Artificial sweeteners and disease
Artificial sweeteners, like saccharin, have been around since the late 1800s, however, consumption of artificial sweeteners vastly increased by about 54% in adults and 200% in children and adolescents between 1999 and 2000 (1).
A 2023 comprehensive clinical review showed that artificial sweetener consumption is associated with diseases like diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and neurologic diseases (2).
Types of artificial sweeteners
In addition to sugar alcohols, the U.S. FDA has approved six artificial sweeteners that can be added to food and beverages today, these include: aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin, sucralose, neotame, and advantame (3).
Aspartame
Aspartame is about 180 times sweeter than table sugar, provides about 4 calories per gram, is sold under brand names like Nutrasweet®, Equal®, and Sugar Twin®, and is used in over 5000 food and beverages today (4).
Aspartame consumption has been shown to inhibit enzymes necessary for dopamine and serotonin production in the body, which can lead to behavioral disorders like depression (5).
Some studies suggest that aspartame increases the risk for neurodegeneration and diseases like Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s, MS, and brain tumors, as methanol, a metabolite of aspartame, damages cells (5).
Based on evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidelines in 2023 concerning aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans, specifically for liver cancer (6).
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)
Acesulfame potassium is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar, is sold under brand names like Sunett® and Sweet One®, and can be used as a sweetener or flavor enhancer (4).
Studies show that Ace-K creates dysbiosis of the gut bacteria which can increase risk for systemic chronic inflammation in the host (7).
Methylene chloride, a breakdown product of Ace-K is a known carcinogen, and a 2017 study states that long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause depression, mental confusion, as well as liver and kidney issues in humans (8).
Acetoacetamide is another breakdown product of Ace-K, and has been shown to cause the growth of thyroid tumor in animal studies (8).
Saccharin
Saccharin is 200-700 times sweeter than table sugar, and this no calorie sweetener is sold under brand names like Sweet and Low®, Sweet Twin®, Sweet' N Low®, and Necta Sweet® (4).
A 2019 animal study found that long-term consumption of saccharin increased the risk of both obesity and diabetes, impaired the liver and kidneys, and possibly increased the risk for cancer of brain cells in the animals that were studied (9).
The consumption of saccharin, whether a low or high dose, leads to impaired kidney function with increased levels of serum urea, creatinine and sodium excretion, and is associated with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (10).
Sucralose
Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar, is used in foods like baked goods, frozen desserts, beverages, and chewing gum, and is sold under the brand name Splenda® (4).
A large-scale prospective study with more than 100,000 participants published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) found that higher artificial sweetener consumption, specifically sucralose, aspartame, and Ace-K, directly increased the risk for cardiovascular disease in the participants (11).
Sucralose consumption reduces thyroid peroxidase activity, the enzyme necessary for generating thyroid hormones, which leads to less thyroid hormone being produced, and metabolic disorders over time (12).
Studies have found the consumption of artificial sweeteners on average of 4 packets or 4 grams per day for about 5 years is associated with an increased risk for well-differentiated thyroid cancer (13).
Neotame
Neotame is about 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than table sugar, is sold under the brand name Newtame®, was approved by the FDA in 2002, and is used as both a sweetener and flavor enhancer today (4).
A 2024 study shows that neotame directly and indirectly damages the intestines which then negatively impacts the gut microbiota and results in metabolic and inflammatory disease as well as neurological conditions and pain (14).
Advantame
Advantame is about 20,000 times sweeter than table sugar, is conditionally used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, and according to the FDA less than 40 animal and human studies were reviewed for the approval of this substance in 2014 for use in commercial foods today (4).
Advantame is derived from aspartame and is used similarly as a high-intensity sweetener (15).
As the newest non-nutritive sweetener approved by the FDA, research is limited on this product, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest states that, although key studies were flawed, due to advantame’s hyper-sweetness the amount of this product used should be minor and any possible cancer risk would be negligible (16).
Comments