Sugar Substitutes & Health Risks: CVD & Cancer?

Many people regard zero-calorie and low-calorie sugar substitutes as healthy alternatives to sugar. Recent studies have shown that sugar substitutes may have an impact on many aspects of the body, including metabolism, cardiovascular disease, intestinal bacteria and even the brain. The latest research also points out that long-term excessive intake of sugar substitutes may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, cancer and other diseases.

accelerate brain degeneration

The University of Sao Paulo in Brazil tracked 12,000 adults for eight years and analyzed the relationship between six common artificial and low-calorie sweeteners and health. The results found that all six types of sugar substitutes are related to the accelerated degradation of cognitive functions such as memory and language ability. People with the highest intake experienced cognitive decline 62% faster than those with the lowest intake, equivalent to approximately 1.6 years faster brain degeneration.

produce neurotoxic substances

Experts point out that the original intention of using sugar substitutes to control sugar and weight may ultimately have the opposite effect. In particular, some artificial sweeteners may produce neurotoxic substances, induce inflammation, or be related to thrombosis and damage to vascular endothelium, thereby affecting brain blood flow.

Sweeteners have been widely used in the food industry. Sugar or sugar substitutes are added to many processed foods to enhance their flavor. Therefore, to reduce intake, eat as little sweets as possible and eat original foods as much as possible. The quality of sugar substitutes has not yet been determined. Experts believe that replacing sugar with sugar substitutes can reduce calorie intake in the short term, but long-term and large-scale consumption should be noted and avoided.