Artificial sweeteners – why they are not the best choice for weight management

Sugar intake is on the rise in Australia – the average Australian is consuming more than double the recommended intake [1]. People are also resorting to artificial sweeteners, in order to lose weight and reduce their kilojoule intake. 

In Australia, sugar intake is on the rise. The average Australian is consuming more than double the recommended intake, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and it is affecting the weight and dental health of the nation as well as a dramatic increase in illnesses related to poor metabolic health. This article talks about the dangers of using artificial sweeteners to replace the sugar we love to eat and drink, and how the artificial sweeteners are affecting our sugar intake adversely and could be the reason weight gain has become such a public health issue in our society.

Sugar is a substance that includes all sweet carbohydrates and is widespread in our foods. Milk and fruit have different types of sugar in them – lactose in milk and fructose in fruit, but these are naturally occurring sugars. Sugar is a carbohydrate that provides a source of energy in our diet. It is added to many of our foods to enhance taste, colour, texture and provide more longevity to the food ( as in processed foods). Sugar can take many different forms including white, raw, brown, caster, honey and corn syrup.

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Sweet foods taste really good! Sugar increases the activity in certain parts of our brain causing excitation and increases neuronal activity. The brain neurons that are excited cause a release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters send messages to many parts of our bodies and muscles. One of these important sensations is hunger. Our need for energy drives our love of sweets. In children, in particular, the more sugar they eat, the more they crave. Eating sugar stimulates reward pathways in the brain associated with feelings of pleasure and reward.

Sugar and its harm to health are well documented with obesity and cardiovascular disease extensively researched.

However, we should be mindful that a moderate intake of refined sugar is acceptable in a modern diet, minimally processed and as natural as possible. This is about 10% of the total energy intake for the day. Be mindful of the quality and quantity of the rest of your daily intake. When the diet exceeds this amount and is excessive in the diet it is empty calories and of no nutritional value whatsoever. Indeed it takes the place of highly nutritious food. Many people who are grossly overweight are in fact undernourished.

To try to reduce the amount of sugar in our diets many people are turning to foods with artificial sweeteners in them to try and curb the weight problem that too much sugar causes.

Many foods available at the supermarket now have sugar free versions – yoghurts, ice creams, cakes and biscuits, sports and energy drinks, chewing gum, even tomato sauce. Soft drinks claiming to contain no sugar – Coke Zero, Diet Pepsi, Fanta No sugar, Schweppes Zero range and Diet Rite are readily available but in addition, they are used as mixer drinks with alcohol.

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All these food manufacturers rely on the chemicals in their products to hold up the taste missing because the sugar is omitted. And these chemicals are artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners are intense sweeteners and they have a level of sweetness that is many times that of sugar and so they can be used in much smaller amounts in food and beverages

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Artificial sweeteners have many different names and forms. – aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame and stevia. They have been designed to reduce energy intake and prevent weight gain. However, this is not always the case. There is emerging evidence suggesting that the use of artificial sweeteners over a long period of time may be associated with a higher risk of metabolic disturbances and Type 2 diabetes. Artificial sweeteners are anti-metabolic. Our bodies react differently to food that is sweetened with artificial sweeteners that those foods with just sugar. They only partially activate our reward pathways as they are sweet but do not have the calories we need for energy. They trick our brains causing us to overeat in order to feel satisfied or to crave even more sweetness later on. We do not feel satiated and choose foods with a higher caloric value than those who consumed nothing sweet or with real sugar.

When we eat real sugar it stimulates the secretion of insulin from our pancreas to regulate our blood sugar levels. Insulin puts the sugar in our diet to work sending it on to important energy cycles within the body. Artificial sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels and do not stimulate the release of insulin. Thus the pancreas reacts differently to the artificial sugars. This disordered behaviour from the pancreas can cause poor functioning of the pancreas and put us at risk of related illnesses such as diabetes.

