The Reasons Why Artificial Sweeteners Are Not A Healthy Alternative To Sugar

In our day and age, obesity is becoming a growing concern in both adults and adolescents. Many of those who are trying to become healthier, cut back on sugars, and change bad eating habits have turned to using artificial sweeteners as a substitute. Several studies have shown that over-consumption of these sweeteners increases a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes as well as other health-related conditions, including weight gain and possibly cancer. Artificial sweeteners are not a healthy alternative to sugar; they are derived from chemicals, making them as unhealthy if not more unhealthy than actual sugar, creating the possibility of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health-related conditions. Artificial sweeteners are as unhealthy if not more unhealthy than actual sugar; they are unnatural and therefore are not intended for bodily consumption. According to Dr. Sen, “…there is increasing scientific evidence that these sweeteners promote metabolic dysfunction”. Metabolic dysfunction is when your body either produces too much or too little of the nutrients needed to be considered healthy. Also, more often than not, these sweeteners are accidentally discovered by scientists. Sucralose, according to journalists, “…was accidentally discovered in 1976 when Tate & Lyle, a British sugar company, were looking for ways to use sucrose as a chemical intermediate”. Artificial sweeteners are derived from chemicals and then altered to create the perfect sugar substitute and people don’t take seriously enough the potential risks of consuming these chemicals, which were never intended for bodily consumption. Artificial sweeteners are a possible cause of weight gain. While it is believed going “diet” is helpful for losing weight because it reduces caloric intake, some studies have shown that too much of these artificial alternatives might actually have the opposite effect. According to Roni Rabin, “…those who drank more than 21 servings of diet drinks a week were at twice the risk of becoming overweight or obese, and the more diet soda people drank the greater the risk”. Another reason why those who go “diet” in order to lose weight may not actually end up losing weight is because they feel as if they can splurge somewhere else since they are not consuming as many calories from artificially sweetened foods and or drinks. Excessive consumption of artificial sweeteners will slow and or stall weight loss and, for best results, one should eliminate substitutes from their diet completely. Regular consumption of artificially sweetened substances can increase a person’s chances of developing health conditions that one might not have been subject to otherwise, such as cancer.

Based on research from a study in 2007 that tested effects of aspartame on rats demonstrated, “…a significant increase of malignant tumors in males, an increase in the incidence of lymphomas and leukemias in males and females, and an increase in the incidence of mammary cancer in females”. The reason why this may be a potential cause of cancer is mainly due to the chemical background of these substitutes. A person’s body is not capable of breaking down the chemicals that artificial sweeteners are made of, which means they build up slowly and start attacking your body internally, weakening the system, and risking letting cancerous cells take over while your immune system and internal organs’ defenses are down. Development of type 2 diabetes is becoming an increasing concern in today’s society and many studies have linked possible risk factors to the fact that so many people abuse the use of artificially sweetened products. A large study over a span of five years concluded that, “…those who drank diet soda at least once a day were at 67 percent greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t consume diet drinks…”. The reason for this because ,while the artificially sweetened soda is not reported to have any direct effect on raising blood sugar, it can still cause in imbalance of healthy bacteria which could then affect sensitivity to insulin and appetite hormones. Even if it does not affect an individual’s insulin sensitivity, over-eating caused by unbalanced appetite hormones and healthy bacteria can also lead to that person potentially developing type 2 diabetes or another health-related condition; sugar is not the only way for a person to develop insulin obstructions.

Studies providing information on the “defects” of sugar substitutes are invalid because they are based on incomplete evidence. Most all articles concerning the “defects” of artificial sweeteners state that there is still not enough evidence to say for sure whether they even contribute to health-related conditions at all, rather stating that consuming the recommended intake of these sweeteners is healthy and will help weight-loss-seeking individuals. Artificial sweeteners are helpful for individuals who are overweight because they contain minimal calories so, by replacing sugary drinks and sweets with artificially sweetened alternatives, they are able to cut out the extra unnecessary calories that sugar contains. They are also very useful for those who suffer from medical conditions, such as diabetes, that require them to eliminate most forms of sugar from their diets, allowing them to enjoy sweets without worry. Artificial sweeteners are not a healthy alternative to sugar and they are a possible cause for several health conditions. People should consume minimal amounts if not completely remove the use of them from their diets and lifestyles. Creators of these chemically formulated sugar substitutes understand that more than likely side effects will be exhibited from long-term use. So, rather than continuing to make artificial sweeteners, they need to be promoting the risks of consuming too much because people are under the assumption that they can consume as much of these sweeteners as they want without any detrimental effects.

Works Cited

1. Kelly, Laura. “Study Finds Artificial Sweeteners Lead to Weight Gain, but Experts Disagree.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 6 Apr. 2017, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/6/sucralose-found-in-splenda-zero-calorie-sweetener-/.
2. Rabin, Roni Caryn. “Artificial Sweeteners and Weight Gain.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2016, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/artificial-sweeteners-and-weight-gain/.
3. Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Weight Gain-Not Weight Loss.” Time, Time, 14 Sept. 2017, https://time.com/collection/guide-to-weight-loss/4859012/artificial-sweeteners-weight-loss/. Whitehouse, Christina R., et al. “The Potential Toxicity of Artificial Sweeteners.” AAOHN Journal, vol. 56, no. 6, June 2008, pp. 251–261, doi:10.1177/216507990805600604.