Artificial sweeteners associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity

DCUK NewsBot

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Artificial sweeteners could be linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease, according to a new review. The evidence has been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which revealed that sweeteners, while designed to aid weight loss, could actually have negative effects on metabolism, appetite and gut bacteria. However, the authors from the University of Manitoba stressed that there aren't enough long-term studies on this data and, consequently, more research is needed to prove whether this association is valid. To better understand how artificial or non-nutritive sweeteners affected health markers, scientists compared studies among adults and adolescents, studying BMI, weight and obesity, among other end points. No consistent effect was observed regarding weight loss, and in some studies sweeteners were actually associated with weight gain, increased waist circumference and higher rates of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart events. "Evidence […] does not clearly support the intended benefits of nonnutritive sweeteners for weight management, and observational data suggest that routine intake of non-nutritive sweeteners may be associated with increased BMI and cardiometabolic risk," said the researchers. The study team believes the findings call into question the benefits of artificial sweeteners for weight management, especially as so few long-term studies exist regarding their effects. "Caution is warranted until the long-term health effects of artificial sweeteners are fully characterised," said lead author Dr. Meghan Azad. "Given the widespread and increasing use of artificial sweeteners, and the current epidemic of obesity and related diseases, more research is needed to determine the long-term risks and benefits of these products." Azad's team is now working on a new study designed to understand how sweetener consumption in pregnant women influences weight gain, metabolism and gut bacteria.

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zand

Master
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10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
At last! I have been saying for years that diet drinks led me to obesity and T2. As for longer term studies, just ask the women who like me starting drinking them in their teens. We all know sugar isn't great, but better the devil you know. At least with sugar you can calorie/carb count and have a very small amount occasionally.

This is also relevant to young T1s who may think that drinking lots of diet drinks is OK, only to find in 30 years time that they have insulin resistance as well as T1.
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It is interesting.
I can only add that full fat drinks contributed greatly to my weight gain and diet drinks made a huge contribution to my weight loss.

More research is needed here for sure for people to know what is really going on - particularly to find out whether there is one or two in particular that are worse than others.

Ideally like anything else best to avoid it if you do not need it - but a shame to cut it out if it does no harm.
 

Oldvatr

Expert
Messages
8,470
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Artificial sweeteners could be linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease, according to a new review. The evidence has been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which revealed that sweeteners, while designed to aid weight loss, could actually have negative effects on metabolism, appetite and gut bacteria. However, the authors from the University of Manitoba stressed that there aren't enough long-term studies on this data and, consequently, more research is needed to prove whether this association is valid. To better understand how artificial or non-nutritive sweeteners affected health markers, scientists compared studies among adults and adolescents, studying BMI, weight and obesity, among other end points. No consistent effect was observed regarding weight loss, and in some studies sweeteners were actually associated with weight gain, increased waist circumference and higher rates of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart events. "Evidence […] does not clearly support the intended benefits of nonnutritive sweeteners for weight management, and observational data suggest that routine intake of non-nutritive sweeteners may be associated with increased BMI and cardiometabolic risk," said the researchers. The study team believes the findings call into question the benefits of artificial sweeteners for weight management, especially as so few long-term studies exist regarding their effects. "Caution is warranted until the long-term health effects of artificial sweeteners are fully characterised," said lead author Dr. Meghan Azad. "Given the widespread and increasing use of artificial sweeteners, and the current epidemic of obesity and related diseases, more research is needed to determine the long-term risks and benefits of these products." Azad's team is now working on a new study designed to understand how sweetener consumption in pregnant women influences weight gain, metabolism and gut bacteria.

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Here is the actual report text
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/28/E929
 

vic hill

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
in the interests of the forum
many years 30 years ago at certain well know london hospital .and.
a certain very popular actifical sweeten was know to cause problems with eyes
since then i will not touch it.
as having eye pronblems at the time still may have ok to day with all the research
just nice to advised
well done DCUK
 
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Md2t

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I try to avoid any artificial foods, so I don't use sweeteners. It may take a while to get used to tasting real food without adding either natural sugars or artificial sweeteners, but sooner or later the natural sweetness of real foods becomes apparent. I now just have to be careful not to over-indulge in naturally sweet fruits with higher glycaemic load.
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Would a better experiment be to get mice (poor mice) feed the same diet but one has a diet soda, one a normal soda, one water and see what changes occur. Probably not that simple?