Using artificial sweeteners is supposed to help avoid health problems related to obesity, but the latest study of them doesn鈥檛 make clear if non-sugar sweeteners really help you 鈥� or maybe even hurt you.
The meta-analysis published in the examined about 56 studies of artificial sweeteners. The results showed no difference in weight loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney disease or cognitive function between those who took the non-sugar sweetener and those who use regular sugar.
The results did not surprise . 鈥淭here鈥檚 never been uniformity or well-done studies on these artificial sweeteners,鈥� said the cardiologist with Texas Health HEB and Texas Health Physicians Group. 鈥淵ou have a few studies here and there that show one outcome and you have other studies that show a completely different outcome.鈥�
Given their widespread use already in foods, Badhey advises his patients to minimize use of artificial sweeteners. Regular sugar or any natural sweeteners is better if used in moderation. Better still, no sugar at all.
鈥淯nfortunately as a society,鈥� said Dr. Badhey, 鈥渨e鈥檙e so ingrained growing up into sugar from candy stores to cakes and dessert that it鈥檚 hard to do, but that would be the best decision.鈥�
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Widespread use of artificial sweeteners: "They鈥檙e all over. Preserved foods. Non-sugar desserts, obviously. And there鈥檚 some study out there that鈥檚 being laced in tobacco as well. Which, then brings you to the idea that it has addictive properties to it. And as widely as they're used, the debate has always been conflicting. You have a few studies here and there that show one outcome and you have other studies that show a completely different outcome."
The latest research: "It鈥檚 a meta-analysis. They looked at about 14,000 records and compared apples to apples and came up with about 56 studies. It shows there鈥檚 really no difference in weight loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney disease, your cognitive function. There鈥檚 really no difference who took the non-sugar sweetener versus the regular sugar. You would think if you had a non-sugar sweetener with zero calories, you should lose weight 鈥� thereby less diabetes, thereby have less cardiovascular and kidney disease. But that doesn鈥檛 really translate in this meta-analysis."
Why not?
- "We trick ourselves. The artificial sweetener is zero calories, so you kind of cheat yourself into thinking you can have more."
- "The sweeteners are very potent. They鈥檙e about 400 to 600 times sweeter than regular sugar ounce to ounce. Some people say they overstimulate your sugar receptors, so you tend to not like nutritious, less-sweet food like natural-sweetened fruits, for example. You tend not to like those and they鈥檙e healthy with low-glycemic indexes. So your body is trained to not like that, and you eat less nutritious foods."
- "We have no idea how this changes your metabolism. I don鈥檛 think that question鈥檚 been completely answered, but that may be a contributing factor as well."
What he tells patients about sweeteners: "Try to minimize the use, if they use it at all. We know for a fact based on meta-analysis it doesn鈥檛 help you achieve anything you鈥檙e trying to achieve, whether it鈥檚 weight loss or control diabetes. Whether it harms you long term, I think the jury鈥檚 out on that one. When you have something that doesn鈥檛 help you, why use it? I won鈥檛 say these cause you to gain weight, but they鈥檙e definitely not helping you to lose weight. But if it鈥檚 not helping you to maintain your weight and your diabetes is out of control, that will lead to heart vascular disease."
Should people give up sugar and sweeteners altogether? "I would urge people to give up sugar if they could. Unfortunately as a society, we鈥檙e so ingrained growing up into sugar for candy stores to cakes and dessert that it鈥檚 hard to do, but that would be the best decision."
RESOURCES:
