Artificial Sweeteners — worse than sugar?

92019start · July 2019

Studies on artificial sweeteners show mixed results. It appears they can raise insulin even while containing 0 calories. Do you think it’s better for weight loss to have a 200-calorie regular treat (sweetened with cane sugar), or 200-calorie artificially sweetened treat?

kimny72 · July 2019

I have never seen anything that shows that artificial sweeteners raise insulin. Considering diabetics who inject insulin have to monitor their levels carefully, and are encouraged to replace sugar with artificial sweeteners, I find it difficult to believe they wouldn't have noticed this as a typical reaction.

Artificial sweeteners are some of the most researched food additives in history. They continue to be researched because the diet industry is desperate to prove they are dangerous, anything to eliminate an easy way to control calories yourself

All they've managed to prove is that if you are a rodent, you shouldn't consume your weight in sweeteners every day for your entire life.

I drink a diet soda and also use a water flavor enhancer daily. I lost weight as expected by my calorie intake, I do not have insulin resistance or blood sugar issues.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

lemurcat2 · July 2019

If both sweets are 200 cal and you have the room for them, the only question is which are you going to find the most satisfying.

When I occasionally have a soda, it's always diet, since I switched to diet about 30 years ago and don't like the taste of regular now, and besides I have a hard time wasting calories on a beverage. (If diet soda ceased existing I'd just not have soda.)

With dessert foods, I would rather have less of something that I find the most tasty so, for example, will choose 200 cal of regular ice cream over a low cal ice cream. But there's no right answer -- people will have different preferences.

missysippy930 · July 2019

200 calories from a treat with cane/beet sugar vs low calorie sweetener, would only differ as to the size of the treat.
As kimny72 said, no conclusive study proving artificial sweeteners affect health. I’ve been drinking diet pop for almost 50 years. I’m not on any prescription medication, and have no health issues.

92019start · July 2019

Link to an article discussing this research:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diabetes/ask-the-doctor-do-artificial-sweeteners-cause-insulin-resistance

lauragreenbaum · July 2019

I predict this is going to be a looooooooong thread

missysippy930 · July 2019

lauragreenbaum wrote: »

I predict this is going to be a looooooooong thread

Yep!
Comes up multiple times daily.

kimny72 · July 2019

92019start wrote: »

Link to an article discussing this research:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diabetes/ask-the-doctor-do-artificial-sweeteners-cause-insulin-resistance

That is an article by a doctor associated with Harvard, not published, peer reviewed research. I can only see the first paragraph of the answer without a subscription, but even there, it says "You've asked a question scientists are still working to answer. Studies of artificial sweeteners are mixed, with some indicating that people using them eat fewer calories and lose weight or maintain a stable weight. However, in a few studies, artificial sweeteners were associated with weight gain, which might increase the risk of developing insulin resistance"

So that's suggesting the weight gain creates the IR, not the sweetener itself. And there has been no causal link shown between artificial sweeteners and weight gain. In fact, it could be just as simple as people who switch to diet soda from regular aren't counting calories and assume that saving those calories means they have room for more food, and they end up in a calorie surplus anyway.

NovusDies · July 2019

It might be worth pointing out before this thread devolves into ridiculousness that unless you have an insulin sensitivity there is NO reason to worry about having elevated levels in your blood. It is a normal response to food and it does wonders to keep you from dying.

This is not a response to artificial sweeteners raising insulin which I doubt happens but I don't need to research because I don't like the taste of them anyway.

justanotherjenn · July 2019

Oh fun, another one of these lol.

From my personal experience:

Adding in artificial sweeteners never caused me to gain weight. I know a lot of people who maybe had their sugar cravings triggered, but like everything else you put into your body, it's different for everyone.

There ARE some that bother my digestive system, like maltitol. But aspartame I have never had a problem with and will drink my daily Diet Coke until I'm dead.

Artificial Sweeteners — worse than sugar?

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