Many people choose low-calorie sweeteners as a “healthy” alternative to sugar, but a new study suggests that these artificial sweeteners may not be so beneficial after all , as they have found that consuming high amounts of artificial sweeteners can promote fat formation, particularly for people who are already obese.
The study, led by researchers at George Washington University in Washington, DC (USA) analyzed the effects of sucralose (a zero calorie artificial sweetener that is up to 650 times sweeter than sugar and is used in soft drinks light, tabletop sweeteners or cereals) in stem cells derived from human fat tissue, as well as in abdominal fat samples.
Considering the warnings about sugar consumption, more and more people are turning to products that contain sucralose and other artificial sweeteners, with the idea that they are better for health. “However, there is growing scientific evidence that these sweeteners promote metabolic dysfunction, ” says Sabyasachi Sen, leader of the work.
For their study, the researchers applied sucralose to stem cells derived from human fat tissue. The stem cells were exposed to the artificial sweetener for 12 days at a dose of 0.2 millimoles (equivalent to 4 cans of diet soda per day).
The experts discovered that the stem cells showed an increase in the expression of genes that indicate fat production and inflammation . Furthermore, the stem cells showed an increase in the accumulation of fat droplets, especially when exposed to a dose of sucralose greater than 1 millimolar.
They then performed abdominal fat biopsies from eight adults , four of them obese and four of healthy weight. All the adults consumed low-calorie sweeteners, mainly sucralose and aspartame. The abdominal fat samples were compared to samples taken from adults who were not consuming artificial sweeteners.
The results showed that adults who consumed low-calorie sweeteners not only showed an increase in glucose transport in cells, but also an overexpression of genes associated with fat production . As if that weren’t enough, they also detected overexpression of sweet taste receptors – up to 2.5 times higher among fat samples from adults taking artificial sweeteners.
The effects of low-calorie sweeteners were strongest in adults who were obese , the authors note.
“From our study, we believe that low-calorie sweeteners promote additional fat formation, allowing more glucose to enter cells, and promoting inflammation, which may be more damaging in obese individuals,” Sen.
The scientists presented their findings at the 99th annual meeting of the Society for Endocrinology in Orlando, Florida, USA.
