Artificial sweeteners linked to poor metabolism and increased type 2 diabetes risk

[DCUK NewsBot]

Artificial sweeteners have again been linked to obesity and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in a new study. US scientists have reported that zero-calorie sweeteners actually do more harm than good, with the findings presented at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego. Artificial sweeteners are widely used as sugar replacements in drinks and desserts, but previous studies have shown they can have a negative impact on metabolism, appetite and gut bacteria. Far from being a healthier alternative, researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University suggest that they could in fact be as unhealthy as the large quantities of sugar which they replace, but in a different way. The researchers compared the effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners in rats and cell cultures, and how it affected biochemical changes in the body as well as their vascular health. The rats were given food that were either high in sugar (glucose or fructose) or popular zero-calorie artificial sweeteners (aspartame or acesulfame potassium), then three weeks later their levels of fat and amino acids were assessed from blood samples. Artificial sweeteners were shown to adversely affect how fat was processed and how the rats generated energy. Also, acesulfame potassium appeared to build up in the blood, leading to harm to cells lining blood vessels where there were higher concentrations. Lead researcher Dr Brian Hoffmann, PhD, said: "We observed that in moderation, your body has the machinery to handle sugar; it is when the system is overloaded over a long period of time that this machinery breaks down. We also observed that replacing these sugars with non-caloric artificial sweeteners leads to negative changes in fat and energy metabolism. "Despite the addition of these non-caloric artificial sweeteners to our everyday diets, there has still been a drastic rise in obesity and diabetes. In our studies, both sugar and artificial sweeteners seem to exhibit negative effects linked to obesity and diabetes, albeit through very different mechanisms from each other." The researchers state that more research is required to understand why sweeteners negatively impact metabolism. "It is not as simple as 'stop using artificial sweeteners' being the key to solving overall health outcomes related to diabetes and obesity," added Dr Hoffman. "If you chronically consume these foreign substances (as with sugar) the risk of negative health outcomes increases. As with other dietary components, I like to tell people moderation is the key if one finds it hard to completely cut something out of their diet." Benedict Jephcote, Editor at Diabetes.co.uk, said: "Artificial sweeteners affect blood sugar levels much less in the short term than sugar. However, this study is another that raises questions about the overall health of sweeteners. "Cutting down on sugar intake is strongly advised for people with diabetes. If you can do that without relying too much on artificial sweeteners as well, that is even better. The Low Carb Program can help you to choose drinks and desserts that are both low in sugar and without relying so much on artificial sweeteners."

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[Guzzler]

Is acesulfame another sweetener past its patent?

 

[zand]

This may be news to everyone else but it's something I have known for at least 10 years from my own experience.

 

[Guzzler]

Twenty years of using aspartame has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

 

[PenguinMum]

Twenty years of using aspartame has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I worry about sugar being replaced by aspartame in all fruit squash now sold and what it will do to children. In 10 years time it could be the next big scandal I suspect. Twenty years ago I gave my boys very heavily diluted high juice squash only when they asked for it and never bought it in the winter.

 

[Guzzler]

I worry about sugar being replaced by aspartame in all fruit squash now sold and what it will do to children. In 10 years time it could be the next big scandal I suspect. Twenty years ago I gave my boys very heavily diluted high juice squash only when they asked for it and never bought it in the winter.

I think we all did similar things. This western diet, rich in additives and preservatives was/is the norm. Soon after diagnosis I went through a phase not of feeling sorry for myself but of feeling very guilty for what I may have done to my children. Most parents follow guidelines such as giving fruit instead of sweets etc, giving fruit juices instead of pop. It is only because things have gone awry for us that we learn that a lot of the guidelines and a lot of the processed foodstuffs have adverse effects on the metabolism.

My children are grown now but they are 'still' my children and I have never stopped trying to guide them to the best of my knowledge. We can only do our best.

 

[NicoleC1971]

So we can't have our sugar free cake and eat it. My biggest child rearing mistake (well maybe not my biggest) was to give my children 'sugar free fruit shoots' which are very sweet and now it is quite hard to persuade them to just have water particularly as their still obese dad mainlines diet coke and squash.
However it is possible to smell a rat (sweetened by the sugar industry maybe) with this kind of research in that it muddies the water and the general message comes out as 'sweetners are just as bad as sugar'. I think the aim should be to wean yourself off sweetness of all kind but if we are trying to reduce th harm of the sweetness then I still think that fruit jiice is far worse than diet squash.

 

[PenguinMum]

So we can't have our sugar free cake and eat it. My biggest child rearing mistake (well maybe not my biggest) was to give my children 'sugar free fruit shoots' which are very sweet and now it is quite hard to persuade them to just have water particularly as their still obese dad mainlines diet coke and squash.
However it is possible to smell a rat (sweetened by the sugar industry maybe) with this kind of research in that it muddies the water and the general message comes out as 'sweetners are just as bad as sugar'. I think the aim should be to wean yourself off sweetness of all kind but if we are trying to reduce th harm of the sweetness then I still think that fruit jiice is far worse than diet squash.

