“Artificial sweeteners also mess with your metabolism.”
– Suzanne Somers
“137.88 million Americans used sugar substitutes in 2017.” Are you one of them?
The reasoning goes that sugar is dangerous for your health, so you’re better off using artificial sweeteners instead. Sounds good, but is sugar the worse of the two?
Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University aren’t so sure. According to their press release, earlier this week, no-calorie sweeteners may actually cause diabetes and obesity.
Diabetes and Obesity in Delaware
Just how prevalent is diabetes? According to the Delaware Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS) from 2016, 17.1% of Delaware adults between 55-64 have the disease and that rate jumps to 22.5% when it comes to ages 65 and up.
Regarding obesity, in 2016, Delaware ranked 23 out of 51 for highest adult obesity, across the U.S., according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America. The percentages of obese adults rose with the age groups, until the 65+ bracket, with ages 45-64 standing at 34.8% and 65+ totaling 30.4%.
Artificial Sweeteners and Your Health
After three weeks of comparing sugar-fed rats with rats who consumed zero-calorie artificial sweeteners, the researchers found “significant differences in the concentrations of biochemicals, fats and amino acids in blood samples.” And “the results suggest artificial sweeteners change how the body processes fat and gets its energy.”
According to Brian Hoffmann, PhD, the lead researcher of the study, both sugar and artificial sweeteners seem to be connected to diabetes and obesity, but they work differently.
The sugar versus artificial sweeteners debate isn’t over yet, say the researchers. Apparently, they can both be harmful to your health. So, you should be careful either way. “If one finds it hard to completely cut something out of their diet,” says Hoffman, “moderation is the key.”