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Biophysical Effects of Artificial Sweeteners

Health-conscious consumers searching for methods to satisfy their craving for sweet foods without adding more calories to their diet use artificial sweeteners, but not without reservations about these sweeteners' other health effects. Artificial sweeteners have an association with cancer which they may or may not deserve, but they can also cause problems related to your digestion and metabolism.

  1. Weight

    • A recent study published in Behavioral Science suggests that artificial sweeteners may cause weight gain. In the study, animals fed artificial sweeteners regularly consumed more calories than animals fed naturally-sweetened food. While the cause of this result is unknown, the animals who ate sugar displayed the normal signs of increased metabolism after eating, but the animals eating artificial sweeteners did not. Monitor your calorie intake if you switch to artificial sweeteners.

    Blood Sugar

    • Unlike sugar, artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates. They do not raise blood sugar levels and diabetics consume them regularly without negative effects. The artificial sweeteners safe for diabetics include saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose, according to advice from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D. However, other ingredients in artificially-sweetened food may interact with your blood sugar, so diabetics must be cautious.

    Digestion

    • Sugar alcohols offer the same sweet taste as sugar, but contain half the calories of sugar -- sometimes even less than half. In addition, they do not contribute to tooth decay. If you consume sugar alcohols in large amounts, however, bloating and diarrhea are typical results. Products labeled "sugar free" may still contain sugar alcohol and extra calories, so read labels carefully.

    Cancer

    • Studies in the 1970s and 1980s linked artificial sweeteners to some types of cancer, and for years the government required manufacturers to attach a warning label to products containing saccharin. More recent studies reveal that saccharin, aspartame and cyclamate have no clear link to cancer; a stigma remains, but science has not proven these artificial sweeteners are dangerous.

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