Saccharin – the first artificial sweetener – was discovered by accident when Professor Ira Remsen of Johns Hopkins University discovered a sweet substance on his hands in 1879 after experimenting with various chemicals in the laboratory.
Saccharin quickly became very popular, mainly because of its cheapness. It was especially widespread during World War II, when sugar was in short supply.
Today, artificial sweeteners are at the heart of the huge market of food and beverages without diet and sugar. Their attraction today is not only their cheapness, but their ability to counter the threat of obesity and its associated health effects.
Saccharin is over 200 times sweeter than sugar but contains zero calories. Does this mean we should replace all sugars with artificial sweeteners? Or are there more things to consider?
We asked 8 experts “Are artificial sweeteners better for you than sugar?”. The consensus was 63 percent ‘likely’. Here is what we found out.
What are artificial sweeteners and how do they work?
Artificial sweeteners impart a sweet taste of sugar but without the calories. There are two broad types of artificial sweeteners: sugar alcohols and high-intensity sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols are similar in structure to sugars but are not as easily metabolized, but high-intensity sweeteners as small compounds are many times sweeter than sugar. The high-intensity sweeteners include saccharin and aspartame.
Even though artificial sweeteners are very low in calories it does not mean that they are inert. Artificial sweeteners interact with the T1R family of sweet taste receptors in the mouth and gut, which may have a metabolic effect.
They can also interact with the bacteria that make up the gut midge. Different sweeteners can vary in their effect on the body.
Are artificial sweeteners linked to cancer?
Concerns that artificial sweeteners could be carcinogenic gases from a 1978 study that found that rats receiving saccharin developed bladder cancer. Since then, it has been shown that this only happens in rats, and saccharin does no causing cancer in humans.
Not just saccharin, but all FDA- and EU-approved artificial sweeteners have been tested both in laboratory animals and in human data. None of the permitted sweeteners have anything to do with cancer.
Do artificial sweeteners help you lose weight?
The main attraction of artificial desserts is that they can replace sugar. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that high sugar consumption is bad for your health. Sugar drinks in particular can lead to weight gain, metabolic disorders, and type 2 diabetes. It follows that changing sugar for calorie-free sweeteners can lead to weight loss.
Many studies have examined whether sugar loss replaces sugar with artificial sweeteners. A 2018 meta-analysis study, which brought together the results of 56 different studies, concluded that in most cases groups of people who used artificial sweeteners did not lose more weight than those who used sugar.
However, obese or obese people who turned to artificial sweeteners lost more weight than their sugar-eating peers.
Other meta-analyzes have also found that, overall, switching from sugars to sweeteners has a neutral effect on weight loss. The lack of a clear result could lead to the complexity of these tests:
1) There are many types of sweeteners, each of which can have a different effect on weight loss.
2) Changes in diet but changes to sweeteners can have a significant effect. University of Sydney biochemist Dr Kieron Rooney explains that the diet as a whole is important because “there is data – in humans – that the consumption of artificial sweeteners with food may have an interaction effect. another until energy capture is altered. “.
3) The effect of sweetener on weight loss appears to depend on the individual’s initial weight and diet, a result found in a 2018 meta-analysis study.
Some scientists have tried to explain why, on average, people do not lose weight with artificial sweeteners, and in some cases gain weight.
Nutritionist Dr. Cornelie Nienaber-Rousseau explains that the effect of sweeteners on the food reward system could “contribute to increased appetite, seek food cravings and encourage sugar stimulation.” She said it seems ” non-caloric artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbe “.
Both of these explanations are plausible, but they require further research before we can be certain of their effects.
Epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz summarizes that “it is possible that artificial sweeteners may be worse for humans than water – although this is an open question – but compared to sugar, its artificial sweeteners all seem to be slightly better. “
No bullet money to obesity crisis
Overall, considering that artificial sweeteners are largely calorie-free, the data on their positive health effects may be somewhat disappointing.
This may explain why Professor Jennie Brand-Miller from the University of Sydney said that “the frequency of obesity and obesity is tripled [the last 50 years] despite the popularity and ubiquity of low – calorie sweeteners “.
On the flip side, there is ample evidence that they are safe and not attached to any cancers. It remains to be seen if they have any other effects on our sugar or midges.
The takeaway:
Sugar-free alternatives, especially beverages, may be beneficial for someone trying to lose weight or improve their diet. However, the data shows that they are not the healthiest option available – although a diet drink may be better than a sugary drink, water may be even better.
Article based on 8 familiar answers to this question: “Are artificial sweeteners better for you than sugar?”
This expert response was published in partnership with the independent information analysis platform Metafact.io. Subscribe to weekly newsletter here.