Introduction
Non-sugar sweeteners known as artificial sugar have been around for a long time, but does that make them healthy to consume? Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released information about the health effects of non-sugar sweeteners and advised people not to consume them for weight control as well as a warning for unfavorable effects of long-term use.
The unfavorable effects include an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, and adult death.
The WHO also stated this information doesn’t apply to people who already have diabetes. So, if you’re a diabetic keep eating the foods that contain these non-sugar sweeteners (NSS). Wait, what?
In this blog post, I review the impact of non-sugar sweeteners regarding your health.
What are non-sugar sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners also known as sugar substitutes (non-sugar sweeteners) are man-made chemicals that mimic the sweet taste of sugar with little to no calories. Most often, food products containing artificial sweeteners are advertised as “healthy” because when added to food there’s usually no real sugar found in the product.
Most common sugar substitutes
Splenda® (sucralose) – yellow packets
Sweet n’ Low® (saccharin) – pink packets
Equal® Sugar Twin® & NutraSweet® (aspartame) – blue packets
Stevia® (Stevia rebaudiana – Bertoni plant) green & white packets
Is it healthy to consume NSS?
Since 2011 there have been many health debates over sugar substitutes ranging from “safe” to “unsafe” at any dose with possible to no possible adverse effects. Some products are approved with warning labels. This is not very helpful when deciding on whether it’s beneficial to use them, except maybe the ones with warning labels. But, you wouldn’t know that unless you read the labels. Hint: Read the food labels!
Pro tip: There’s no nutritional value in artificial sweeteners.
Most recently, the WHO warned against using artificial sweeteners to manage weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable (chronic diseases that are not contagious) diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Pro tip: This recommendation from WHO does not pertain to personal care and hygiene products such as toothpaste and medications.
The most used non-sugar sweetener is sucralose sold under the brand name of Splenda®, found in over 6,000 food products. Widely used in diet sodas such as Diet Coke®.
Do artificial sweeteners have a direct impact on your blood sugar?
Yes! According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a published article indicated regular consumption of low-calorie sweeteners showed the same health effects as a high intake of added sugars in the diet, including an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Too much sugar, whether it’s regular sugar or non-sugar sweeteners influences your glucose (blood sugar) which can place you at risk for diabetes.
According to an article by Nature, artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. The findings indicated since the launch of non-sugar sweeteners there’s been an increase in obesity and diabetes calling for more research. Given this information, the position of long-term effects on blood sugar and artificial sweeteners for diabetes and obesity regarding diet needs to be re-examined.
Insulin and glucose
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps regulate your blood sugar known as glucose. Once insulin is weakened and can’t keep up with regulating your blood sugar, you become insulin resistant.
Insulin resistance results in elevated blood sugar and can lead to diabetes. Artificial sweeteners affect glucose absorption. There are no symptoms of insulin resistance. The only way to find out if you’re insulin resistant is through blood tests.
The next time you have blood work ordered, ask your doctor about adding to the prescription to check for insulin resistance. Ask specifically for a fasting glucose test and A1c. These are not the best indicators to determine if you’re insulin resistant but they’re the most widely accepted tests for insurance.
Fasting glucose measures how much blood sugar is in your blood after not eating for at least 8 to 12 hours.
A1C measures your average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months.
More on Newly Diagnosed with Diabetes
Conclusion
Start reducing sugar in your diet whether it’s real sugar or non-sugar sweeteners.
Read your labels! Look for sugar substitutes and avoid them.
Decrease sugar substitutes in your drinks until you no longer need to sweeten them. This will take some time so be tolerant of the change.
In optimal health,
Lisa
As an engineer I observe, collect and analyze data.
Accordingly, I’ve always noticed that people who predominantly drink “diet” sodas are disproportionately overweight.
The unavoidable conclusion is, drinking diet sodas will make you overweight.
I certainly need to start reading labels more carefully.
I often read articles advising to eliminate sugar in your diet, without including the downside of non sugar alternatives.
Sugar and salt seem to be in everything…… Time to open my eyes a little wider.