The WHO is (probably) wrong about Artificial Sweeteners

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued recent guidelines discouraging artificial sweeteners. Is it true that artificial sweeteners raise risk of disease long-term, like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or death?? A look at the scientific evidence on artificial sweeteners.
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Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia
References:
1-www.who.int/publications/i/it...
2-apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/h...
3-onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
4-onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...
5-www.nature.com/articles/s4143...
6-www.nature.com/articles/s4136...
Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 New WHO guidelines
1:13 Randomized trials
2:24 A conundrum
3:45 The solution?
6:21 My take away
7:15 A new trial
8:09 Good points
8:55 The #1 question

[@testitestmann8819]

How can you claim that you have no conflict of interest, if you are such a sweet boy

[@locomike102]

But his is natural sweetness, not artificial :)

[@rachael7060]

😂😂😂😂 It's true though, he's a treasure and hilarious too!😃

[@kevinchrist1658]

🙄

[@pedroteixeira4062]

LOL 😂

[@Alybobally]

Lololol

[@GuilhermeSilva-gu8nz]

I would love to see a video about the effect of artificial sweetners on gut bacteria! What is your takeaway regarding this topic, should we avoid artificial sweetners because of this?

[@davesmith826]

Indeed, and this is something that almost all trials don't measure. Tim Spector's group at LSE is doing work on this and their work has suggested that artificial sweeteners play havoc with the gut microbiome, in some cases being more damaging than refined sugars. The be all and end all is this: most people need less sweet things in their diet, artificial or not, and artificial sweeteners should only ever be used to transition people away from a high sugar diet, not as a replacement for such a diet. There is really no need for them. Fruits provide all the sweetness we'll ever need and historically ever have needed until some bright spark decided to refine cane and subsequently beets.

[@noelarwidi3746]

I would like to second this comment!

[@eddjcaine]

Third

[@iamKevRL]

Fourth

[@michaelfairbairn4283]

I've read studies that show that erythritol (which is not actually artificial) has no effect on gut bacteria, and xylitol (also not artificial) actually seems to have a beneficial effect. That's what I use.

[@739jep]

Type 1 diabetic here. Yes its possible for me to consume regular sugar sodas , but it makes things much more difficult - insulin technology just isn’t there yet. Diet sodas allow me to consume something sweet, which I enjoy, without having to worry about all that normally comes with it. Plus there’s no extra calories 👍 Artificial sweeteners make living with the burdens of diabetes just a little bit lighter and that’s a good thing 👍

[@aliciastanley5582]

But you are risking paying a price. There are lots of alternatives most easily Zevia delicious sodas found by the 12 pak in most big box stores. Wait for sales as the are offered routinely. Good luck. Oh, I buy a lot of pure water seltzer cheap at Aldi and I flavor them with all kinds of flavor extracts ( vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, rootbeer) and with real lemon T’s other fruits real coffee, real ginger juice homemade) sweeten with stevia3 pkts) and occasionally some organic cream. Delicious

[@hardcoreherbivore4730]

No diabetes, but I prefer to drink water or unsweetened plant based milks. If I would like to sweeten a drink; stevia extract is a great substitute. Personally, I don’t trust any corporation to sweeten anything for me. Stevia soda exists, but it’s not easy to find.

[@mingkee27]

Indeed, low carbohydrate diet would help you further to manage insulin

[@739jep]

@@mingkee27 I don’t have a low carbohydrate diet , but yes , all else being equal it does make it easier. There are still lots of important nutrients that we get from foods high in carbohydrates so I’ll happily consume them and manage my insulin accordingly- but for things with little nutritional value such as soft drinks it’s nice to not have to.

[@jrg305]

​@@mingkee27if you've ever worked with highly physically active type 1 diabetes, do you still recommend low carb for that? Shouldn't carb be tailored to the volume of physical activity done and the insulin dosing done in response? It's how it works in everyone else... And the only difference with type 1 is the natural insulin production. Not resistance. For type 2, especially if they are not doing tons of exercise, low carb is an appropriate recommendation.

[@tomm7505]

I used to use Spenda in my coffee and tea. I now use NO sweetener in coffee and tea. I also drink unsweetened iced tea (with lemon) and limit myself to 2 - 4 small cans (7.5 oz.) of regular soda per month. I just wanted to lessen sugar/sweeteners in my drinks. Small steps and you can get there.

[@learningisfun2108]

Wish I could cut sweetener from my two morning javas, but just can’t. I’ve decided that it will be my indulgence. Good for you, though!

[@dj.h7424]

@@learningisfun2108Yes I did it too. Now even the smell of the sweetex would turn me off. It’s like ‘how did I ever drink that?!’

[@loganmedia1142]

I simply dropped sucrose in coffee, because I prefer the way it tastes with just plenty of milk. Tea on the other hand I just can't stand unsweetened and that's after drinking it without sucrose or artificial sweetener for more than a year. It's just disgusting to me without the sweetness. So I gave it a good chance to take, but it never did.

[@Infoseek777]

I hit a point in my 20’s where I slowly put on 80 pounds and was a junk food eater I eliminated sugar and swapped for diet soda (1-2 cans a day) and eventually lost the 80 pounds but living a healthy lifestyle Worked wonders for me and it’s 25 years later:)

[@princejoseph8280]

Did you have any gut issues? I feel like I fart more when I am having like 2-3 cans a day lol!

[@Infoseek777]

@@princejoseph8280 Not at all!

[@princejoseph8280]

@@Infoseek777 might be something else in my diet as well

[@mkyeny9]

Every video this channel pumps out is a gem. Thanks so much for all the hard work!

[@MoldyBagel]

I enjoy how Dr Gil also throws in nuggets about critical thinking and the necessity of reflecting on new information to keep an informed opinion.

[@Raphael4722]

Dr Gil's videos are toadally awesome.

[@kathleenmagois7904]

I can't bear the taste of the artificial sweeteners I've tried, so for me it's best to avoid sodas altogether.

[@jandejong2430]

I replaced sugar with no sugar. Seems best.

[@scottdbush1]

o wow

[@afonsodeportugal]

Don't you even eat fruit?

[@tangerinetangerine4400]

​@@afonsodeportugalfruit is whole foods with many benefits. To reduce it to sugar is simply misguided.

[@mindofown]

WE are lucky to have you!! Thankyou for your work

[@alfonso365]

Best nutrition channel in any platform!

[@williewonka6694]

Was raised in the 1960s by a mother who kept sugary treats to a rare event. Soda pop was restricted to occasional summer picnics or parties. So glad to have had that upbringing. I drink water, and have reduced alcohol to less than 1 per month. Needless to say, I have normal weight and A1C.

[@MS-sd1uz]

Awesome parenting! Better don't let these things creep into the diet in the first place. I think modern junk food consumption has reched ridiculous levels and those affected stay in denial, while getting fatter year over year. It's not like you get infected by diabetes over night. Ruining your health requires a lot of time and effort. After introducing proper meals and intermittent fasting, I don't even crave sweets anymore. It's really fascinating.

[@loganmedia1142]

For us carbonated drinks were very rare, but sugary drinks were not. In fact my children drink less sugary drinks than we did growing up. I can't tolerate much water unless I'm really hot and sweating a lot. Even then I can drink more if I add some flavouring. Not lemon juice though as that is even worse than plain water.

[@namontn]

Thank you Dr. Can you do a video on monk fruit extract, allulose, and stevia specifically?

[@azdhan]

Great video! Thanks for sharing Dr Carvalho

[@emailjwr]

Could be psychosomatic, but i really notice that diet sodas increase my hunger compared to just water

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

I don’t think it’s psychosomatic

[@anathardayaldar]

There are reports that sweetness stimulates hunger through the mind.

[@tofu-munchingCoalition.ofChaos]

I second your observation. It increases my appetite (not hunger). It works for me with everything overly sweet (not just diet soda). I use that to bring myself to eat sometimes.

[@jeffreyjohnson7359]

It's the opposite for me, I feel full after I have a diet Coke.

[@diadetediotedio6918]

For me they do the opposite, I feel more full when eating and drinking diet sodas compared to nothing or even in some extent to water

[@ohhimark742]

The pepsi max has completely eliminated my tooth sensitivity from real sugar. I know it still has acids which wears down enamel but the change in pain is night and day

[@mr-boo]

Makes absolute sense. You're no longer getting hit with a double whammy of an acid drink _and_ a sugary drink whose sugars get transformed into acids by your mouth bacteria.

[@virginicaanderson1569]

Drink it with a straw

[@sarajohnstone7128]

Fascinating as always thank you! Have you done a video on Ultra Processed food yet?

[@michaelcoggan1271]

Excellent review . Will help clinical practice. Many thanks

[@Zuggbar]

Do you have any thoughts on the study recent Cedars-Sinai did regarding the impact of artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome published in the journal iScience?

[@Adrian-xq7zn]

Many of the differences they report aren't statistically significant, in general the results don't seem very robust. But even if, we can't conclude anything about health. Maybe this changes are healthy, maybe they are unhealthy. But this is only good to make a hypothesis or to get a potential mechanistic understanding for how sweeteners could effect health. Nothing more

[@jamesr8584]

I guess since we are comparing artificial sugar to added sugar, is regular sugar have a more negative effect on the microbiome than artificial sweetener?

[@rabbout]

Another aspect in addition to what was said in the 2 comments above, usually when you lose weight and/or change diet, the microbiome will change.

[@williamc4221]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@diadetediotedio6918]

I'm losing a bunch of weight these last months, I started drinking diet soda instead of normal one and changed many habits, but I can measure my health data before and after these changes and will see if they had or not positive effects in some months, for now it appears to work well compared to before

[@rabbout]

As it was said in the video, the diet sodas are probably giving you your sweet-fix, and that is helping you stick with the new changes to your diet. And good luck on your journey to better your health! A lot of us have been there or wish to be there.

[@SuperAngelic5]

Thanks for the info!

[@davidfisher4997]

I’m learning so much from your channel. Thanks!

[@smtonlinevideos]

I love that your channel breaks down the nuances of these studies. Thank you for helping people learn how to think objectively and scientifically! 🙂

[@eatsleepsurf9108]

Blessed to hear this quality nuanced analysis here on KZbin. Love the fact he's talking about the weight one study has vs the other one. Reminds me of Layne Norton 👍

[@deondebeer4373]

I am using a lot of sweetners for the last 30 years - when I stop sugar in food and drinks I lost 33kg and never gained it again- I am 61 and still and is so healthy as 20 year sportman

[@RoxanneRichardson]

It isn't easy to change a decades-long habit of consuming soda. I drank diet soda for about 4 decades, and gave it up about 7 years ago, when I realized that my aging body wasn't metabolizing aspartame well, anymore. I had evolved to not sweetening my hot drinks (coffee and tea), which I drank in the winter, but continuing to consume cold drinks (diet soda and iced tea) with aspartame in the summer. Turns out that in my 50s, aspartame was giving me brain fog and muscle aches (my mother had experienced short term memory loss with aspartame when it first came out in the '80s, and switched back to saccharine). It wasn't too hard to adjust to drinking iced tea without sweetener, but it was *really* hard to give up diet Coke, especially in certain situations (road trips). It was the combination of caffeine, flavor, and the bubbles (along with just the habit of drinking it) that made it difficult to give up. I liked my brain a lot more than I liked diet Coke, though, so I managed to do it. For me, it was never about trying to control my weight, it was just that I didn't like drinking that much sugar. Made me feel sick.

[@cronelilith2830]

Sister!!!😂😂 me too!

[@chelseal654]

Wow, worlds collide!! I love your knitting channel, it’s so interesting to see you over here in Dr. Carvalho’s comments 😊

[@WillowPatty]

Roxanne, I can copy every single thing you wrote. I am now 80. I SO wish I had given the "Diet" drinks sooner. My kids have been telling me for years, decades, to stop. I mostly used Stevia for the past few years, so we don't know for sure the effects of that. I think the jury is still out. I didn't want the sugar. We have always known how bad that is. I have had colitis for years, and my GI doctor told me to stop. Did I? No. Diet Dr. Pepper was my drug of choice. After surgeries, I asked my son to bring it to me in the hospital...

[@hardcoreherbivore4730]

Stevia extract is a great alternative to aspartame. Only takes a few drops, and it’s just a plant extract.

[@learningisfun2108]

I drank a lot of soda as a kid. Now, I am lucky that I do not crave it and have all but eliminated it from my life. I am lucky that it is not a mild addiction. I’m happier without it. Soda has no redeeming qualities and I liken it to smoking (though clearly much less harmful). When I indulge in the occasional soda, I enjoy it but I know it is not good for me so I avoid it. I guess it is more of a treat than a regular drink. Now, if only I can eliminate other bad eating habits…….

[@alittax]

Have you taken a course on communication, maybe copywriting? Your delivery is very easy to follow, not just logical. Those books in the background are also very interesting. I see ones on movies and art, also what looks like a history book. You seem like a very well-rounded person. Thank you for your videos!

[@19cornholio90]

Fantastic. Love your videos!

[@zachcain2639]

Interesting topic, thanks!

[@erkukamaka]

Would love to see a video about known effects of fluorine in toothpaste

[@tomnohmy1273]

The WHO, great band

[@lalablotz7348]

I think with diet soda it isn’t the artificial sweeteners that are the problem otherwise half the population would have dropped dead from it by now. The problem is people use it as an excuse to consume more calories elsewhere. I worked in fast food in my younger days and we had obese people come in and order a double cheeseburger, large fries, chicken nuggets and dessert and then top it off with a large diet soda. One lady actually said to her friend that it was okay to eat all that because she got the diet soda. We also had thin people that would order a single cheeseburger, small fries and a small regular soda. So there’s some phycology going on there.

[@loganmedia1142]

Reminds me of a friend's relative who always seemed perplexed as to why she was so huge. She was completely oblivious to the quantities of food she was consuming. She'd literally wolf down a 100g slab of chocolate while wondering out loud why she couldn't seem to stop gaining. I do think we can also blame anti-sugar campaigners a bit when it comes to perceptions of the sugar in drinks. They've made such a big deal out of it that it can mislead people into thinking that it is the sole or major source of their excess calories.

[@mendelgrant2129]

I'm curious about your medical view of erythritol, given the stud(ies?) this year that linked it to major cardiovascular events. As someone who replaced aspartame etc with erythritol, I'd love to know how sound the science is re cardiovascular events.

[@davidfrancis8899]

Why not just get used to a non sweet taste ? I avoid sugar type products and artificial sweeteners. When I taste something sweet it tastes revoltingly sweet. You loose the taste.

[@JA-gx4hb]

I rarely eat sugar these days, but I can't imagine the day when pumpkin pie tastes revolting.

[@brianmitchell2202]

do you really think that's practical on a population scale?

[@Dasqal]

Humans love sweetness evolutionary. You have to see the videos of tribal people being given chocolate. 😅

[@KevinJDildonik]

"If artificial sweeteners help you cut back" is the #1 point. I had an ex who was super addicted to Diet Coke. Switching to normal Pepsi initially limited her because her body definitely felt the difference. She went from 6+ cans a day to 1-2. If you can maintain that. And drink water instead. Then regular sugar would be better. But her caffeine and stress addiction just came back until she was drinking huge amounts of sugar soda. The sweetener was not the root problem. Stress and caffeine addiction was. The effects of sweeteners, if any, seem to be quite mild.

[@iCarus_A]

If caffeine is the root cause, why not just drink coffee? It's a near-zero calorie source of caffeine... and almost certainly healthier than caffeinated soda, even if you ignore the fairly good evidence of coffee's health benefits.

[@loganmedia1142]

Six cans is not particularly excessive in terms of caffeine consumption. Probably below the recommended maximum daily intake of caffeine. Certainly would not qualify as an addiction.

[@SundanceKey-ko3uy]

The Precautionary Principle is relevant here! Some US scientists and some governments across the pond think that it's best to avoid products whose long-term effects are unclear, unknown or disputed. In other words, it's smarter to be cautious rather than risk being overly casual. This makes a LOT of sense to me. If I don't *know* something is safe, I prefer to err on the side of caution. This can apply to food additives, pesticides and more.

[@jjhbball]

Agreed. But I am cautious with NSS for two reasons. First, nature rarely lets us off the hook this easily. Just think about how the body starts to burn fewer calories when you reduce caloric intake. The body really seems to have a “there are no free lunches” principle. Even if the consequences aren’t morphological. Second, I worry most about elevating our baseline response to sweetness. If you have a friend from Asia, they can’t stand American treats because they are so sweet. If you have had Asian dessert, you know what I mean. If everything becomes sweet without consequence, we may come to expect this all the time.

[@dennisward43]

Cravings for sweet foods soon disappear (well in my case) once your taste buds get accustomed to not having a lot of sweet food.

[@loganmedia1142]

I think it is irrelevant whether people are used to sweetness if the sweeteners are essentially harmless. All evidence to date suggests that the majority of them are indeed harmless. I'd also suggest that it is possible some Asian food is less sweet, because they have inherently different processing of sweetness. Has anyone tested that? Our perception of sweetness also changes with age. It's why someone can be absolutely convinced that jam was less sweet when they were 20 even though huge amounts of sugar have always been a key ingredient of jam. That perception change can be the cause of eating less sweet things rather than the other way around.

[@loganmedia1142]

@@dennisward43 In my experience my tolerance for sweetness did not diminish by eating less sweet food.

[@robertlopez9347]

I have to tell you a crazy story. Last year i went to Mexico with my parents. It's a rural small town. I stayed down there for 1 month. I lost 7 pounds in 1 month. I was eating about 8 big corn tortillas a day. I was adding brown sugar to my coffee in the morning. I was eating one whole wheat bread with the coffee every morning.. The tortillas don't have any preservetives so they go bad in about 2 days. They make them fresh every morning. The same for the whole wheat bread. It's freshly made every morning and it goes bad after 2 days. I don't eat that much bread or tortillas here in the US because i know they are loaded with preservetives..

[@AcvaristulLenes]

Losing weight resumes mostly to caloric input vs output. Also, one can loose weight in a few healthy ways and many unhealthy others. Homemade bread and tortillas are definitely healthier than what the industry produces. But, losing weight by eating such a high percentage of fast absorbing carbohydrates raises the need for some bloodwork before and after the process. Some people do very well on high carb diets while others don't. I, myself, feel better on lower than 250 g/day of CH when sedentary.

[@RiDankulous]

This is a great story thanks. I eat whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread daily here in the states. I’m on a whole food plant-based diet and it has done wonders for me. I cook my own bread and have it down to a science.

[@loganmedia1142]

I doubt it has anything to do with preservatives. Corn tortillas inherently last longer than flour ones. Homemade tortillas will last for about three days out of the fridge. At least a week in the fridge and months in a freezer. That's all without preservatives. Our store bought ones are similar if they're fresh.

[@Vincent_Beers]

Some artificial sweeteners act as laxatives or similar to fiber, which can also at least encourage weight loss.

[@angelaasadi9283]

Is there a long term effect of artificial sweetener on the liver?

[@RiDankulous]

This is a great video! It would be nice to see tea versus artificial sweeteners, similar to what you suggested: the regular soda versus diet soda. Honestly, it would be nice to know a quantification of the benefit of tea over diet soda. It's a switch I made awhile back, several years after I switched from sugar soda to diet soda.

[@dennisward43]

I would expect much healthier outcomes from drinking teas as long as they do not have much in the way of sugar (any kind) or cow milk added. Herbal/green teas especially. I have decaffeinated teas where possible to reduce anxiety.

[@RiDankulous]

@@dennisward43Thanks for the response! I bought green tea and will drink one or two cups for health benefit. Then if I drink more it will be black. I drink too much tea but nothing added.

[@loganmedia1142]

Tea is probably better anyway, because both black and green tea contain a variety of useful and beneficial chemicals. Caffeine is obviously the most well-known, but there are others.

[@Elgatoconbolso]

from what i understood, i thought there was a positive relationship between the amount of artificial sweeteners a person consumed and the amount of otherwise ultra processed foods they consumed. so rather than affecting your health directly, artificial sweeteners may affect your food choices. you may just get used to a certain level of sweetness that fruit can't provide for example, so you tend to eat sweeter things aka more sugar in turn!

[@richardpells5974]

That was really interesting. I'm a huge consumer of pure, powered monk fruit, I import it directly from China. I also consume a lot of 90% reb A Stevia and a lot of sucralose and I have done for well over a decade...with the exception of Monk Fruit, as it's not been available for that long. I'm plant based and at 60 I'm in good health and slightly under weight, so I'm hoping that bodes well for the future. My only health concern is Mgus...could that be linked to the sweeteners? My teeth are fine and that was originally my reason for quitting sugar, I'd heard of some terrible consequencies attributed to having rotten teeth. Thanks again, always love watching your videos and appreciate the time you must put into making them.

[@plutostube]

great subject! as suggestion one subject that will great to be presented by your channel will be about the cookware we can use safe in every day, with statistics and real facts, for example one important subject is about the ceramic cookware that has a very contradictory info on the web, also the daily use of dishwashing soap and similar things, using plastic packages etc I think all these can add up every day and influence our health unfortunately, without even knowing

[@k1d0z]

I don't drink regular soda, and I aldo don't drink diet soda either. Sometimes I put a sachet of artificial sweetener for my tea or coffee. So, this statement from WHO doesn't really impact me at all. But I agree with you that for someone who drink a lot of regular soda, small first step of getting healthier is to replace it with diet soda.

[@Food-Sci]

Nice overall review, but you could have included/mentioned (at least passingly) some themes missing from this video. Namely - sweetener effects on gut microbiota - there is interesting scientific literature on the subject - effects on cancer risk - it is both ways depending on the type of cancer and the sweetener in question therefore an understandable omission - genotoxicity of sucralose-6-acetate - addressing the fear of hormonal metabolic effects still present in the public mind (insulin and ghrelin increase by tricking the mind - now mostly disproved) Maybe topics for an updated deep dive video on sweeteners? But as always, nice and to the point summation.

[@kc8246]

Good point.

[@rr0gg]

Nice overall review, but you could have passingly included/mentioned some themes missing from it, namely - sweetener effects on gut microbiota - there is interesting sci. Lit. On the subject - effects on cancer risk - it is both ways depending on the type of cancer and the sweetener in question therefore an understandable omission - genotoxicity of sucralose-6-acetate - addressing the fear of hormonal metabolic effects still present in the public mind (insulin and ghrelin increase by tricking the mind - now mostly disproved) Lumping all the many vastly different sweeteners together is also strange. Maybe topics for an updated deep dive video on sweeteners? But as always, nice and and concise summation.

[@wyzrd777]

Allulose seems like a more natural and beneficial sweetener than the others.

[@nqkoi159]

Well, which sweeteners exactly? We have to test all of them, they are not the same :)

[@thomasmcgraw1029]

Just a thought. With original lab work on these sugar substitutes demonstrating pathological changes in the mice from high dose and/or longer periods of application, have there been any studies in humans to determine if health risks increase with higher consumption of sugar substitutes and/or long term use?

[@thogerlund-sorensen2900]

Artificial sweeteners keeps people addicted to very sweet food and makes it harder to move towards a whole food plant based diet, which is what truly improves health outcomes.

[@MS-sd1uz]

Ultimately, there is no health in junk food. People are delusional.

[@paulstevens1493]

Great video! Unrelated question: dietary antioxidants, like matcha and blueberries and red wine. Do they really do anything in vivo? What about supplements?

[@vistera8991]

i heard nss are bad for liver. Can you tell about that?

[@dogberry20]

I would fit in perfectly with the long term observational data. I was obese, and had some health issues, so I cut out added sugar. It meant I also cut out a lot of calories. And I lost about 60 lbs. My friends decided that they were going to be supportive and started buying me a bunch of sugar-free junk food, I got hooked and started buying myself a lot of artificially sweetened junk food. No surprise, I packed back on a bunch of the weight. And brought back the health problems. I don't think it was because of the artificial sweeteners, I think it was that I was going through a box of ice cream sandwiches and tortillas chips every day. But if all you are looking at is artificial sweeteners, the more I consumed the more weight I gained. I'm now on a WFPB diet. I have very little processed food in my diet, and I mostly don't have artificial sweeteners either. My weight is dropping and I am healthier. I suspect it has very little to do with the artificial sweeteners, and everything to do with dropping almost a thousand calories a day out of my diet.

[@dazzleships1]

Good points and my experience bears this theory out. I’m 6 months into keto with IF/PF and have lost 96lbs/43kg/6 stone 10lbs finding it really easy as I love the food I am eating and have no hunger cravings. I have been a strict practitioner with no carby foods BUT my one cheat is artificial sweeteners in drinks as it is the one dietary pleasure I need to keep me happy and motivated. I have heard it may spike insulin and reduce fat burn but, for me at least, when I measure my blood ketones they do not appear to be affected. I have another 60lbs to lose and, if my weight loss plateaus I may look at this again but I am confident I will be OK as my loss has been almost perfectly linear since day 1. As a bonus some major diabetes symptoms disappeared within just 2 weeks before the weight loss really kicked in. My diabetic HbA1c numbers have been reversed over the course of ther first 5 months too.

[@GhoshA]

Hello Gil, Could you make a video regarding one-set of diabetes due to beta blockers and diuretic medicines for the long term use? I am taking both of these medicines and recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, so at least could you clarify about that? Thank you.

[@GibranCamus-kr2dc]

From someone who had SIBO: Artificial sweeteners _can_ ef up your microbiome, especially if you're already compromised. Laying off artificial sweeteners was my first bout of relief in years. Granted, I had been consuming a _ton_ of 'em daily.

[@legendhavok1723]

From 6:20-6:29... You say the artificial sweeteners are beneficial compared to added sugars. Would a more "accurate" way of stating this be that artificial sweeteners are "less harmful" than added sugars? I struggle with accepting artificial sweeteners are "beneficial" overall

[@SatipatthanaSakuraDragona]

This has come up at work but the question is only ever about cancer. I think that’s what most people want to know. My argument has always been that the data are inconclusive but we do know that processed meats and charred meats are carcinogens, so unless your coming with that same energy for your turkey sandwich and steak, you’re going to have to miss me with this hyper fixation over artificial sweeteners.

[@tangerinetangerine4400]

IARC classifies aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” based on limited evidence it might cause cancer (specifically liver cancer) in people.

[@loganmedia1142]

Those things aren't really that risky and sweeteners probably even less so. As far as I know the link between charred food, including meat, and cancer has been found to be tenuous at best and more likely simply non-existent. Processed meat only seems to be an issue when fairly substantial amounts are consumed. The thing is there is a lot of anti-sweetener propaganda. This might stem from some underlying puritanism in people's opposition to sugar. This could be true even though excessive sugar consumption can be bad for you. Because the idea is to deny people something they enjoy, not simply help them be healthier.

[@ChessMasterNate]

I used Splenda for a while...until I started getting painful sores on my tongue. Then I switched to Stevia, but it was mostly fillers. For the last 2-3 years, I have been splurging on Stevia without fillers. I sometimes add supplements that are a bit sweet: inositol, TMG, and Glycine.

[@joseabboud2223]

What are your thoughts about Stevia and Monk Fruit? In this case 0 GI natural sweetners, compared to artificial sweetners?

[@loganmedia1142]

If they taste acceptable to you they appear to be mostly fine. There is some evidence stevia may interfere with gut bacteria in a fashion related to the negative effect of sucralose and saccharin. In my case stevia tastes terrible. Almost as horrible as saccharin. Sucralose tastes fine, but tends to make me nauseous. Aspartame tastes fine and I don't experience any negative side effects, so if I am using an artificial sweetener it is my first choice. Locally monk fruit is very expensive, so I'm unlikely to spend the money just to try it.

[@marcelotemer]

In order to be prioritized, the RCTs should have the same time-frame as the observational. Who knows if sweeteners long-term lead to change in people's cravings, and the bad outcomes only happen much later?

[@AnlamK]

Is stevia considered an artificial sweetener? Maybe different sweeteners also have different risk profiles and we shouldn't lump them all together.

[@scottdbush1]

Ive seldom seen a comments section miss the point this bad

[@tomasareas]

I remember some study relating artificial sweetners with poorer gut microbiome. Is this true? Should it be a concern for someone who is trying to improve gut health?

[@lluviahirschortega1393]

Haven't listened to the video but here for the algorithm and also because I know I will love this video ❤❤

[@JA-gx4hb]

To give up my Coke addiction, I first had to transition to non-caffeinated soda. Then I gradually went to flavored water. It's been 10 years or so but I still can't make the switch to plain water, but I'm still trying (drinking a LaCroix while watching).

[@pmBc120]

I love Hint water for the same reason but I wish it was cheaper

[@loganmedia1142]

I'm not a fan of plain water. I drink it with food, but find that drinking it all day it sits heavy in my stomach in a way that slightly sweetened and flavoured just doesn't. I've always consumed my caffeine primarily in coffee and occasionally in tea. Even in summer I've never consumed carbonated drinks for their caffeine (they tend to have relatively small amounts anyway). Besides carbonated drinks are fairly expensive to consume regularly.

[@AnHourOfWolves]

Wasn't there a trial that showed that people who eat artificial sweeteners with a meal would consume fewer calories during the meal, however they'd make up for those calories in their following meal... something about how the body assumes it needs more insulin because of the sweetness, and so it gets blood sugars very low, causing the hunger to kick in.... is that an incorrect memory I have?!?

[@dennisward43]

What you say makes sense to me. Sweeteners of any kind stimulate the appetite so people tend to have more snacks which are often full of sugar themselves. No wonder there is an epidemic of diabetes.

[@loganmedia1142]

The sweetness can have a small impact on insulin release, but whether that is sufficient to cause low blood sugar is a different matter. The amounts released in response to taste alone seem to be relatively tiny compared to what happens in response to actual glucose. If the body relied on sweetness to decide how much insulin to release how would it deal with a food containing a lot of glucose, but the sweetness is masked by other flavours? This is remarkably easy to achieve. Also why wouldn't the body release more glucose from stores if too much has been taken out of circulation by insulin released due to taste?

[@dennisward43]

@@loganmedia1142 I think it is more of a mental (or emotional) craving, with regards to artificial sweeteners, for more sweet food rather than that directly related to insulin. So your taste buds may well be sending signals to your brain to eat more of the kind of sweet food you had not long ago.

[@nomandad2000]

Something occurred to me this morning about my sugar consumption: I like to drink coffee with a shot of sweetened cream. Not a big deal right? BUT: the MANNER in which I drink it sparked a question. See, I like to slow sip throughout the day, rather than slug it down in one session. So I wonder if it’s worse to slowly sip on this low level of sugar all day long vs a quick dose all at once like when most people drink coffee? I’m thinking that I’m spiking my glucose for hours and not giving my system a rest, vs one glucose spike event…I wonder if it’s making it hard for me to lose weight?

[@MrMumecka]

But which artificial sweetener they used?

[@haymaker299]

One of the ways to put the TL:DR - If you are someone can manage it, then maintain healthy weight and consume only water and whole foods; but if you are not someone who can do that, then zero-calorie sweeteners are probably less damaging to you than sugar is.

[@loganmedia1142]

Water is pretty unpleasant to consume in large enough quantities though. I'll have some with meals, but if I want to keep up my fluid consumption I need to add something to it. With a little flavouring and sweetening I can down half a litre and it won't feel heavy in my stomach whereas plain water, even consumed much more slowly, builds up that heavy unpleasant feeling, eventually making me feel sick. I know many people like to add lemon to their water, but I find that makes it even worse for my stomach.

[@stevefiorito5379]

There is so much disagreement on this topic that it is very hard or impossible for the average person to perceive the real truth on the issue and to make life changes that they can feel confident will improve their health. With all of that, I can only assume that the topic of sugar and artificial sweeteners as they relate to human health isn't properly understood at this time.

