Artificial Sweeteners Raise Your
Risk of Diabetes by Altering Your Gut Microbiome
October 01, 2014
Story at-a-glance
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Those who switch to artificial sweeteners are typically
carrying extra pounds and/or are diabetic. Most are unaware
this may be the absolute worst diet change they could
implement
-
Both artificial sweeteners and certain gut microbes have
previously been linked to obesity, and artificial sweeteners
may raise your risk of diabetes by disrupting your
intestinal microflora
-
Artificial sweeteners alter certain metabolic pathways
associated with disease, and can induce gut dysbiosis and
glucose intolerance in otherwise healthy people very quickly
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Previous research has shown that diet soda users experienced
70 percent greater increases in waist circumference over a
decade compared with non-users
-
Those who consumed two or more diet sodas a day experienced
waist circumference increases that were 500 percent greater
than those of non-users, over the course of a decade
By Dr. Mercola
Both artificial sweeteners and certain gut microbes have
previously been linked to obesity, and according to the latest
research, artificial sweeteners may raise your risk of diabetes by
disrupting your intestinal microflora. According to the authors of
the widely publicized study:1
"[W]e demonstrate that consumption of commonly used
non-caloric artificial sweeteners formulations drives the
development of glucose intolerance through induction of
compositional and functional alterations to the intestinal
microbiota."
The researchers found that artificial sweeteners alter certain
metabolic pathways associated with metabolic disease, and that it
can induce gut dysbiosis and
glucose intolerance in otherwise healthy people.
Glucose intolerance is a condition in which your body loses its
ability to cope with high amounts of sugar, and it's a well-known
precursor to type 2 diabetes. It also plays a role in obesity,
because the excess sugar in your blood ends up being stored in your
fat cells.
The fact that artificial sweeteners may exacerbate metabolic
disorders like diabetes is a severe blow to diabetics who dutifully
follow recommendations to switch to diet foods and beverages in
order to control their diabetes.
The fact that artificial sweeteners are NOT a dieter’s nor a
diabetic’s best friend has been known by researchers for some time.
The problem is that it hasn’t received the necessary traction in the
media—until now.2,
3
"Collectively, our results link non-caloric artificial
sweeteners (NAS) consumption, dysbiosis and metabolic
abnormalities, thereby calling for a reassessment of massive NAS
usage," the researchers note.
Artificial Sweeteners Can Cause Glucose Intolerance by Altering Your
Microbiome
The researchers initially started out testing the artificial
sweeteners saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose in mice, and were
"surprised" when the mice developed glucose intolerance.
As noted by New York University microbiologist Martin Blaser,4
no one had previously considered that artificial sweeteners might
exacerbate metabolic disease by way of the microbiome.
Of the three non-caloric sweeteners tested, saccharin had the
most pronounced effect on glucose levels. This led to a human trial,
in which data from 400 people enrolled in a nutritional study were
assessed.
Those who consumed high amounts of artificial sweeteners were
found to have higher levels of HbA1C—a measure of blood
sugar—compared to non-users or occasional users of artificial
sweeteners.
Seven volunteers who did not use artificial sweeteners were then
recruited, and asked to consume the equivalent of 10-12 single-dose
packets of artificial sweeteners daily for one week.
Four of the seven people developed "significant disturbances in
their blood glucose," according to the researchers. Some became
pre-diabetic within just a few days!
The reason for this dramatic shift was traced back to alterations
in gut bacteria. Some bacteria were killed off, while others started
proliferating. As noted in the featured NPR article:5
"It could be that for some people who responded
negatively to the artificial sweetener, the bacteria that got
crowded out were helping to keep glucose in check."
This mirrors previous research,6
which has found that bacterial populations in the gut of diabetics
differ from non-diabetics.
Another 2008 study demonstrated that sucralose can alter the
microbiome in rats by reducing colonies of beneficial gut bacteria,
and research published in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology7
in 2012 revealed a potential link between aspartame and irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS). Imbalanced gut flora has also been
linked to obesity.
Compelling Results Suggest We Should Reconsider Widespread Use of
Artificial Sweeteners
In sharp contrast to many other studies, this one was actually
able to clearly show causality, meaning there’s a direct
cause and effect relationship between consuming artificial
sweeteners and developing elevated blood sugar levels. As reported
by The Scientist:8
"Four weeks of treatment with gut bacteria-depleting
antibiotics reversed the glucose intolerance in mice that
continued to receive saccharin. This led the team to examine
whether the microbiomes of the mice were somehow altering
glucose metabolism.
Transplantation of feces from non-antibiotic-treated mice
that consumed saccharin- or glucose-containing water into
germ-free mice within six days induced the same blood-sugar
elevations in animals that were never themselves exposed to the
sweeteners.
'This is the elegant and home run experiment that shows
causality in mice,' said [pathologist Cathryn] Nagler.
Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing on the fecal
samples, the researchers showed that mice given saccharin or
those that received a fecal transplant from saccharin-fed mice
had a different microbiome composition compared to mice given
sugar or no sweeteners."
