Opinion: The sour side of artificial sweeteners

Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has reported that the intake of nonnutritive sweeteners can lead to weight gain, the very thing consumers are trying to avoid.

Six hundred times.

That is how much sweeter the artificial sugar brand Splenda is than natural sugar. Similar competitors Truvia and Equal are 200 times sweeter than pure sugar. This imbalance of sweetness causes overconsumption, one of the many negative effects of substitutes that most people overlook when replacing real sugar with artificial sweeteners.

In recent years, many people have decreased their caloric intake to lose weight and maintain a healthy physique. One way they have achieved this is by removing refined sugar, like white and brown sugar, from their diet. When needing something sweet, they consume artificial or nonnutritive sweeteners, popular for having zero calories instead of the four calories in one gram of sugar.

As a result, there has been a prolific consumption of artificial sugars, with over 141 million Americans using sugar substitutes in 2020, according to Statista. Following an upward trend in usage, that number has only increased since, and Splenda, Truvia, and Equal are just three of the numerous brands gaining popularity through selling these deceivingly "healthy" alternatives.

These brands derive their products from various places. Truvia originates from the stevia plant, while Splenda and Equal come from sucralose and aspartame, both types of artificial sweeteners in granulated form. However, the results are the same: a processed alternative that is hundreds of times sweeter than a natural ingredient. Because of this imbalance, underestimate the effects of these substitutes, consuming more than the Food and Drug Administration’s recommended amount, measured by body weight. The

Consuming artificial sweeteners is also beginning to be associated with negative health effects. The BMJ, a renowned medical journal, has researched and discovered a correlation between eating or drinking artificial sugars and a higher risk of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart-related illnesses. This demonstrates that people who consume these substitutes are susceptible to adverse effects, offsetting its success in reducing their caloric intake.

These sugar substitutes also don’t provide the nutrients that natural sugars do. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, glucose provides energy for our bodies, as well as vitamins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants. In comparison, sugar alternatives only put more chemicals in our bodies to go with the sweet taste.

Finally, the production of these alternative sweeteners is not in the clear just yet. The World Health Organization is still reassessing its effects, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies substitutes as food additives. These measures by higher-ups show that we must stick to what we know is safe to put in our bodies: natural, unprocessed sugar.

Sweeteners like Splenda, Truvia, and Equal achieve their intended purpose by reducing consumers' caloric and refined sugar intake; however, the whole host of possible side effects should deter more people from implementing sugar substitutes in their diets.

Artificial sugars have become popular because people want to eliminate real sugar from their diets, but they overlook that all benefits come with a cost. The discussion surrounding nonnutritive sweeteners is a huge misconception, as they are not a perfect substitute for refined sugar. Overall, we should think more critically before going artificial to fully understand what we’re putting into our bodies.