Artificial sweeteners you will NEVER eat again

In a previous post we explored the best and worst natural sweeteners and learned the hazards of sugar. Today you are going to discover which artificial sweeteners are harmless and which are seriously detrimental to your health.

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Note that artificial sweeteners can be either harmless or harmful, but not beneficial. This stems from the fact that, although they have no calories, they do not provide any nutrition either.

For decades, all studies have rejected the correlation between artificial sweetener consumption and bladder cancer. However, a 2008 case-control study of 197 patients with urinary tract tumors (UTT) and 397 healthy subjects concluded that regular use of artificial sweeteners for 10 years is strongly associated with bladder cancer.

It has been known since 2011 that long-term exposure to artificial sweeteners, namely aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin, and fructose, EVEN IN LOW DOSES, exacerbate atherosclerosis (a degenerative disease where fatty deposits line your arterial walls) and senescence (biological aging).

 

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A month ago, another study revealed that non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) interfere with peripheral and central nervous mechanism altering your metabolism and energy balance by altering your sweet taste receptors, hormone secretion, gut microbiota and cognitive processes, namely memory, reward learning and taste perception.

Acesulfame K

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Acesulfame potassium has been an approved sweetener in the US and EU for 28 years. It can be bought under the brands Sunett^® or  Sweet One^®, and it is 200 times sweeter than sugar. According to the FDA you can safely eat 15 mg per kg of body weight every day. However, the quality of the trials conducted to prove its safety have been questioned by the US Center for Science in the Public Interest. The FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) do not think further testing is necessary.

It contains methylene chloride, a known carcinogen that can eventually cause headaches, depression, nausea, dementia, kidney and liver disease, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans.

Furthermore, when ace-K is broken down, it produces acetoacetamide which leads to thyroid issues in rats, dogs and rabbits.

Another potential health risk is its strong correlation to DNA damage. 

Aspartame

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This sweetener has been used since the 1980's and, despite the health concerns, it controls the market of artificial sweeteners. The FDA sets the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) at 50mg per kg of body weight while the EFSA does not recommend exceeding 40mg per kg of body weight. You can find it marketed as Equal, NutraSweet, or AminoSweet and it is 180 times sweeter than sugar.

In spite of the FDA and EFSA claims on aspartame safety, there are plenty of studies which reveal its detrimental effects:

H.J. Roberts, MD, author of the book Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, reports some of the nasty symptoms of consuming this sweetener that have been proven through a plethora of studies. These include headache, dizziness, mood swings, vomiting, nausea, convulsions, memory loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, vision impairments and diarrhea. It is also linked to depression, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, tinnitus, joint pain, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, fibromyalgia symptoms, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, and several cancers.

According to a 1996 study, aspartame is a compelling reason for the increase in frequency and degree of malignancy of brain tumors.

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A 2005 Italian study found that continued exposure to aspartame starting at 8 weeks of age, lead to lymphomas, leukemia, and several tumors, including kidney tumors, which are highly unusual in the breed of rat used.

In 2007, follow-up study published by the same researchers revealed that rats exposed to aspartame starting in the womb and continuing throughout their lives developed leukemia, lymphomas and breast cancer.

In 2010, they published a third study that followed the same procedure as the second and showed that that aspartame leaded to liver and lung cancer in male mice.

That same year a Danish study associated artificially sweetened soft drinks  to premature delivery of babies. In 2012, a Norwegian study corroborated that finding but also linked sugar-sweetened beverages to preterm delivery.

Also in 2012, an epidemiological study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health over the long-term effects of aspartame on humans, found out that it increases cancer risk for men, but not to women. This difference might originate from the fact that men produce higher levels of the enzyme that transforms methanol, which is a by-product of aspartame breakdown, to formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. The cancers observed, namely multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, were akin to the cancers monitored in two of the three animal studies (leukemia and lymphoma).

healthyfoodhouse.com

A 2013 study revealed that mice with identical caloric intakes gained more weigh when consuming aspartame or saccharin instead of sucrose(sugar).

That same year, aspartame was shown to increase glucose levels by 58% in zebrafish fed a high cholesterol diet (HCD) compared to the zebrafish who consumed a HCD but no sweetener in just 12 days. The group having aspartame had greater brain and liver inflammation. 30% of zebrafish fed aspartame died and exhibited swimming defects while the control group had 100% survivability.

Last year, another study showed that both aspartame and saccharine undermine the beneficial effects of HDL ''good'' cholesterol by reducing its antioxidant capacities and promoting atherogenesis, which is the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries. They were proved to be detrimental for human circulation and embryonic development

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It has been known since 2008 that it is correlated to DNA damage, just like ace-k and saccharin.

DNA damage by thetechjournal.net

It seems like there are as many studies that confirm its safety as there are that prove its detrimental effects. However, a close look to the situation reveals the conflict of interests involved. There are about 166 studies relevant to human safety from which 74 were funded by the NutraSweet industry. All those 74 studies confirmed aspartame's safety. On the other hand, 92% of the independent studies concluded that this sweetener is a potential health risk.