Cathryn Nagler, who wrote an accompanying commentary9
in the journal Nature, said the findings were “very
compelling,” noting that “the study suggests... we should step back
and reassess our extensive use of artificial sweeteners.”
Aspartame Raises Insulin Levels as Much as Sugar
Other studies have also linked artificial sweeteners to metabolic
alterations that promote type 2 diabetes—contrary to conventional
thinking and health recommendations.
For example, one 2012 study10
found that chronic lifetime exposure to aspartame, commencing in
utero, produced changes in blood glucose parameters in mice.
Not only was aspartame found to decrease insulin sensitivity
compared to controls, it also wrought havoc on brain function...
Another study published in 2007 in the journal Diabetes Care11
found similar results. Here, the researchers investigated the effect
of different macronutrient compositions on plasma glucose and
insulin levels during an acute bout of exercise in men with type 2
diabetes.
They hypothesized that using fructose or aspartame would have a
lower impact on insulin release and glucose response than a
sucrose-sweetened meal. Those of you who have been reading my
articles featuring experts on sugar and fructose like
Dr. Richard Johnson and
Dr. Robert Lustig will immediately recognize this as a fatally
flawed hypothesis. And indeed, that is what they discovered.
According to the authors:
"Contrary to all expectation, the aspartame breakfast
induced a similar rise in glucose and insulin levels at baseline
than the sucrose meal, even if the aspartame meal had the same
taste, and was 22 percent lower in calories and 10 percent lower
in carbohydrates, with an inferior glycemic index... Considering
the lack of evidence on the aspartame utilization in patients
with type 2 diabetes, we consider that these clinical
observations, in an exercise setting, raise important concerns
regarding the safety of aspartame as suggested by international
guidelines."
Obesity Continues to Rise
According to a recent JAMA study,12,
13 the obesity rate among American adults has continuously
climbed over the last decade. Between 1999 and 2012, the average
age-adjusted waist circumference increased from 95.5 centimeters (37
19⁄32 inches) to 98.5 centimeters (38 25⁄32 inches). Abdominal fat
also rose from 46.4 percent in 1999-2000 to 54.2 percent in
2011-2012. The United Kingdom is facing a similar health crisis.
According to September 17 article in Mail Online:14
“Obesity is a ‘slow-motion car crash’ which is
threatening to bankrupt the NHS, according to its chief
executive. Simon Stevens said the problem is now more deadly
than smoking and causing millions to suffer life-long illness
and disability. He also revealed that – absurdly – the NHS is
spending far more on drastic weight loss surgery than trying to
prevent the problem in the first place. A quarter of
adults and a fifth of children are now considered obese and the
rates have almost doubled in 20 years...
Next month, Mr. Stevens will publish a set of plans to
tackle the problem which will see the NHS and private firms
urged to do more to help staff lose weight. Doctors and
nurses will be encouraged to be healthy role models for patients
and hospitals told to ban junk food from canteens. NHS
trusts and private companies will also be urged to help staff
lose weight by holding slimming classes, running clubs or just
providing bike racks at work. Mr. Stevens, who took up post last
April, said: ‘Obesity is the new smoking, and it
represents a slow-motion car crash in terms of avoidable illness
and rising health care costs...” [Emphasis mine]
Artificial Sweeteners Can Severely Hinder Weight Management Efforts
Those who switch to artificial sweeteners are typically carrying
extra pounds and/or are diabetic, or prone to these conditions.
Unfortunately, this may be the absolute worst diet change you could
implement if you're overweight or diabetic. Research has repeatedly
shown that artificially sweetened no- or low-calorie drinks and
other "diet" foods tend to stimulate your appetite, increase
cravings for carbs, stimulate fat storage and weight gain, and
promote insulin resistance and diabetes.
There are a number of different reasons for this. First of all,
artificial sweeteners basically trick your body into thinking that
it's going to receive sugar (calories), but when the sugar doesn't
arrive, your body signals that it needs more, which results in carb
cravings. This connection between sweet taste and increased hunger
can be found in the medical literature going back at least two
decades (see list of selected studies below). But artificial
sweeteners also produce a variety of metabolic dysfunctions that
promote weight gain—and now we can add gut dysbiosis and altered
microbiome to that list!
In 2011, the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio publicized
the results of two important studies, saying:15
"In the constant battle to lose inches or at least stay
the same, we reach for the diet soda. Two studies presented
[June 25, 2011] at the American Diabetes Association's
Scientific Sessions suggest this might be self-defeating
behavior. Epidemiologists from the School of Medicine at The
University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio reported
data showing that diet soft drink consumption is
associated with increased waist circumference in humans, and a
second study that found aspartame raised fasting glucose (blood
sugar) in diabetes-prone mice...
‘Data from this and other prospective studies suggest
that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial
sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised,’
said Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., professor and chief of the Division
of Clinical Epidemiology in the School of Medicine. ‘They may be
free of calories but not of consequences.’” [Emphasis mine]
Sampling of Studies Refuting 'Diet' Claims
Here's a sampling of some of the studies published through the
years, clearly refuting the beverage industry's claims that diet
soda helps with weight management. The 2010 review in the Yale
Journal of Biology and Medicine16
is of particular relevance here, as it offers a great historical
summary of artificial sweeteners in general, and the epidemiological
and experimental evidence showing that artificial sweeteners tends
to promote weight gain. It also illustrates that as usage of
artificial sweeteners has risen, so has obesity rates—despite all
these "diet friendly" products.
