The artificial sweetener vs sugar debate has been raging for decades, but what does the science actually say? What’s the difference between artificial sweeteners and regular sugar? Which is the better option, and what effect, if any, do artificial sweeteners have on human health? Today, we’re diving head-first into the complex world of artificial sweeteners.
What are artificial sweeteners?
To start, let’s talk a little bit about what sugar is and where it comes from. When you go to the grocery store and buy a bag of sugar, where did that sugar come from? Sugar occurs naturally in varying amounts in most plants. To get the sugar you buy in the store, it’s extracted from these plants (most commonly sugar beets and sugar cane). So the plant the sugar comes from is a natural source of sugar, but needs to be processed for us to get the sugar we actually eat.
Similarly, some alternative sweeteners, like monk fruit extract, stevia, etc. exist naturally in plants. They are then also extracted and processed to get the stuff you find in the store. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to be talking about artificial sweeteners, and not these “natural” alternative sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners, on the other hand, aren’t in plants. They’re created “artificially”–meaning that they were invented in a lab, and can’t be found in nature (unless we put them there). There are a lot of different artificial sweeteners on the market today, and they all have varying levels of sweetness and versatility. They are also sweeter than traditional sugar. So, you can use less artificial sweetener to get the same intensity of sweetness as a larger amount of traditional sugar. This means that they either provide a very low amount of calories, or none at all.
Are artificial sweeteners safe?
Yes. There are many types of artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States food supply by the FDA (click here). Each artificial sweetener has a recommended ADI (acceptable daily intake) that should not be exceeded. You can find each of their ADIs here.
Note that those with PKU, a rare genetic condition diagnosed in infancy, should not consume aspartame since it contains the amino acid phenylalanine. Foods that contain aspartame are required to indicate this clearly on the label.
Calorie free? So will artificial sweeteners help me lose weight?
Maybe. The research surrounding artificial sweeteners and weight loss is…complicated, to put it lightly. Basically, there are a lot of confounding factors making a clear answer difficult. Some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners do help with weight loss, others show no effect, and others still suggest that artificial sweeteners contribute to weight gain.
As I mentioned, artificial sweeteners are virtually calorie free. So, theoretically, swapping out your daily soda with a diet version would reduce your daily caloric intake. This could potentially lead to weight loss, but weight loss also isn’t as simple as calorie reduction. Therefore, it might not have an effect on your weight at all.
It’s unclear why artificial sweeteners led to weight gain in some studies, and more research is needed to determine whether this is a metabolic response or a person simply making different food choices based on whether or not they’re choosing artificial sweeteners. For example, someone might eat larger portions of foods that contain artificial sweeteners because they’re “lower calorie”. Or, they might eat a larger portion of something else in their meal because they’re getting fewer calories from their drink. (Deciding to get a supersize fry, for example, since you got a diet soda).
Are artificial sweeteners healthier than traditional sugar?
It depends. In general, recommendations are for Americans to reduce their consumption of added sugars. (This means sugars added to foods in addition to any sugar found naturally in that food. Whole fruit, like an apple, for example, contains sugar, but no added sugar. On the other hand, soda contains exclusively added sugars). Ideally, this means reducing consumption of both traditional sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners may be a better option for people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar. In fact, the American Diabetes Association says that, when used appropriately, artificial sweeteners may help people with diabetes with their glucose control.
Essentially, they’re another sweetener option. Personally, based on all the data we have right now, I don’t view them as better or worse than traditional sugar. They’re both options that can be safely enjoyed in moderation.
I heard that they cause cancer, is this true?
There have been several animal studies suggesting that artificial sweeteners cause an increased risk of cancer. There’s a few flaws with these studies though. First, animal studies aren’t particularly applicable to humans. Not only is our physiology different, but we’re exposed to vastly different things in our day-to-day lives. Secondly, many of these studies gave the animals much higher amounts of artificial sweeteners than a human would likely consume. Pretty much everything can cause cancer in too high of amounts, so this isn’t that damning. Research done on humans so far has shown no increased risk of cancer with moderate consumption of artificial sweeteners (below the ADI).
TL;DR
There are a variety of artificial sweeteners available. In general, they are lower in calories than traditional sugar and taste sweeter.
Artificial sweeteners in the U.S. food supply are approved by the FDA and are safe to consume in levels below the ADI.
Research is mixed on whether or not artificial sweeteners are helpful for weight loss.
Whether artificial or traditional, general recommendations are to reduce added sugar intake. Enjoy in moderation!