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Stevia and Artificial Sweeteners, Good Choices for Your Health?
While there is a lack of studies to properly document the potential health risks associated with artificial sweeteners, the following are the main concerns that have emerged from the studies so far.
Artificial Sweeteners & Body Composition
Several large cohort studies have found a positive correlation between use of artificial sweeteners and weight gain. A study of 3,682 adults over an 8-year period showed that consuming more than 21 diet drinks per week (versus none) was associated with an almost doubled risk of being overweight or obese.
It has been postulated that sweeteners having a very sweet taste, without providing calories, may result in partial but incomplete activation of food reward pathways, which may further stimulate the desire to eat. Thus, it is possible that artificial sweeteners may increase appetite and motivation to eat, as well as encourage sweet cravings and dependence on sugar from other foods.
However, studies on artificial sweeteners and body weight management remain controversial.
Erythritol and Cardiovascular Disease
A recent study conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States has been oft talked about in the media since it found that erythritol, a polyol sweetener, was associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease by promoting blood clotting. According to the study, people with risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from cardiovascular disease in the next three years if they had high levels of erythritol in their blood.
However, it should be noted that the study also had some weaknesses. Among other things, the level of erythritol in the blood is not only influenced by the dietary consumption of erythritol, as it is also produced by our body as part of carbohydrate metabolism. The study did not analyze the subjects’ diets and did not measure how much erythritol the subjects consumed. In short, although a causal effect cannot be confirmed, it can be concluded that there is a potential risk.
Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer
In a large cohort of 102,865 French adults, artificial sweeteners (including aspartame and acesulfame-K) were associated with an overall increased risk of cancer in participants who consumed large amounts compared to non-consumers.
Author
Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Nutrition as well as a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Kinesiology, all from Laval University. She is a Registered Dietitian and active member of the Ordre professionnel des Diététistes Nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ) and of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds the Monash University's certification for the FODMAP diet and IBS, and has considerable clinical experience in that area. She is also an accomplished athlete, having ran track and cross-country at a national level. Kathryn specializes in sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, as well as heart and gastrointestinal health.
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