Ok, full disclosure: artificial sweeteners is number 57 pet hate, ie. I have a lot of pet hates! Seriously, though, I am constantly asking people to eat ‘real’ sweetness rather than chemical sweetness because I have always thought it is not helping to regulate blood sugar, or lower the sweet cravings via a change of diet.
‘Real’ by the way does not mean sugar itself, more fruit. You can see where I write more about sugars here and here. And on sweeteners here.
And, it seems the WHO (World Health Organisation) agrees, see more on their advice below…
It particularly grieves me when I see all these so-called healthy yogurts and drinks with artificial sweeteners in them. And don’t get me started on medicines, especially those designed for children or even older patients – have you seen how much sugar are in those meal replacement drinks given to care home residents and hospital patients – shocking?! Just when their need for good food is the greatest.
What about toothpaste, mouthwashes, cereals, cereal bars etc etc etc. The list goes on. And what about those people who are drinking litres of ‘pop’ or low-sugar squashes, coke etc every week? How much must they be taking in?
See: told you – pet hate!
So, I was interested to see a good article on this subject of artificial sweeteners in the Daily Mail health section today. Do have a read of it.
Daily Mail 31.10.23 “WHY ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS MAY NOT BE HEALTHIER THAN SUGAR” by John Naish.
Summary:
Studies suggest artificial sweeteners could raise our risk of diabetes and depression. Artificial sweeteners are everywhere – from cereals and yoghurts to diet drinks, ice cream, instant coffee, toothpaste etc. They are also in some prescription drugs such as antidepressants and antibiotics. A study published in the journal “Cell” last year found artificial sweeteners may interfere with the important microbes in our guts. A 2017 study of over 400,000 people, published in “Canadian Medical Association Journal” found people who drank one or more artificially sweetened drinks a day had a significantly higher risk of weight gain, type-2 diabetes and heart disease.
And I’ll leave you with a shocking conclusion from the WHO, who issued warnings about sweeteners this year:
Based on the evidence to date, the World Health Organization (WHO) in May published a new guideline on sweeteners, advising that they didn’t help with weight control long term and they might have unintended effects, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Daily Mail article
Nuff said. Fruit – with protein and fibre is best; a small amount of coconut sugar, agave or raw honey if you need to. Clinically, I concur with what the article says too: that it is surprisingly quick how people’s palate changes when you go cold turkey or start cutting down. #needstotakeownadvice 😉