Long-term use of the alternative sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease
 

- A major review found sweeteners may have negative effects on our metabolism

- Evidence taking artificial sweeteners reduces weight was mixed, scientists say

- They said caution is needed until the risks of artificial sweeteners are understood

Artificial sweeteners increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, research suggests.

A wide-ranging review has found that long term use of the sweeteners ? including aspartame, sucralose and stevia ? may have negative effects on our metabolism and appetite, as well as our gut bacteria.

And contrary to expectation based on the belief cutting out sugar would prevent weight gain, evidence that taking artificial sweeteners reduces weight was mixed.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba's George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation reviewed 37 studies that followed over 400,000 people for an average of 10 years.

The researchers said there was no consistent weight loss seen in people who took artificial sweeteners.

Dr Ryan Zarychanski, Assistant Professor, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba said: 'Despite the fact that millions of individuals routinely consume artificial sweeteners, relatively few patients have been included in clinical trials of these products.

'We found that data from clinical trials do not clearly support the intended benefits of artificial sweeteners for weight management.'

Continued Artificial sweeteners won't help you lose weight | Daily Mail Online

I would imagine the data is a bit skewed. It's mostly diabetics and obese people that use these sweeteners to begin with because they can't or don't want sugar.

If something is zero calories(sucralose) vs 15 calories (sugar), the zero calories will go further toward keeping you fit. I know there are hormonal aspects involved, but calories in vs calories out rules over all else.

I've been suing sucralose in my coffee for years and I'm about 8% body fat. My wife uses it also....she's fit too. So my own empirical findings are that this is a big scare over nothing.

Should you be using 15 packets per day of the stuff? Probably not, but all things in moderation are fine.

This is the difficulty :2 cents:

i'd rather use real sugar than artificial sweeteners...

don't exaggerate with sugar, just burn those extra calories with exercise and you'll be fine :thumbsup

Thats exactly right.

I put sugar in my coffee and enjoy a coke or sprite a few times a week, and I'm not overweight in any way.

However everyone I know who is overweight, drinks diet Pepsi and similar. A few of my friends Moms are easily 200 lbs, and go through at least a dozen diet Pepsi's a week. It's almost like its addictive.

I tasted it a few times, and its awful. It seems sweet at first but leaves a bad aftertaste. I see why anyone likes this crap.

If you want to drop a few pounds, do this:

- Swap out the soft drinks with water.
- Set a timer on your computer to remind you to get up off your ass every hour and walk around.
- Start your day with a walk or a jog or a bike ride. You don't need to win a race - just get outside. The sunshine will let your skin make some nice fresh vitamin D for you as bonus.
- Use smaller plates for your food. Smaller plates fit less food.

I promise you'll drop a few pounds and feel better.

eat 2000 calories of marshmallows every day for a month. Tell me how that works out for you skippy..

That's some straw man bullshit.

I didn't say you could eat 100% sugar and maintain a good body composition. Moderation.

I don't think that has ever been proven. That said, artificial sweetners taste bad and are proven or suspected carcinogens. Abbott Labs Sucaryl is one proven carcinogenic -- and taken off the market.

Probably, people are drinking Diet Cola while the feed their face with Cheetos and Bic Macs or KFC. You are what you eat.

Ok then what is sweet and good???? Sugar does all that too - goddammit what can I eat for dessert?

What the hell are these people wearing white jackets and calling themselves scientists for if they can't make a sweetener that is not going to kill you?

your body runs on glucose which is sugar, so sugar won't kill you.

saw shat our bodies exact better when we don't have sugar for 10 days... there is a withdrawal before the 10 day mark though

Yep better to stick with original sugar, if you take it toomuch then go walk or run till you normalize system. That works even if you have diabetes .

They're also likely to be fatter than normal people.

Good tips Mark :thumbsup :2 cents:

I went from about 27% body fat down to about 11% eating plenty of sweeteners and drinking lots of diet pop every day, it took about 60 days--this with minimal exercise! Want to explain how that was making me fat or diabetic?

I have always known that eating too much of that shit is not good. I know now that it can actually stimulate the pancreas a bit and slow down results, but that doesn't make or keep one obese, it just slows down progress. I still got there in 60 days.. The only difference now is I can get there faster without it. Sugar is poison, a well proven poison. For those of you saying its better remember this conversation when you are asking yourself at 50-60 years old why you have a ring around your stomach, if you even live that long. I assure you it isn't genetics or your metabolism...

sugar=>liver=>increased blood cholesterol=>increased risk for diabetes/atherosclerosis=>heart attack and even death.

sweetener=>moderate pancreas stimulation=>minor decrease in insulin sensitivity=>will increase appetite a bit and carbohydrate cravings=>will slow down progress with fat burning slightly. More so if diet is abandoned, obviously.

which sounds worse?

exercise will help about 5% tops for most people. Is that your advice for someone who is 450 lbs? you can do your microbe of exercise and in 300 years maybe you'll be fit. That doesn't qualify as a strategy...

Drink water as nature intended

Nonnutritive sweeteners and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies