Artificial Intelligence
BarBend's "What does the science actually say about artificial sweeteners?"
Hello from Singapore! At the time this newsletter goes out, I’ll have just concluded three straight days of being a primary caregiver and solo responsible adult figure to two young children, which is a task nothing in my life has prepared me for. I hope I make it out okay — I’m a lot more worried for myself than I am for the kids.
In the event that you never hear from me again — that’s probably what did me in. In which case, I suppose now is as good a time as ever to tackle a fairly controversial topic!
Artificial sweeteners are some of the most heavily researched food additives that exist out there. Aspartame in particular has over 100 studies supporting its safety. And yet, artificial sweeteners are some of the most widely feared food additives. Plenty of people believe (and will have you believe) that these “non-nutritive” substances are one of the biggest causes of our global obesity epidemic, but since you already know that it’s a caloric surplus that causes weight gain, you’ve probably wondered how something without (or with very few) calories could have this result. Gut health? Insulin? Leptin? Beyond weight gain, are these substances carcinogenic? Are they going to make me grow a third eye? Will my facial expression lock into Blue Steel?
Nick English recently wrote an excellent article over on BarBend.com on this very subject, which I’d strongly recommend you read:
What Does the Science Actually Say on Artificial Sweeteners?
Now, English has done an amazing job, and to my mind there’s zero value I could add to that, so I’m just gonna really quickly summarise it:
He looked at three of the most common sweeteners, namely sucraclose, acesulfame potassium, and aspartame.
The data do NOT back up definitive and causative links between consumption of reasonable amounts of artificial sweeteners and weight gain, cancer, insulin spikes, or negatively impacted gut health in humans.
However, there is some data specific to effects in humans which is lacking, especially with respect to acesulfame potassium. This means that while there is no clear evidence showing it is harmful, we simply may not yet have enough knowledge on the subject.
As for my general recommendations (which are in line with the article’s): assuming you don’t have any pre-existing digestive issues with artificial sweeteners, and enjoy the taste, I wouldn’t worry about a couple of diet sodas or servings of (artificially sweetened) protein products and/or supplements in a day. Particularly for individuals seeking to manage their weight, a non-caloric beverage (such as diet soda) is probably going to be a better option (for satiety) than a fully sweetened drink (like regular soda). However, being non-nutritive also means that they don’t contain any vitamins and minerals, which I’m always a fan of including where possible.
In case it needs to be said, I would prioritise drinking no- or low-calorie drinks like water or black coffee over diet sodas. I also do not consider protein products like whey powders or protein bars to be superior sources of protein, and would prioritise whole protein sources, assuming convenience is not an issue.
It would probably also be prudent to keep an eye on the overall quantity you consume, since there are still some areas where we don’t fully understand how these sweeteners (or any of the other highly processed ingredients in food or drinks that often contain them) may affect us or our microbiome. However, a couple of cans of diet soda per day is well within the amounts that has been established as safe for humans.
Which is to say: be sensible, and don’t behave like an idiot.