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Artificial Sweeteners: What They Don't Tell You

October 26, 2018

Dr. Marc Bony, DC

Artificial sweeteners are common in many products, but what impact do they have on your health? At Marc Bony Chiropractic Center, we explore the truth behind these additives and their effects on the body.

Artificial sweeteners what they don't tell you

The advertising you see on television and in other media about sweeteners is for commercial marketing purposes not because of an interest in consumer health. See what the research says about the most common sweeteners:

Animal research has shown that all artificial sweeteners that are currently approved and considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the appropriate authorities in Europe cause DNA damage and interfere with the normal, healthy activity of intestinal bacteria.
The artificial sweeteners analyzed in the study presented here are aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium, also known as acesulfame-K.
Saccharin caused the most severe and extensive damage, exhibiting both cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, meaning that it is toxic to cells and damages the genetic information in the cell (which can cause mutations).
Aspartame and acesulfame potassium were found to cause DNA damage. Neotame was also found to cause metabolic disorders and elevated concentrations of various fatty acids, as well as lipids and cholesterol.
Other recent research has shown that artificial sweeteners impair vascular function and cause cellular changes that may be important during the onset and progression of diabetes and obesity

Animal studies,¹^,2,3,4,5 published in the magazine Molecules, found that all artificial sweeteners that are currently approved and considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cause DNA damage and interfere with the normal, healthy activity of intestinal bacteria.

Some of the artificial sweeteners that were included in this study and their results are as follows:

The saccharin caused the most severe and extensive damage, exhibiting both cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, meaning that it is toxic to cells and damages the genetic information in them (which can cause mutations).
The Sucralose caused: Destruction of intestinal bacteria. Alteration of glucose, insulin, which could raise the risk of diabetes. Decreased red blood cell count. Increased male infertility. In higher doses, it causes brain damage. Calcified and larger kidneys. Risk of spontaneous abortions. Possible drug interactions
It was found that the neotame caused a metabolic alteration in mice and elevated the concentrations of various fatty acids, as well as lipids and cholesterol. In addition, various genes were reduced by this sweetener.
It was discovered that the aspartame and acesulfame potassium - the latter is commonly found in sports supplements - cause damage to DNA

Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain and health problems

Research published over the past 3 decades has also convincingly demonstrated that artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and produce various metabolic dysfunctions that promote fat storage and weight gain.

In 1986, a study¹⁷ which examined nearly 78,700 women for 1 year found that those using artificial sweeteners were significantly more likely to gain weight compared to those who did not, regardless of their initial weight.

According to the researchers, the results «could not be explained by differences in dietary consumption patterns. The data do not support the hypothesis that long-term use of artificial sweeteners can aid weight loss or prevent weight gain.».

In 2010, a major scientific review was published ¹⁹ in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. This summarized the epidemiological and experimental evidence that was available on the effects of artificial sweeteners on weight, and explained these effects by virtue of the neurobiology pertaining to the food reward system.

Given what we now know about the gut microbiome and its influence on health and disease, it is becoming easier to glimpse how and why artificial sweeteners can wreak havoc on your health.

The vast majority of packaged products contain one or more of these sweeteners in their composition. Keep this in mind

Substitutes for artificial sweeteners

Two of the best sugar substitutes are from the plant kingdom: Stevia and Lo Han Guo (also spelled Luo Han Kuo). Stevia, a very sweet herb derived from the South American stevia plant, is sold as a supplement. It is completely safe in its natural form and can be used to sweeten most foods and beverages.

A third alternative is the use of pure glucose. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose). Unlike fructose, glucose can be used directly by every cell in your body and is a much safer alternative.

Sources and references of the studies