Sugar wars: artificial sweeteners inked to diabetes
The latest health scare is that artificial sweeteners are being linked to an increased risk of diabetes. Can it be that the man-made stuff sold as a safe alternative to diabetes-triggering sugar could raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
Research led by Australia’s Adelaide Medical School in Australia, and presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Lisbon, concluded that taking sweeteners for just two weeks is enough to make a difference.
Lead author Prof Richard Young explains: “This study supports the concept that artificial sweeteners could reduce the body’s control of blood sugar levels and highlights the potential for exaggerated post-meal glucose levels in high habitual NAS [non-caloric artificial sweeteners] users, which could predispose them to developing type 2 diabetes.”
“This study addresses a very important global human health issue, as artificial sweeteners are food additives commonly used not only by patients with diabetes but also by healthy individuals aiming to manage their sugar intake,” adds Dr Inês Cebola, from Imperial College London, a member of the Society for Endocrinology. “Although generally thought as safe and even beneficial, artificial sweetener consumption has actually been previously associated with weight gain and development of glucose intolerance, which can lead to development of type 2 diabetes.”
The test wan’t all that large – just 27 people were involved.
Emma Elvin, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, is circumspect. “This is a small study with interesting results, but it doesn’t provide strong evidence that artificial sweeteners increase the risk of type two diabetes,” she says. “We need to see the results of larger trials testing in settings more true to real life before we’ll know more. Consuming lots of sugary foods and drinks is very damaging to overall health and can increase risk of type two diabetes. We would advise people to reduce their intakes of sugar, and artificial sweeteners could be an option to help some people achieve this.”
Interesting, no, that the war on sugar might be creating more problems than it solves. Sugar is a source of dietary energy in many foods. If you eat it excessively it can cause problems, just it can be damaging to take in very large amounts of bread, pasta, oranges and even water. This activist-led campaign to cast sugar as a peril to public health is based on much theory and little fact. Choice is good. Sugar isn’t bad.
Posted: 14th, September 2017 | In: News, The Consumer Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
