New Study: Sugar Substitutes Long-term Effect on Memory
Sugar substitutes are becoming more common in the diet of American's both young and old in order to combat the obesity epidemic. However, could these substances be causing more harm than good in the long-run?
A new study has found that sugar substitutes, specifically saccharin, ACE-K (acesulfame potassium), and stevia, have long term effects on memory, behavior, and glucose regulation. Consuming these artificial sugars in early life has shown a negative impact on gut and brain development.
Unlike most studies that use extremely high amounts of sugar or sugar substitutes to show an effect, this study used amounts that fit into the FDA guidelines for "safe" consumption. The study was conducted on rats, so does not translate perfectly to humans, but does show a cause for concern around these substances.
The study found that sugar and sugar substitutes had similar effects on sustained memory impairment. The sugar substitutes were found to cause a decrease in cognitive function later in life, above the normal average. So, introducing sugar substitutes to kids at a young age can lead to increased risk of memory impairment diseases, like Alzheimer's or dementia.
The sugar substitutes were also found to have a negative impact on glucose regulation and blood sugars. The metabolic signaling was altered, which means that introducing sugar substitutes at a younger age put them at a higher risk for developing diabetes.
The sugar substitutes also altered the sensory response to sugar. Although the sweeteners are lower in calories than regular sugar, they taste more sweet and caused a desensitization to sugar. This means that it would take more sugar to get the same amount of sweet taste later in life, when artificial sweeteners are introduced. There were less sweet receptors on the tongue. This also lead to behavior changes later in life. When sugar substitutes are introduced early in life, the sweet receptors are decreased, and therefore later in life there is an increase in sweet cravings. These cravings also require more sugar to be eaten to get the same sweet taste as before.
Overall, the study has raised many questions about the safety and effectiveness of using sugar substitutes in place of real sugar sweeteners in order to control weight or diabetes. They may actually be feeding the fire and setting people up for a bigger problem later in life.
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Written by: Meghan Hawley, Ellen Byron and Associates
