‘Sugar-Free’ Does Not Mean Healthy

Artificial sweeteners added to "sugar-free" drinks can be unhealthy. Shutterstock

A friend of mine who has diabetes always drinks sugar-free beverages because he thinks these drinks are not harmful. However, this is more a myth than truth. Sugar-free products that you believe are good for health may be the opposite!

Common Types of Artificial Sweeteners

As we all know, excessive sugar intake can lead to diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, tumors, and autoimmune diseases, which harm human health. As a result, sugar-free sweeteners were developed and grew into a vast industry.

An artificial sweetener is a synthetic substance that is usually sweeter than sugar but contains no or very little of the latter. Let us first take a closer look at some commonly used artificial sweeteners.

• Aspartame: The sweetener aspartame is a very low-calorie sweetener but is 200 times sweeter in taste than sugar, which is why it is widely used in chewing gum and beverages such as Diet Coke.
• Sucralose: This is about 600 times sweeter than sugar and is a common ingredient in various beverages, candy, and baked foods.
• Saccharin: Saccharin is used in chewing gum, pharmaceuticals, and other products.

Danger Posed by Artificial Sweeteners

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers these to be generally safe, more and more studies have found that these artificial sweeteners can endanger our health. So what are their possible harms?

Sucralose is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. However, if used in large quantities over a long time, it can also have adverse health effects. For example, it can cause an imbalance in the gut flora, increase blood sugar and insulin levels, and affect the body’s immune system.

Some studies have found long-term use of saccharin increases the risk of diabetes and increases the risk of metabolic syndrome (the “three highs” plus obesity). In addition, it was found in animal experiments that saccharin can increase the risk of bladder cancer. Of course, this risk is still inconclusive in human studies, but we need to be vigilant anyway.

In addition to increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome and cancer, aspartame affects brain health. The compounds in aspartame contain a certain amount of phenylalanine, which can affect the brain’s and nerves’ health, causing headaches and even epilepsy.

Regarding artificial sweeteners, we can’t neglect to mention xylitol. Xylitol, also known as sorbitol, occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables, such as hawthorn, prune, and beetroot. Xylitol is sweet and low in calories. Therefore, it is often used as a sugar substitute to increase the product’s sweetness without adding calories. It is widely used in chewing gum, candy, food additives, and oral hygiene products.

While xylitol is safe in most cases, it is still an artificial chemical that poses health risks when consumed over the long term. For example, xylitol can be broken down by intestinal bacteria to produce gas, causing symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Long-term intake of substantial amounts of xylitol can also cause intestinal flora imbalance and metabolic problems. Although xylitol is low in calories, it can still cause spikes in blood sugar levels. Therefore, people with diabetes should care about how much xylitol they consume.

Moreover, all these sweeteners may increase appetite and thus weight, especially in teenagers and children. This is mainly because people often think of sweeteners as a low-calorie or no-calorie alternative, but in fact, eating sweeteners can increase our desire for sweetness, which in turn prompts people to consume more calories. Other studies have found that these sweeteners can lead to weight gain by affecting the structure and function of gut microbiota.

Research published in Nature in 2014 showed that sugar substitutes can change intestinal bacteria composition, thereby causing insulin resistance and interfering with the body’s metabolism of glucose.

People who regularly consume sweeteners are also prone to depression or poor concentration. A study involving 260,000 participants found that people who drank artificially sweetened beverages had a higher risk of depression, while those who drank black coffee or tea devoid of any sweeteners had a lower chance of it.

Therefore, it is recommended that you use sweeteners in moderation in your diet or choose other natural sweeteners instead, such as honey, maple syrup, or coconut water. If you have concerns about using sugar-free additives, you can consult your doctor or nutritionist for advice.