Artificial sweeteners are not safe, can cause obesity and diabetes

Artificial sweeteners may be considered healthier alternatives to sugar, but this new study warns that it may be linked to obesity and diabetes.

While replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners may seem like a good solution to lose weight or prevent diabetes, you may want to rethink that. A host of studies have shown that artificial sweeteners could be harmful for your health. A new study done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University shows that sugar replacements could even cause health changes linked with diabetes and obesity.

Earlier research had shown that artificial sweeteners could increase risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Another study showed that sweeteners combined with a low carbohydrate diet could significantly increase the quantity of calories consumed.

The study, which was conducted on rats and cell cultures, is the largest examination till date to track biochemical changes in the body. Researchers also looked at the impact of the substances on the lining of blood vessels. “Despite the addition of non-caloric artificial sweeteners to our everyday diets, there has still been a drastic rise in obesity and diabetes,” said lead researcher Brian Hoffmann, adding, “In our studies, both sugar and artificial sweeteners seem to exhibit negative effects linked to obesity and diabetes, albeit through very different mechanisms from each other.”

But should you go back to sugar then? Researchers caution that the results don’t provide a clear answer and there needs to be a further study on this topic. The research will be presented at the American Physiological Society annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting.

(With inputs from ANI)

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