Artificial sweeteners are touted as an alternative to sugar – but research casts doubt on their safety | CBC radio

The safety of artificial sweeteners has been debated for decades, but new research is renewing concerns about their possible health effects.

Researchers behind a large-scale diet study from France say they found links between consumption of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose and cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The NutriNet-Santé study, with more than 100,000 participants, is among the largest of its kind and the first to quantify the amount of sweeteners consumed, it said.

“It’s an important step – a new brick on the wall – given the evidence that we would train together on artificial sweeteners and health,” said Mathilde Touvier, head of the nutritional epidemiology research team at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research and one of the authors of the study.

Non-nutritive sweeteners, as they are known in nutritional science, are intensely sweet — hundreds of times sweeter than sugar — and are preferred by many because they offer the taste of sugar without the calories. And as the long-term effects of too much sugar become better known, artificial sweeteners are also being seen as an alternative.

While diet soda may be the most obvious source, artificial sweeteners are found in all kinds of common foods, including yogurt, baked goods, and even ketchup.

Previous studies have shown that sugar substitutes can do this Change gut microbiomes and increase blood sugar. Other studies even suggest that they can lead to weight gain, although this has been denied.

“There really is a growing body of evidence disproving the notion that artificial sweeteners are metabolically inactive substances. And I think these results should give us food for thought,” Leslie Beck, nutritionist and health columnist, said in an interview with the dose Dr Brian Goldman.

International health authorities are investigating sweeteners

The latest The NutriNet-Santé Cardiovascular Health Study was released last month in the British Medical Journal.

It sorted the participants into three groups – lower, higher and non-users of artificial sweeteners. Those in the higher cohort consumed about 77 milligrams of artificial sweeteners per day, which equates to about two packets of sweetener, or less than 200 milliliters of diet soda.

Compared to non-users, higher users tended to be younger, had higher body mass index, were more likely to smoke, and exercised less.

The study found that aspartame intake was associated with higher rates of cerebrovascular events such as stroke and acesulfame potassium and sucralose were associated with higher rates of coronary artery disease in high-user participants compared to non-users.

A separate study also using data from the NutriNet-Santé group published last March found in the journal PLOS Medicine an association between artificial sweeteners — particularly aspartame and acesulfame potassium — and cancer risk.

Touvier notes that the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently investigating the safety of artificial sweeteners.

in one Meta-analysis of nearly 300 studies published in April, the WHO noted that there may be short-term weight loss benefits when replacing sugar-based drinks with artificially sweetened drinks — but not when compared to water. It also noted that studies “suggest the possibility of long-term harm in the form of an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality,” but cautioned that additional research is needed.

“We hope this new work will bring important evidence and help [the WHO] possibly revise their opinion and regulation on artificial sweeteners,” Touvier said.

In Canada, sugar substitutes are regulated and approved after a safety assessment by Health Canada.

Less consumption of sweet foods

David Ma, a professor and nutrition researcher at the University of Guelph, says that while the results of the most recent NutriNet-Santé study uncovered an increased cardiovascular health risk in a relatively small number of people, they suggest that it is a “signal” for a potential long-term health issues.

However, this does not indicate an imminent danger to most consumers.

“I would say the sky isn’t going to fall because we have artificial sweeteners in our diets,” said Ma, who is also director of the Guelph Family Health Study.

“But of course we need to keep an eye on everything in our diet, including artificial sweeteners, in terms of short-term and long-term effects.”

As with anything in nutrition, researchers say moderation is key. And Touvier says, based on the results of her study, occasional consumption of artificial sweeteners poses a fairly low risk.

The Canadian Food Guide states that sugar substitutes are not necessary for a healthy diet. In fact, their use can lead to less healthy dietary choices and an increased preference for sweet foods.

Whether it’s sweetness from artificial sweeteners or sugar, Beck said cutting down is key. She recommends:

• Gradually reduce your sweetener consumption – for example, by using a quarter packet less each week.
• Switching to flavored, carbonated water for those craving pop.
• Consider plain yogurt naturally sweetened with fresh fruit instead of sweetened yogurt.

“It’s entirely possible to adjust the taste buds and prefer a less sweet taste,” says the nutritionist.