Saccharin:

thedelicioustruth.blogspot.com

It was discovered in 1879 during a researcher on coal tar derivatives. Its sweetness is 350 greater than that of sugar and you can find it under the names of Sweet Twin, Sweet'N Low, and Necta Sweet. It was banned in 1977 after it was linked to bladder cancer in mice. Nevertheless, Congress reapproved its use as long as foods had a warning label. In 2010, it was removed from the list of cancer-causing chemicals of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Congress quit the warning.

According to the FDA, beverages are not to exceed 12 mg per fluid ounce; processed food, cannot exceed 30 mg per serving and the acceptable daily intake (ADI) is 5 mg per kg of body weight.

Saccharin produces urinary bladder cancer in mice, rats and most likely in humans, being males more susceptible than females. The malignancy and frequency of the tumors increase if the subject is exposed starting as a fetus. It also causes chronic renal disease in rats. The risk for urinary bladder cancer in humans spikes with frequency and duration of saccharin consumption.

In 2008 saccharin was strongly correlated to DNA damage.

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In 2011, saccharin-fed zebrafish with a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) showed a significant increase in cholesterol levels compared to the zebra-fish group with a HCD but no sweetener in just 12 days. There was also a substantial rise in cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity when saccharin was consumed. This protein has proatherogenic effects (forms fat plaques in your arteries) as it exchanges  HDL ''good'' cholesterol for LDL ''bad'' cholesterol.

A 2013 study revealed that mice with identical caloric intakes gained more weight when consuming aspartame or saccharin instead of sucrose (sugar).

Last year, it was proven that both aspartame and saccharin undermine the beneficial effects of HDL ''good'' cholesterol by reducing its antioxidant capacities and promoting atherogenesis, which is the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries. They were proved to be detrimental for human circulation and embryonic development

Sucralose

Sucralose was approved as a general-purpose sweetener in 1999 and the FDA set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sucralose at 5 mg per kg of body weight.

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It was initially advertised as being made from sugar but it is a synthetical compound 600 times sweeter than table sugar. The suffix -ose is used for sugars but, although the starting product is sugar, it is chemically altered with other compounds, like chlorine, until it is nothing like the former. In fact, it should have been named trichlorogalactosucrose if it were not for the FDA, which did not believe it necessary (probably because that name would have dissuaded most people from buying it).

stepintomygreenworld.com

Sucralose has some calories, but it is so sweet that the amount you would probably use has virtually no caloric content. Nevertheless, Splenda also contains two bulking agents, namely dextrose and maltodextrin, which are carbohydrates with calories. The labelling will probably claim that it is a calorie-free sweetener, but one cup contains 96 calories. This information can be misleading and pose a health problem for diabetics and people who are trying to lose weight. Moreover, a 2011 study showed that sucralose does not reduce appetite, which can lead to overeating and all the health issues it entails (diabetes, obesity...).

Since the date of its approval the has objected to its use because of a rat study that showed premature shrinkage of the thymus, a gland of the immune system. Furthermore, the fact that chlorine is one of its components raises a health concern as this chemical is a known carcinogen used in pesticides, poisonous gas, plastics and disinfectants.

healthcenter.ucsc.edu

Symptoms of its exposure may include gastrointestinal issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or nausea; skin irritation including rash, urticaria, redness, itching, and swelling; nasal problems such as wheezing, coughing, and rhinorrhea; and psychological issues like anxiety, chest pain, palpitations, anger, changes in mood, depression.

A 12 week 2008 study on male rats proved that Splenda has a plethora of health issues, including acidification of the feces, reduction in the beneficial fecal bacteria and impairment in the bioavailability of oral prescription medications.  Sucralose, at doses even lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI), was shown to reduce gut flora by more than 50%. Furthermore, the proportion of beneficial bacteria like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria diminished significantly in comparison to pathogenic bacteria such as enterobacteria. Three months after the trial, the adverse effects of sucralose had not been reversed. This changes in gut bacteria could derive in many health problems, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hindered body weight regulation and altered drug absorption. A 2012 study showed a remarkable correlation between IBD in several regions throughout the globe and use of sucralose and saccharin.

geneticliteracyproject.org

In 2012, an Italian laboratory announced a mice study that revealed that sucralose caused leukemia when exposure to the sweetener began in the womb.

In 2013, a review of a vast number of sucralose studies exposed its major health issues including:

organsofthebody.com

It impairs normal body weight regulation in both humans and animals by interfering with sweet taste receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, increasing insulin secretion and modifying the sweet receptor expression in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates basic functions like hunger. Sucralose has been shown to increase blood sugar and insulin levels, which in turn produce diabetes.

It has been generally believed that sucralose is not absorbed by the body, but directly excreted through the feces while the small amount that reaches the blood is removed through urine unchanged. However, some studies have detected products of its metabolism in the feces and urine of humans and animals, the consequences of which remain unknown. The bioaccumulation of sucralose or its metabolites could have adverse effects.

