Are Artificial Sweeteners Unhealthier than Sugar?

How can drinks and snacks like Diet Coke or protein bars taste sweet but contain 0 grams of added sugar? Artificial sweeteners. You may know them best by their brand names: Equal® (aspartame), Splenda® (sucralose), and Sweet n’ Low® (saccharin). These artificial sweeteners (and three others currently approved by the FDA) have been touted as a way to avoid the negative health effects that typically come with high sugar intake — such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity — without sacrificing sweet treats altogether. 

But does that promise hold true? Follow along with us as we dig into medical research evaluating the health risks of artificial sweeteners. 

Sweeter than sugar:

Part of the appeal of using artificial sweeteners, from a food manufacturer’s perspective, is that they are often hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar, meaning that a little goes a long way. While this may be helpful for food companies trying to cut costs, research shows that it is not as good for us, the consumers. 

Sweet'n Low® is a saccharin sweetener.

There is evidence that consuming such sweeteners may decrease our sensitivity to sweetness, making foods and beverages made with table sugar less appealing. This may cause people to eat more of a non-artificially sweetened product than they otherwise would, which could lead to weight gain due to a change in eating behavior. 

So now we’ve seen that artificial sweeteners can indirectly lead to weight gain, but what about the direct effects of the sweeteners themselves? 

Skinny Fat:

Some studies find that artificial sugar intake has no effect on weight, while others find that it is correlated with weight loss, and still others find that consumption is associated with long-term weight gain. But is this preoccupation with weight warranted? Partially. Doctors tend to be concerned about obesity because it is a risk factor for conditions like cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes, not strictly because it means someone has more adipose (fat) tissue. 

This brings us to a nuance regarding obesity: not all fat is created equal. There’s actually a number of different ways that the body stores fat, two of which are relevant to this discussion: subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and visceral fat (fat around internal organs). Subcutaneous fat is what makes people appear overweight or obese, while visceral fat can be less visually apparent. And it’s this often invisible visceral fat that increases your risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. 

That is, it’s possible for someone who appears physically thin to exhibit characteristics of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (e.g., insulin resistance and high blood triglyceride levels). There’s a term for this: “metabolically obese, normal weight,” more commonly known as “skinny fat.” 

So while there is no consensus regarding artificial sweeteners’ impact on weight, it’s possible that even if artificial sweeteners do reduce weight overall, it’s important to ask what kind of fat people are losing. This is especially important given that there is consistent evidence that artificial sweeteners are associated with higher risk of CVD and diabetes (particularly by increasing insulin resistance). Could it be that artificial sweeteners reduce subcutaneous fat but increase visceral fat? Could artificial sweeteners be making us “skinny fat”? While there is more research required to be sure whether artificial sweeteners deliver on their widely believed ability to aid in weight loss, it’s helpful to remember that the kind of fat loss matters.

If you want to stick to foods without refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, you’ve come to the right place! Our mango and blueberry spirulina sea moss gels are flavored with real fruit puree and are free of refined sugar and artificial sweeteners. Head over to our [store page] if you’re interested, and also check out this [page link] for some fun recipes to go along with your purchase!

Sources:

• The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight Control and Glucose Homeostasis

• The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Human Health and Cancer Association: A Comprehensive Clinical Review

• Long-Term Consumption of Sucralose Induces Hepatic Insulin Resistance through an Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2-Dependent Pathway

• Sucralose decreases insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects: a randomized controlled trial

• The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight Control and Glucose Homeostasis

• Long-term aspartame and saccharin intakes are related to greater volumes of visceral, intermuscular, and subcutaneous adipose tissue: the CARDIA study

• Metabolic Obesity in People with Normal Body Weight (MONW)—Review of Diagnostic Criteria