In our dietary recommendations, we always recommend moderation. It’s almost impossible to cut a food out of your diet entirely, and doing so can make it a “forbidden fruit” you want because it’s off limits. We usually say you can enjoy any food if you pay attention to serving size and your nutritional needs.
Some foods make that advice trickier. Over the last few years, there have been more and more questions about the safety of artificial sweeteners. We’ve covered the topic frequently. Our conclusion has remained that you should pay attention to how much you eat and enjoy different foods in moderation. If you have blood sugar concerns and want a sweet treat, it can be hard to avoid artificial sweeteners. Fruit is wonderful, but almost every low-carb dessert recipe uses a noncaloric sweetener.
Studies have suggested that sweeteners could cause problems for the GI tract or even dementia. A new study using a cell model has indicated that one artificial sweetener may damage the gut wall. However, there is a significant problem with all of these studies — they aren’t randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
The research that condemns sweeteners has either used cell models or is observational. Observational studies are ones where people don’t change their behavior. Most of the studies used people self-reporting their diet. That means the data might not have been accurate. Observational studies can only ever find a link between two things, not a cause and effect.
In an RCT, people are in a test group or a control group. These studies can show cause and effect. RCTs of noncaloric sweeteners have shown that they help weight loss and blood sugar without harming health.
“Making big diet recommendations based on observational or preliminary data causes ‘alarm fatigue’ in the public,” said Yale neurologist and popular science communicator Steven Novella. “If every week they are hearing about another thing they are supposed to avoid it all becomes impossible to manage.”
Observational studies are easier and less expensive to perform. But they are also less accurate. People have referred to it as “lazy” nutrition science. RCTs take more money and precision, but they yield much clearer results.
RCTs say that noncaloric sweeteners are safe. We still recommend eating sweet things in moderation and focusing more on healthy fruits, vegetables and proteins. However, you can enjoy your dessert without worrying!
