Do artificial sweeteners have a long-term impact?
Q. I am approaching my mid-50s, and, over the years, I have constantly watched my weight. I have tried to keep my sugar intake low and have consumed sugar-free products daily, including beverages, jams, syrup, ice cream, yogurt, candy and gum. I'm wondering if these artificial sweeteners will eventually increase risks for cancer or other health issues.
K.L., San Diego, Calif.
A. The five artificial sweeteners approved by the Food and Drug Administration are aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, neotame and sucralose. There have been occasional controversies regarding safety, but there hasn't been any consistent evidence associating their use with an increased risk of cancer or any other health issues. If such evidence existed, these additives would either be pulled from the market or there would be warning labels alerting you to the risk. There is a more in-depth discussion of the artificial sweetener/cancer risk at the National Cancer Institute's Web site (tinyurl.com/ecuxe).
That said, I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners. I don't reject them because they're "dangerous," but I don't go out of my way to encourage their consumption, either. I understand that artificial sweeteners can have value in certain situations, and periodic use is fine. However, I admit to a bit of discomfort with the daily consumption of several different types of artificially sweetened foods. It is impossible to test or predict effects in a varied population consuming artificial sweeteners over an extended period of time. Such could be said for any food additive.
There are advantages in opting for the real stuff. When we have real foods with real sweets, we need to exercise portion control. This voluntary portion-control "muscle" needs daily exercise, or it can become flabby and ineffectual. Low- and no-calorie foods make it easy to lapse into unconscious eating, and it is important to pay attention to what we eat.
An interesting study in the January 2007 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition reported on the addition of sugar (sucrose) or artificial sweeteners to a diet. The study found that the added sugar resulted in a compensation and a reduction of other dietary components. Over the four-week study period, there was no significant increase in overall caloric consumption when the sugar was added. The subjects being studied were of normal weight, but an underlying message from this study was the presence of a self-regulatory mechanism, with the sugar being able to satisfy rather than stimulate appetite.
Ed Blonz, Ph.D., is a nutrition scientist and the author of the "Your Personal Nutritionist" book series (Signet, 1996). Send questions to: "On Nutrition," Ed Blonz, c/o Newspaper Enterprise Association, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016 or ed@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.