The right choice between artificial sweeteners and sugar are extremely situational.
The main issue with sugar is that it is commonly found in high concentrations in many different foods. Our bodies use carbohydrates (sugar) as its main form of energy, and when the excess carbohydrates aren’t used, then they’re stored. As a result, a lot of inactive people gain weight extremely fast. Because of this, doctors generally recommend that more active people should consume sugars rather than artificial sweeteners.
On the contrary, artificial sweeteners don’t result in as much weight gain as sugar does, but it increases the odds of cancer and other diseases. Because of this, diabetics should use artificial sweeteners because the influx of sugar intake would likely do more harm than the artificial sweeteners would. Another group of people that should choose artificial sweeteners over sugar are people who live a mostly sedentary lifestyle. This is because the excess caloric intake from sugars would lead them to gain weight without the burning of calories to keep them healthy.
Common artificial sweeteners
Written by: Kevin