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 recent comprehensive systematic BMJ review, a broad range of health outcomes were investigated to determine a possible association with non-nutritive sweetener use in a generally healthy population," explains Farzaneh Daghigh, PhD from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "There was no convincing evidence that non-nutritive sweeteners had any effect in adults on eating behavior, cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, mood, behavior or cognition. This study found a slight benefit in promoting weight loss and improving fasting blood glucose levels, but only in small studies and over short periods of time. Potential harms from the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners could not be excluded." Artificial sweeteners can impact your brain. However, this type of study is observational, meaning it can’t prove cause, or rule out that other unknown factors could have affected the results. So, when the researchers said artificial sweeteners “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”, they are perhaps too strongly suggesting that artificial sweeteners are definitely responsible for an increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases. How good was the media coverage?

Remember, a diabetic diet need not be 100% sugar free. Balance is the key. What is a low-calorie sweetener? Alongside sucralose and saccharine, the other sweeteners included in the study were aspartame and stevia.

Saccharin is several hundred times sweeter than table sugar but unlike the latter, it has no calories. It typically used to sweeten hot and cold drinks, rather than baked goods or other foods. Is Sweetex suitable for people with diabetes?

Sign up to our fortnightly Heart Matters newsletter to receive healthy recipes, new activity ideas, and expert tips for managing your health. Joining is free and takes two minutes. I’d like to sign up One of the major strengths of this study was the large number of people that took part, which means the findings are more reliable. However, the study was based on a French population, with different dietary and lifestyle habits to those in the UK, four out of five people included were women, and they had on average higher education levels, so we can’t be certain that these findings would apply to the wider UK population. Natural’ alternatives, such as honey syrups and nectars, are often seen as healthier options, but are still sugar in liquid form. For sweetness without the calories that come with sugars, you need artificial sweeteners. Sorbitol, acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin, sorbitol, sucralose, stevia and xylitol are the main artificial sweeteners. These are added to many foods, either on their own or in combination with sugars, as well as being available to buy in granulated or liquid forms to add to our own cooking, baking and drinks. To be cautious, ADI’s are set at 100 times less than the smallest amount that may cause health concerns, so it is extremely difficult for most people to reach the ADI. It is personal choice if you decide to use sweeteners or not, but using a variety of brands can ensure you do not exceed an acceptable intake for any one sweetener.One way to reduce your sugar intake without sacrificing taste is by replacing table sugar (sucrose) with low calorie sweeteners, which can be beneficial for people who wish to enjoy certain foods without risking a spike in blood glucose levels as well as those who are overweight and wish to reduce their calorie intake.

It’s well known that added sugars have a harmful effect on our health, in particular, because consuming too much of them can lead to excess weight, which can harm our heart and circulatory system. This has led to artificial sweeteners being used as a sugar alternative in many foods and drinks. However, past studies have been divided over whether artificial sweeteners themselves might have a harmful effect on our cardiovascular health. Sweeteners are ingredients added to foods to enhance sweetness. They are found in thousands of products in the UK and large studies have provided strong evidence that artificial sweeteners are safe for human consumption. The researchers said that artificial sweeteners “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”. The BHF verdict However, it is worth being aware of what the food you are eating contains – foods that contain low-calorie sweeteners are not necessarily low-calorie themselves.Sweetex can be used by people with diabetes, providing it fits into the individual’s diet and consumption levels are not excessive. Rather than taking another type of sweetener, the fifth group consumed equivalent amounts of glucose powder, while the last group had no supplement. The Guardian article clearly describes the approach and key findings of the study and also explains that this type of research can only show a link and cannot exclude unknown factors which may have influenced the findings. Researchers have recently been quoted in newspapers saying, “Artificial sweeteners should not be considered a safe alternative to sugar.” But what’s the truth? We look behind the headlines.