By Reem Abdulrahman Jassim al-Muftah
I constantly get asked if diet drinks and foods are better than the regular options, specifically if diet soda is better than regular soda. I always used to answer of course not but I never explain the actual scientific reasons why, mainly because no one has the time or wants to understand the biology. Just because something is artificially sweetened it does not mean that it is healthier. Yes, numerous artificial sweeteners are FDA approved and have zero to low calories, but there are actual negative long-term effects associated to the consistent intake of these ‘healthier’ sweeteners.
Okay, so we all agree that these sweeteners could be a better option for those trying to maintain their weight or trying to lose weight. Research even shows that there is no direct link to disease, but the thing is, what is the research making these conclusions? First of all, there have been only a few studies looking at the short-term effects of artificial sweeteners and overall health and most are inconclusive as there aren’t any studies looking at the long-term effects. Let’s not forget to mention the several studies conducted on lab rats that do prove adverse effects leading to disease, but since nothing has been proved on humans, the FDA considers these sweeteners safe. The problem with conducting similar studies on humans is that there is too big a risk of hurting the patients due the need to deprive them of food and the potential of provoking diabetes and potentially leading to high weight gain as shown and done with animals. Therefore, I believe there is no conclusive evidence to prove these sweeteners are safer than sugar.
We all forget to think about our biology and how our body works and reacts to sugar. To explain, we have to go deep into our biology and understand how our bodies react to sugar and specifically how the brain and body deal with it. As soon as our taste buds detect sweetness, they alert our brain that calories are on their way into the body. The brain then sends signals to the pancreas to prepare the release of insulin. Insulin breaks down sugar and sends it out to different parts of the body to use as energy and stores the rest as fat for energy needed later. In the absence of sugar, this leads to over-production of insulin and can potentially lead to insulin resistance; the body feels tricked and the insulin no longer responds correctly to glucose, possibly leading to diabetes. Brain studies on the effects of artificial sweeteners also show that the body releases high amounts of insulin after the intake of ‘diet sodas’ and that the body does not register ‘enough calories’ so it does not trigger the brain it is partially satisfied or alerting it that you are full, potentially leading to overeating or the craving for real sugar at a later stage.
Our brains react to sugar and activate reward pathways but there is a lot of evidence that reveal how artificial sweeteners only partially activate the reward pathways, potentially harming our systems by tricking our brains, causing us to overeat or causing us to crave sugar later. Even from short-term studies, these healthier options have shown to make humans crave real sugar more and to eat foods with a higher calorie count as revealed in the numerous animal studies. These sweeteners also do not increase our blood sugar levels like real sugar does and this causes the pancreas to respond differently. Because the pancreas is ready to work one sweetness is detected but with the absence of actual sugar it leads to abnormal pancreas functioning and can easily lead to diseases and illnesses such as diabetes. Even when digesting sweeteners, the microorganisms that help us break down food become less able to break down real sugars the more that they are exposed to artificial sweeteners.
The thing is, there have been studies on humans in terms of the effects of drinking diet soda vs. regular soda and the results are as follows: drinking diet soda on a daily basis was associated with a 67% greater risk of developing diabetes and a 36% greater risk of developing high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high levels of cholesterol, and last but not least, an increase in the waistline!
Many physicians, nutritionists, dieticians and health coaches associate these sweeteners with addiction habits as people have been seen to start disliking most foods unless they are as sweet as these sweeteners. Imagine, there have even been studies conducted on lab rats where they are made to choose between cocaine and artificial sweeteners with the rats actually choosing the sweeteners over the highly dangerous and addictive drug.
In conclusion, yes these sweeteners might be helpful when used in moderation, but do not completely replace all sugar with them and don’t opt for ‘diet’ foods using these alternatives as they might have a negative impact on your overall health, especially the way your body works. Try reducing your sugar and using healthier natural alternatives, especially when it comes to the younger generations, please do not shake up their biological systems and try to change the behavior rather than the source of sweetness.
* The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.
