Good Lifestyle

So you have probably seen artificial sweeteners in yoursoda without sugars. You also spotted them in yourprotein bars. And bakery products. And canned items. And many other "diet" or "sugar-free" products. But despite the marks, including universally artificial sweeteners in manyapparently "healthy" foods, their safety and side effects are still debating.

How do artificial sweeteners work?

What are the artificial sweeteners? "Artificial sweeteners, [also known as high intensity sweeteners or sugar substitutes] are often sweetener than sugar but provide little or no calorie," saysLynn Grieger, RDN, CDE, Tourday Health Dietitian and Diabetes Educator.

The most artificial sweeteners "either incompletely metabolized, they therefore provide very few calories [known as" nutrient sweeteners "] orare not metabolized at all [known as "non-nutritive sweeteners"], they do not provide calories, "adds to grieve. The reason our bodies are not metabolized by our body are "Because our bodies do not have the enzymes needed to digest them,"Oreeoluwa Ogunyemi, MD, urologist and health coach.

Artificial sweeteners work by triggering the same sensory cells of our taste buds that send signals to our brain when we taste something sweet, like sugar, explains to grieger. And because artificial sweeteners are between200 and 20,000 times sweeter than sugar, manufacturers can use so little in their formulation that they almost do not add calories while the same sweetness of sugar would have more calories.

RELATED: The scientific way tobrake your sweet tooth in 14 days.

List of artificial sweeteners

The list of artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is long and includes:

• Acesulfame potassium (ACE-K)
• Advantage
• Aspartame
• Nesting
• Saccharin
• Luo Han Guo fruit extracts
• Glycosides Steviol with high purity (Stevia rebaudiana)
• Sucralose

For more complicated things are more complicated, sweeteners often go through brands such as Nutrasweet, Sunett, Equal, Necters, Truvia and Sweet'n low. You can see a complete list of artificial sweeteners and their brands approved by the FDAhere.

The artificial side effects of the sweetener you should know about

Unfortunately, some research shows that these innocous sound sugar exchanges can have a prejudicial impact on your health. On the luminous side, other research shows that artificial sweeteners do not create poor side effects in the consumer, especially if you are generally healthy in the first place. We have exploited nutritionists and gastroenterologists to dive into potential side effects of the consumption of artificial sweeteners. Read more about potential side effects of artificial sweeteners - and make sure you share this story with all your friends of your diet.

"Studies have suggested an association between the use of non-nutritive sweeteners and health outcomes (such as body weight, diabetes, cancer and oral health). However, in a complete recent systematicBmj Examination, a wide range of health outcomes has been studied to determine a possible association with a non-nutritive sweetener used in a generally healthy population, "explainsDaghigh Farzaneh, PhD of the College of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic. "There was no convincing evidence that non-nutritive sweeteners had no effect in adults on food, cancer, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, mood, behavior or behavior. Cognition. This study found a slight advantage in promoting weight loss and the improvement of fasting blood glucose, but only in small studies and more short periods. Potential damage to the consumption of non-nutritious sweeteners could not be excluded. "

"When you consume artificial sweetenersSome data suggest Artificial sweeteners cross the blood-brain barrier and disrupt the hippocampus function. This alters the sensitivity to interceptive signals, dysude the appetitive behavior and thus promote food consumption, "saysRocio Salas-Whalen, MD, Endocrinologist and founder of New York's endocrinology.

And not necessarily for the better. "Because artificial sweeteners have several times the intensity of sweet flavor compared to natural sugars, you and your taste buds get used to super sweet things", sharing Tanya Freirich, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, Nutritionist forNova, a completely natural food company. "Those who consume artificial sweeteners can be used to ultra-sugary flavors. This can change their tastes and reduce their fun of naturally sweet foods such as fresh fruit as well as healthy foods that can be slightly bitter like whole grains or whole grains or vegetables."

We will deposit it under "No, thank you:" Some studies have shown that [artificial sweeteners] affect normalmicrobiose gut. This can lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome, "Note Salas-Whalen, citing a 2014 study published in the respected newspaperNature.

"Artificial sweeteners can change your GUT microbiota," says Freirich. "According to a recent study inPhysiology and behavior, the consumption of artificial sweeteners modifies the intestinal microbiota and is linked to an altered tolerance of glucose. Altered glucose tolerance increases blood sugars and increases the risk ofDiabetes. "

"[The 2014Nature Study] has shown that the regular use of artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralosis and aspartame, have led to an abnormal mixture of bacteria in the intestine that increases the risk of insulin insensitivity (precursor of diabetes) and weight gain, "explains Ogunyemi." In a way can we happen is that the artificial sweetener rests in your intestine and is not absorbed, it is used as "food" for unhealthy bacteria, which pushed it to grow while healthier critters are killed. "

"AnotherPlos a The study showed a similar effect of potassium acesulfam, but only in men, "comments ogunyemi (to note this study was conducted on mice, additional research, particularly on man, are necessary to reproduce the conclusions). " Intestinal dysbiosis, often associated with an irritable intestine the syndrome (IBS) is very common and does not only lead to abdominal bloating and pain, but also decreases our ability to get the most nutrients of our food, to reduce the Health of our immune system and increase our risk of a multitude of chronic inflammatory disorders. . "

Artificial sweeteners can be non-nutritive or nutritious, although most artificial sweeteners fall under the non-nutritive umbrella. "Non-nutritive sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes free of calories and carbohydrates. They can be derived from plants or natural herbs and are several times sweeter than sugar," says Daghigh.

The other category of artificial sweetener is nutritious, which includes only aspartame. "Nutrient sweeteners may be lower in calories with sugar and add caloric value to foods that contain them," says Daghigh.

Have you ever noticed how after consuming a soda diet with a meal, you eat more than you would normally or if you need more food after the end of your meal? "While artificial sweeteners are supposed to help us reduce our caloric intake, the opposite may be true. Artificial sweeteners always trigger our sweet taste sensors, increasing insulin levels in the same way as if you eat sugar Note Ogunyemi.

"It can lead us to eat more calories than we would do so if we jumped the artificial sweetener and increases our risk of packaging on the books around our median, whoIncreases our risk of heart disease and cardiac crises. See more about the connection between artificial sweeteners and obesity from a review 2017 inCurrent Gastroenterology Reports.

"Aspartame (nutrasweet or equal) is approved for use in food as a nutritious sweetener. Aspartame contains calories, but because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar, consumers are likely to 'By using much less, "says Daghigh." He loses his sweetness when heated, so it is generally not used in bakery products. People with rare congenital disease called phenylketonuria (PKU) have a difficult period to metabolize phenylalanine, a component of aspartame and should avoid aspartame. "For more specific sweeteners, read aboutEach added sweetener classified by nutrition!

Are artificial sweeteners bad for you and if you avoid them?

"TheThe FDA regulates the safety of sugar substitutes In order to ensure that the amounts generally used are not harmful to the general population. The FDA establishes an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for each type of sugar substitute, which is the amount that a person could consume daily on their lives without negative effects, "explains to grieger.

"There are conflicting research studies, some showing that artificial sweeteners increase the desires of sweet and body weight, and others that artificial sweeteners have no effect," says Grieger. "I encourage each of my clients to limit both sweeteners and artificial sugars and to know the changes of their preferences and desirable desires so that they understand how these sweeteners affect them personally." Seeks to reduce sweeteners - artificial or otherwise? To verify easy ways to stop eating so much sugar .