Long-term ingestion of sucralose is potentially toxic due to several reasons:

First of all, it has been found to be a mutagen, an agent that damages your DNA and produces negative epigenetic alterations. This DNA damage also occurred in the gastrointestinal tract of the mice. 

ivao.com

Supposedly, sucralose does not decompose when exposed to high temperatures and it is therefore commonly used in baking. Well, five independent studies, the oldest of them dating back to 1996, revealed that sucralose breaks down with high temperatures into chloropropanols, a human carcinogen and extremely genotoxic compound;  1,6-DCF;  and dioxins, which, according to the World Health Organization are ''highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer''.

References and recommended reading

Abou-Donia M. B., El-Masry E. M., Abdel-Rahman A. A., McLendon R. E., Schiffman S. S. Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P-450 in male rats. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health A. 2008;71:1415–1429. Web. 5 Jan. 2016.

Andreatta MM, Muñoz SE, Lantieri MJ, Eynard AR, Navarro A"Artificial Sweetener Consumption and Urinary Tract Tumors in Cordoba, Argentina." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2008. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

Bandyopadhyay, Atrayee, Sarbani Ghoshal, and Anita Mukherjee. "Genotoxicity Testing of Low-Calorie Sweeteners: Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, and Saccharin." Drug and Chemical Toxicology 31.4 (2008): 447-57. Web. 4 Jan. 2016.

Burke, Mary V., and Dana M. Small. "Physiological Mechanisms by Which Non-nutritive Sweeteners May Impact Body Weight and Metabolism." Physiology & Behavior 152 (2015): 381-88. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

Feijó Fde M, Ballard CR, Foletto KC, Batista BA, Neves AM, Ribeiro MF, Bertoluci MC. "Saccharin and Aspartame, Compared with Sucrose, Induce Greater Weight Gain in Adult Wistar Rats, at Similar Total Caloric Intake Levels." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

Ford, H E, V. Peters, N M Martin, M L Sleeth, M A Ghatei, G S Frost, and S R Bloom. "Effects of Oral Ingestion of Sucralose on Gut Hormone Response and Appetite in Healthy Normal-weight Subjects." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Eur J Clin Nutr 65.4 (2011): 508-13. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.

Jang, Wookju, Nam Ho Jeoung, and Kyung-Hyun Cho. "Modified Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I by Artificial Sweetener Causes Severe Premature Cellular Senescence and Atherosclerosis with Impairment of Functional and Structural Properties of ApoA-I in Lipid-free and Lipid-bound State." Mol Cells Molecules and Cells 31.5 (2011): 461-70. Web. 4 Jan. 2016.

Kim, Jae-Yong, Juyi Seo, and Kyung-Hyun Cho. "Aspartame-fed Zebrafish Exhibit Acute Deaths with Swimming Defects and Saccharin-fed Zebrafish Have Elevation of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Activity in Hypercholesterolemia." Food and Chemical Toxicology 49.11 (2011): 2899-905. Web. 4 Jan. 2016.

Kim, Jae-Yong, Ki-Hoon Park, Jihoe Kim, Inho Choi, and Kyung-Hyun Cho. "Modified High-Density Lipoproteins by Artificial Sweetener, Aspartame, and Saccharin, Showed Loss of Anti-atherosclerotic Activity and Toxicity in Zebrafish." Cardiovasc Toxicol Cardiovascular Toxicology 15.1 (2014): 79-89. Web. 4 Jan. 2016.

Olney JW, Farber NB, Spitznagel E, Robins LN."Increasing Brain Tumor Rates: Is There a Link to Aspartame?" National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1996. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

Reuber, M D. "Carcinogenicity of Saccharin." Environ Health Perspect Environmental Health Perspectives 25 (1978): 173-200. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

Schernhammer, E. S., K. A. Bertrand, B. M. Birmann, L. Sampson, W. C. Willett, and D. Feskanich. "Consumption of Artificial Sweetener- and Sugar-containing Soda and Risk of Lymphoma and Leukemia in Men and Women." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 96 (2012): 1419-428. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.

Schiffman, Susan S., and Kristina I. Rother. "Sucralose, A Synthetic Organochlorine Sweetener: 

Overview Of Biological Issues." Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B 16.7 (2013): 399-451. Web. 5 Jan. 2016.

Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Tibaldi E, Esposti DD, Lauriola M "First Experimental Demonstration of the Multipotential Carcinogenic Effects of Aspartame Administered in the Feed to Sprague-Dawley Rats." Environ Health Perspect Environmental Health Perspectives 114.3 (2005): 379-85. Web. 3 

Jan. 2016.

Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Tibaldi E, Esposti DD, Lauriola M. "Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats." Environ Health Perspect Environmental Health Perspectives 115.9 (2007): 1293-297. Web. 3 Jan. 2016.