After years of debate and uncertainty about the potential negative effects of artificial sweeteners, a new large-scale study has revealed that their consumption is, in fact, harmful to human health.
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The research, published in the journal “PLOS Medicine,” indicated that individuals who consume above-average amounts of sweeteners are 13% more likely to develop cancer, although certain types of sugar substitutes are more strongly associated with the disease than others. Information was sourced from “IFL Science”.
The Study
The authors of the research collected food diaries from around 103,000 French adults over an average period of nearly eight years. After adjusting for other cancer risk factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and fat intake, the scientists found that those who consumed large amounts of sweeteners had a higher incidence of cancer than non-consumers.
In particular, aspartame was associated with a 15% increase in the risk of all cancers and a 22% increase in the risk of breast cancer, as well as higher rates of cancer related to obesity, and the sweetener acesulfame-K.
Surprisingly, cancer rates were as high in excessive consumers of artificial sweeteners as in individuals who consumed above-average amounts of sugar. According to the authors, this suggests that “artificial sweeteners and excessive sugar intake may be equally associated with cancer risk”.
Other Evidence
A second study found that acesulfame-K causes even more DNA damage than aspartame, while there is also evidence that many artificial sweeteners interfere with the gut microbiota. Concrete conclusions cannot yet be drawn from the study, although it is easy to see why some scientists speculate that sugar substitutes may be highly harmful.
Although artificial sweeteners are routinely added to many food products, other natural sweeteners, such as stevia, are also very popular among people concerned with healthier food choices. The current study does not address the use of plant-based alternatives, so it is still unknown whether they pose similar health risks.
From the data, the scientists came to the definitive conclusion that their findings “do not support the use of artificial sweeteners as safe alternatives to sugar in food or beverages”.
