There’s a reason we specifically did a story recently about
natural sugar alternatives
. A research published in The BMJ journal stated that artificial sweeteners may not help with the weight loss after all. The published research also stated that there may not be enough evidence for their safety to begin with.
With more and more people adopting healthier lifestyles in the recent times, there has been a massive increase in the amount of artificial sweeteners consumed.
To understand the potential benefits and harms of artificial sweeteners, a team of European researchers analysed 56 studies and compared no intake or lower intake of non-sugar sweeteners with higher intake in healthy adults and children. They measured subjects’ weight, blood sugar control and checked for, cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, mood and behaviour The results found that for most outcomes there wasn’t a significant relevant difference between those exposed to non-sugar sweeteners and those not exposed, or between different doses of non-sugar sweeteners.
In adults, the studies showed small improvements in body mass index and fasting glucose levels with non-sugar sweeteners, but the certainty of this evidence was low. Consuming artificial sweeteners definitely helped in maintaining weight, but the difference was extremely low.
In another linked editorial, Vasanti Malik from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said she agreed that more studies needed to done to understand the potential health effects of non-sugar sweeteners. She concludes by saying that replacing your regular sugar with non-sugar alternative could be a helpful strategy to reduce cardiometobolic risk, but the ultimate aim is to eat a healthier diet.
While the results of the study sure seem non-conclusive, we wouldn’t want to take any chances, stay away from artificial sweeteners, till the doctors make up their mind!