Source:
Yale
Journal of Biology and Medicine June 8 2010: v83(2)
Preventive Medicine 1986 Mar;15(2):195-20217 |
This study examined nearly 78,700 women aged 50-69 for
one year. Artificial sweetener usage increased with relative
weight, and users were significantly more likely to gain
weight, compared to those who did not use artificial
sweeteners—regardless of their initial weight. According to
the researchers, the results “were not explicable by
differences in food consumption patterns. The data do not
support the hypothesis that long-term artificial sweetener
use either helps weight loss or prevents weight gain.” |
Physiology and Behavior, 198818
|
In this study, they determined that intense (no- or
low-calorie) sweeteners can produce significant changes in
appetite. Of the three sweeteners tested, aspartame produced
the most pronounced effects. |
Physiology and Behavior, 199019 |
Here, they found that aspartame had a time-dependent
effect on appetite, “producing a transient decrease followed
by a sustained increase in hunger ratings.” |
Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
199120 |
In a study of artificial sweeteners performed on college
students, there was no evidence that artificial sweetener
use was associated with a decrease in their overall sugar
intake either. |
International Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders,
200421 |
This Purdue University study found that rats fed
artificially sweetened liquids ate more high-calorie
food than rats fed high-caloric sweetened liquids. The
researchers believe the experience of drinking artificially
sweetened liquids disrupted the animals' natural ability to
compensate for the calories in the food. |
San Antonio Heart Study, 200522 |
Data gathered from the 25-year long San Antonio Heart
Study also showed that drinking diet soft drinks increased
the likelihood of serious weight gain – far more so than
regular soda23
On average, for each diet soft drink the participants
drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become
overweight during the next seven to eight years, and 41
percent more likely to become obese. |
Journal of Biology and Medicine, 201024 |
This study delves into the neurobiology of sugar
cravings and summarizes the epidemiological and experimental
evidence concerning the effect of artificial sweeteners on
weight.
According to the authors: “[F]indings suggest that the
calorie contained in natural sweeteners may trigger a
response to keep the overall energy consumption constant.
...Increasing evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners
do not activate the food reward pathways in the same fashion
as natural sweeteners… [A]rtificial sweeteners, precisely
because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar
dependence.” |
Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 201025 |
This review offers a summary of epidemiological and
experimental evidence concerning the effects of artificial
sweeteners on weight, and explains those effects in light of
the neurobiology of food reward. It also shows the
correlation between increased usage of artificial sweeteners
in food and drinks, and the corresponding rise in obesity.
|
Appetite, 201226 |
Here, researchers showed that saccharin and aspartame
both cause greater weight gain than sugar, even
when the total caloric intake remains similar. |
Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, 201327 |
This report highlights the fact that diet soda drinkers
suffer the same exact health problems as those who opt for
regular soda, such as excessive weight gain, type 2
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
stroke.28,
29 The researchers speculate that frequent
consumption of artificial sweeteners may induce metabolic
derangements. |
Nature, 20130 |
This study was able to clearly show causality,
revealing there’s a direct cause and effect relationship
between consuming artificial sweeteners and developing
elevated blood sugar levels.
People who consumed high amounts of artificial sweeteners
were found to have higher levels of HbA1C—a long-term
measure of blood sugar—compared to non-users or occasional
users of artificial sweeteners.
Seven volunteers who did not use artificial sweeteners were
then recruited, and asked to consume the equivalent of 10-12
single-dose packets of artificial sweeteners daily for one
week.
Four of the seven people developed “significant disturbances
in their blood glucose,” according to the researchers. Some
became pre-diabetic within just a few days.
The reason for this dramatic shift was traced back to
alterations in gut bacteria. Some bacteria were killed off,
while others started proliferating. |
Are There ANY Safe and Healthy Alternatives to Sugar?
One of the best strategies to kick the sugar habit is to
implement
intermittent fasting, and to make sure you’re eating enough
healthy fats. Once your body has the proper fuel, your sweet
cravings will radically diminish. If you need a sweetener you could
use
stevia or Luo Han, both of which are safe natural sweeteners.
For a comprehensive review of the best and worst sweeteners, please
see my previous article, “The
4 Best, and 3 Worst Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen.” Just
remember, if you struggle with high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, diabetes, or extra weight, then you have insulin
sensitivity issues and would benefit from avoiding ALL sweeteners.
If you're having trouble weaning yourself off soda, try
Turbo Tapping. Turbo Tapping is a clever use of the Emotional
Freedom Technique (EFT), specifically designed to resolve many
aspects of an addiction in a concentrated period of time. Last but
not least, if you experience side effects from aspartame or any
other artificial sweetener, please report it to the FDA (if you live
in the United States) without delay. It's easy to make a report —
just go to the
FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator page, find the phone number
for your state, and make a call reporting your reaction.
Copyright 1997- 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
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