In our digestive system, the body relies on enzymes and processes in our diet to create micro-organisms that help break down the food we eat. These micro-organisms are our gut microbiota. It is made up of numerous different types of bacteria in relatively small amounts and is unique to each of us. The gut microbiota reacts differently to real sugar than artificial sugars. The organisms contained in the gut are unable to break down the chemicals in artificial sweeteners as they can in real sugars. this changes the environment of the microbiota and can prevent the normal digestion of other important nutrients and vitamins, even though the rest of diet is quite good.

Artificial sweeteners in our diet:

  • are dangerous because of how our brains and bodies process these chemicals
  • alter the body’s ability to process real sugar through changes in the gut microbiota.
  • affect the body’s natural insulin response to real sugar. This can lead to less than dysfunction with regard to metabolic health.
  • can lead to less favourable outcomes in health in the future such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • encourage more craving for sugar, making you want to eat more food and potentially cause more weight gain.

What you can do:

  • reduce your consumption of foods that are high in sugar. They are commonly processed foods and foods that come in packages with a long shelf life.
  • Increase your intake of foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruit, wholegrains lean meat, fish, nuts and dairy foods
  • If you are going to have something sweet (and remember this should only be 10% of your total diet) avoid the artificially sweetened foods and go for real sugar – just moderate the amount you have. For example – its a hot summer’s day and you are thirsty. You feel like to Coke. Choose the original coke, not the Zero, and enjoy the drink. Allow your body to have a natural response to that sugar.
  • Everything in Moderation, including Moderation!
Top view of grey table filled with different types of food including meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, cheese, eggs and nuts.

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Geraldine Rogerson

Since I was a young child I have always been interested in the human body, illness and disease and have always wanted to help people. I became a nurse as soon as I finished school, completed my general nurses' training and became a registered nurse, and went on to become a midwife as well. I spent the next 25 years looking after sick people. While I loved doing this, I came to realise that prevention was where I wanted to be. I also discovered that Natural Medicine was the avenue that I needed to travel. Now, having completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy, and as a Naturopath, I believe I can help you achieve a better state of health that is sustainable and attainable. I have trained under Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride MD and became a certified GAPS (Gut And Psychology/ Physiology Syndrome), Practitioner. GAPS is explained as a condition, which establishes a connection between the functions of the digestive system, the brain and the immune system. So if you or any of your family members regularly experience common digestive complaints, for instance heartburn (reflux), indigestion, bloating, cramping, constipation, diarrhea or suffer from eczema, asthma, dyslexia, depression, autism, ADD, ADHD or autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and if you are ready to make a life changing decision for your health (or your child’s health) then I can assist you. My special interest areas are in reproductive health, both male and female, Pre-conception, Pregnancy, post natal, reproductive and menopausal issues, Children’s health – babies young children and adolescents, Weight issues, stress management and Chronic fatigue syndromes, to mention just a few. As a mother to four children, I understand the challenges and obstacles in the raising of children in the 21st Century. It is both exhilarating and exhausting. Added to this, the modern day illnesses caused by Stress, fatigue, poor nutrition and sub-optimal health can affect our day to day living. As your Naturopath, I can develop a treatment strategy for you that will pave the way to a cleaner, healthier state of well-being and supporting your vital force. It can be as simple as a few minor dietary changes or as complex as a multi-faceted long term treatment plan. My clinical experience acquired during my nursing years has given me as solid backbone of understanding of the process of disease and my understanding of Natural Medicine has added a whole new dimension to my level of understanding. The philosophy of Natural Medicine underpins what I believe in – to treat the underlying cause of the illness, to treat the whole client, educate the client about their illness and how to take care of themselves and their health, rebalance your system and develop strategies for the prevention of reoccurrence of disease. All of these factors are at the forefront of any treatment strategy that I develop. I look forward to meeting you and your family. I hope that I can be of assistance to you. I am centrally located in Carindale. My home-based clinic is open Monday to Friday 10am till 6pm, and on Saturdays 9am till 2pm. However, as I am homebased, I can make myself available outside those hours quite easily. This helps to accommodate school children in the mornings before school, or adults in the evening after their work-day. My times can be a flexible as you need them to be! In my clinic I have a dispensary and can prescribe you herbs and nutrients to help you achieve optimal health.