The TRUTH About the DANGERS of Artificial SWEETENERS | Weight Gain, Diabetes and Cravings

Medical Disclaimer:
The content in this video is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

In this episode of Abbey’s Kitchen, Abbey is having a fruitful discussion with her long time friend Diet Debbie. This time they’re chatting about the potential dangers of artificial sweeteners like Splenda.

Debbie sticks to her Splenda, because she’s convinced that sugar is the cause of all of the world’s health ailments from cancer to weight gain. Debbie loves the Splenda because there’s no calories so it’s obviously a no brainer.

Debbie is tired of reading and already knows that artificial sweeteners are great for people that want to lose weight and even good for people with diabetes.

Abbey agrees that there are some benefits. In North America there is a serious problem with sugar sweetener beverages so artificial sweeteners are a great alternative because they can mimic the taste of sugar.

Debbie is finally excited because Abbey has always said there was no magic pill.

Before Deb gets too excited, Abbey wants to add that like anything in nutrition research, things change and in the area of artificial sweeteners, there is new evidence that contradicts what we once knew. On top of that Abbey found a few studies that have found a link between artificial sweeteners and a higher BMI. However, this may be more correlation than causation. Whether artificial sweeteners play a role in weight loss has been a pretty conflicting issue in the research community.

Well, Deb is convinced that’s never happened to her. Debbie claims artificial sweeteners helped reduce her cravings, crush her appetite and helped her eat less.

Abbey agrees that may be the case for some but not for everyone. The research is this area is fairly conflicting. The majority of studies have found that artificial sweeteners actually have very little impact on increasing or decreasing our hunger and our actual intake. Other research has shown that people eat more immediately following the consumption of artificial sweeteners.

Well now, Debbie is really confused. One thing Deb knows for sure is that sugar is addictive.

It’s funny Deb brought this up, because there is some new research that suggests artificial sweeteners may carry some additive properties, but this has only been tested in animal studies so far.

Now Debbie is curious about the use of artificial sweeteners for diabetes.

This is an interesting area, because new evidence is suggesting that the intake of artificially sweetened beverages by one serving/day was associated with an 8% greater incidence of type 2 diabetes. This may be linked to how artificial sweeteners influence the bacteria in our gut. On the other hand, another review concluded that it’s still not clear whether there is a strong association between artificial sweetener intake and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Debbie’s getting super confused and upset so now she’s going to stick to Stevia, because it’s all natural! Debbie is convinced that all natural is better, but Abbey’s not so sure.

In the 2017 review that was mentioned earlier stevia was included in the list of artificial sweeteners in the review which concluded that it may lead to weight gain, so stevia’s natural properties doesn’t seem to protect it from some of its potential causes. On the other side of that, a double blind controlled study found that stevia helped to reduce blood pressure. However, the most recent review concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest stevia carries any benefits and further research is needed.

Debbie feels that again, Abbey has left her in the dark, and now has no idea what she’ll add to her favourite daily latte.

Abbey reminds Debbie that there isn’t enough evidence on the topic to make any definite statements and for now, people should be focusing less on which sweetener to use and more on how much sweetener we’re using.

For more tips on staying healthy, recipes, dieting, and information fit for consumption by foodies everywhere stop by Abbey’s blog.

[kirsteng]

This is so good! Always good to see dietitians setting the record straight with nutrition rather than letting sheep lead sheep!

[m.k.spaulding]

It's like anything else, MODERATION. People think"Oh it's diet and eat 4 xs more than normal:" lol

[itsmads]

I eat a mainly whole plant foods diet (just because I like it) but I do love my occasional diet coke. I prefer the taste so I figure one a week can't be too too bad. ?

[almor]

Love your videos. I can only speak anecdotally but having gone a month without refined sugar or sweeteners on 3 occasions, I can testify that my food cravings went from insanely hungry all the time to calmly able to say no after the first 3 days. There's clearly something relating to sweetness itself that causes food cravings in some people because it doesn't seem to matter what type of sweeteners I ate. They all super-charged my hunger.

[esmee]

When my mother got type 1 Diabetes we swapped over to diet for everything (and understandably so) which caused me to switch to water before knowing the health benefits, because I dislike the taste of diet. To this day I drink water most of the time but will occasionally order a non-diet drink at a restaurant, whenever I do so in their presence I get told off and when I was younger they'd change the order to diet. They genuinely believed drinking diet-sodas 24/7 is better than the occasional non-diet soda with water the rest of the time...


Sometime this year their internist told them off about their diet soda consumption I think (since my father (type 2) drinks a lot more diet-lemonade now and my mother more water) after ~20y of recommending it. It makes me sad how slow we tend to be on what's good for us or what's bad. I know this video is 1y old but I'm so glad you're spreading information.

[nottheone]

Can you please post links to the studies you are referencing? The only negative study I have read is one that correlated sugar alcohols with compromised digestion and gut flora - but would be interested in reading these others as well!

[SelphieFairy]

Maybe it's because I'm not a huge sugar fiend in general, but for me using artificial sweeteners (usually stevia) hasn't really affected me much. I usually will choose to drink diet coke/drinks if I'm having soda or something, too. It's helped me cut down on calories.

[ashleypitcher]

I have epilepsy and have to take medication that causes dry mouth. I use xylitol as is that it helps prevent tooth decay by activating saliva for people who suffer from dry mouth.

[Flowersandshotguns]

What are your thoughts on monk fruit sweetener?

[arjay]

I used to put 6-7 packets pfsugar in my coffee and teas, but after gradual reduction i put 2. Cut back slowly, its a lot easier than trying to cut it out all at once (which turns into a vicious cycle of cutting back, then caving and doing it over again)

[bethanyday]

can we get a video on monk fruit? been used for centures? not really highly processed like stevia?

[shenandoah]

If you buy stevia in the powdered form you have to be careful, because in order to get in that powdered form it is often combined with dextrose, which basically is sugar. I've heard a lot of keto influencers say that liquid stevia does not have the same effect on the body as stevia in powder form.

[heathergildea]

Hi Abbey, bring back diet Debbie! Also would you mind doing a video on pre-diabetes and diabetes? What foods help you from becoming a full diabetic.
Thanks!!

[SuperKrock]

Where do people read these studies? I want to be able to use these sources.

[strongerbynature]

I have gone three months without alcohol and junk food and honestly its completely changed flavors for me. Previously most veg just tasted "green" and not too nice and fruit wasn't particularly sweet. It's so cool seeing the change taking place and I have tried so many new things that I previously thought gross before and now love them because I'm realizing what naturally sweet and naturally salty is. It's actually kind of amazing since I always thought I was someone who just craved excessively and unnaturally sweet or salty things but I'm really not.

[elainekommenge]

Abbey- not gunna lie, Diet Debbie is a riot. You should really have her as a throw back guest some time ;) lol

[swan]

What are your thoughts on coffee creamers?

[LadyOfRain]

Honey, Maple Syrup, Reg white sugar, raw sugar, xylitol, depends on situation/recipe.

[abcdefg]

Lol so geeky so sweet so sensible so intelligent. Thanks for your channel! This is great!

[joycooper]

I switched to stevia. I have naturally low blood pressure and stevia dropped it further. I felt TERRIBLE. I actually went back to some Splenda despite all of the fear that I had and it has worked wonderfully for me personally.