Nicole I agree with you about children developng a sweet tooth. Its not like the squash people are using the more natural Xyritol or Stevia but the cheap chemical ones. It is a battle being a responsible parent a lot of the time and that will never change!

 

[Guzzler]

This is why (way before dx) I went doolally when I saw sweet flavoured (strawberry, in this case) toothpaste aimed at children. I remember saying to a freind "Why does everything we put into our kids mouths have to be sweet?". And, while I am having a rant, I vaguely remember a tv chef trying to get children to taste green veggies without balking by eg giving them sprouts half dipped in chocolate!
When did we become parents that caved in to the choices that our children wanted?

 

[Brunneria]

I'm always feel a bit uncomfortable when I see blanket statements about 'artificial sweeteners'.
This study was on just 2 of them, yet goes on to make a sweeping generalisation about avoiding them all.

I swore off them all, for years, because of some bad reactions to a few (insomnia, hyperactivity, thirst and headaches)
But since being here on the forum, I have found that there are 2 or 3 that are fine for me (xylitol, erythritol and stevia)
I just have erythritol in the house, and use it very sparingly, but having it as an option makes cooking some things a great deal easier, especially when baking or providing lc versions of normal foods for guests.

I guess I am living proof that different sweeteners can have different effects on individuals, and that throwing the baby out with the bathwater may result in reduced food options.

 

[NicoleC1971]

This is why (way before dx) I went doolally when I saw sweet flavoured (strawberry, in this case) toothpaste aimed at children. I remember saying to a freind "Why does everything we put into our kids mouths have to be sweet?". And, while I am having a rant, I vaguely remember a tv chef trying to get children to taste green veggies without balking by eg giving them sprouts half dipped in chocolate!
When did we become parents that caved in to the choices that our children wanted?

Agree. Its very culturally normal to give kids sweet treats and to believe that because they are not fat (though more of them are of course) and brush their teeth even if in their 20s and 30s it is highly likely that they will struggle with their weight. I have kids' cookbooks which offer 'healthy' fruit kebabs involving marshmallows and dunking the fruit into melted chocolate etc. Don't get me started on those dried fruit snacks too...
As a mum I love baking stuff but mine are not enraptured by beetroot buns or coconut cake so once a week I do make them something with the pure, white and deadly stuff and tell myself that its better than buying a shop bought alternative with even more sugar and vegetable oils etc.
We are going on holidays with my in laws this Summer to an all inclusive resort amd I am wondering how to counter my mother in law's insistence that they should relax and enjoy their holiday by eating ice cream and sugary cocktails all day. It is the elephant in the room (she is a very large lady!).

 

[Mr_Pot]

I'm always feel a bit uncomfortable when I see blanket statements about 'artificial sweeteners'.

Also what is not mentioned are the quantities involved. Stuffing some unfortunate mice to bursting with sweetener does not necessarily have the same effect as a human having a glass of no added sugar squash.

 

[PenguinMum]

This is why (way before dx) I went doolally when I saw sweet flavoured (strawberry, in this case) toothpaste aimed at children. I remember saying to a freind "Why does everything we put into our kids mouths have to be sweet?". And, while I am having a rant, I vaguely remember a tv chef trying to get children to taste green veggies without balking by eg giving them sprouts half dipped in chocolate!
When did we become parents that caved in to the choices that our children wanted?

The thing that used to make me dullally was toddlers in pushchairs swigging coke or squash from baby bottles. They didnt stand a chance.

 

[PenguinMum]

Agree. Its very culturally normal to give kids sweet treats and to believe that because they are not fat (though more of them are of course) and brush their teeth even if in their 20s and 30s it is highly likely that they will struggle with their weight. I have kids' cookbooks which offer 'healthy' fruit kebabs involving marshmallows and dunking the fruit into melted chocolate etc. Don't get me started on those dried fruit snacks too...
As a mum I love baking stuff but mine are not enraptured by beetroot buns or coconut cake so once a week I do make them something with the pure, white and deadly stuff and tell myself that its better than buying a shop bought alternative with even more sugar and vegetable oils etc.
We are going on holidays with my in laws this Summer to an all inclusive resort amd I am wondering how to counter my mother in law's insistence that they should relax and enjoy their holiday by eating ice cream and sugary cocktails all day. It is the elephant in the room (she is a very large lady!).

Nicole I hope your holiday works out better than you anticipate. I left my first son with my dear old mum whilst I was in hospital for a few days and when I came home instead of water with meals he had developed a fondness for Ribena! she thought she was being kind. We used to allow them a diet coke at the weekend when we had a glass of wine but it a rule water with meals always.

 

[Guzzler]

The thing that used to make me dullally was toddlers in pushchairs swigging coke or squash from baby bottles. They didnt stand a chance.

Aye, leading to some children having to go through extraction of baby teeth!