[@kissoffire1]

I've been taking sweeteners since they came out in the sixties. I've got an uncontrollable sweet tooth, and put weight on easily. As far as I know, animals were tortured by forcing about 2 000 times the amount we would consume in a day down their throats. I think I would get cancer under those circumstances too. So I've survived the constant use of microwaves, sweetners, 5g phones, a vegan low oil high carb diet, and I'm quite healthy for my age with excellent bone density. I'm often mistaken for my husband's daughter, we are the same age, but he is a typical nevrovore, trusts medical doctors implicitly and is on chronic medication for high blood pressure.

[@user-ov4wr5yu4r]

My study reached the endpoint after just one dose: Impressive hives! Never mind the longterm effects.

[@kestag2110]

I would like to get a better understanding of what is considered artificial and what is not. Sometimes all alternative sweeteners are placed in the same “artificial “ basket and therefore it becomes confusing as to what is actually being referred.

[@loganmedia1142]

Anything that isn't actual sucrose or a similar combination of fructose and glucose. Probably more accurate to call them sugar substitutes or low/zero calorie sweeteners.

[@RogerHyam]

But substitution isn't appropriate here. An analogy would be replacing smoking with vaping. Sure it is best to replace smoking with vaping but it is also best not to vape. So both recommendations are correct. I still enjoy a diet coke whilst my friends and colleagues are getting smashed!

[@loganmedia1142]

It is definitely appropriate. It demonstrates that replacement sweeteners might not have any of the detrimental effects claimed.

[@RogerHyam]

@@loganmedia1142 If you replace X with Y and have less illness then is shows Y is less worse than X. It does not say anything at all about whether Y is in any way desirable or benign, merely less worse. It's like politics in the USA and UK. You get to choose a less worse option not a good option. If you have to have lots of sweet drinks then diet drinks are better than sugar ones. But you don't have to have lots of sweet drinks! Nobody would say to someone who didn't drink a lot of soda that they should start drinking diet coke just like nobody would recommend a non smoker should take up vaping.

[@cdfaulk]

Reverse causation that he mentions is so part of it to me.

[@marcioaurelis]

I don't think they are bad if it is consumed in controlled amounts. The bad thing about this type of sweeteners are that they are added in everything nowadays

[@jondel3304]

0:00 What about claim that diabetes is, in part, neurological in basis, and chephalic phase insulin response is a "major contributor?" Can this be true, and if so, are artificial sweeteners raising insulin?

[@Joy80JJ]

I think everything in moderation for some of us will work. I lost 87lbs in 2020 subbing in diet drinks in place of full sugar...also eliminated processed junk foods. Have maintained my wgt & labs are all good. Zevia soda uses stevia.

[@joelantunes151]

Dass bem me parecia que era TUGA!!! :) Grande trabalho fã nº1 :)

[@tiberioantunes1668]

haha tuga n é?

[@10khillred]

A side thought, random tests are good but have limitations. Are there recent improvements? For example, should the two groups be swapped so they can be on both target medications and placebo? Should more follow up studies be done why some people react to the target while some not, maybe the medicine is useful for a type of patients, and even why some people may react to placebo?

[@JA-gx4hb]

You gonna pay for it?

[@dennisward43]

@@JA-gx4hb Seeing as obesity, diabetes and other related illnesses are costing countries a fortune in lost productivity and healthcare I would suggest the government should pay for them. They appear to be more under the thumb of food producers, medical and pharmaceutical companies. Allowing at best dubious health claims to be put on products rather than health warnings from all the sugar (especially hidden sugars) in them.

[@trevorbartram5473]

My negative health experience is an arthritis flare up (swelling, joint pain) in my feet (luckily one foot at a time) that started about ten years ago, if I consume aspartame (>one can diet soda), too much high fructose corn syrup or regular sugar. This past holiday season (duh!) caused a flare up that took two weeks to subside, the longest yet. I use Liquid Splenda (not powdered form) in my coffee because it contains no maltodextrin (that gives a dumb sugar like high). I drink sparkling water & seltzers to hydrate. My doctor's only advice "avoid the triggers". HTH.

[@richsimm221]

Watching this while drinking my Coke Zero.

[@presence5426]

Coke Move tastes like motion.

[@presence5426]

Coke Move tastes like motion.

[@presence5426]

Coke Move tastes like motion.

[@Sneedstein]

I confess, I stopped drinking soda for over a decade and then started drinking a can of diet a day due to eating out a lot at work during one project

[@brianwarren2042]

I'd be curious to hear your take on the evidence of genotoxicity of sucralose-6-acetate. Specifically, the data collected using the repligut system.

[@ambroziajewel]

I stopped using artificial sweeteners because of the potential for kidney damage. But for years it did help me control my weight. I missed diet soda for a while but I don’t even like the taste anymore.

[@esotericsolitaire]

Thomas DeLauer has basically concluded the same thing. My doc told me one diet soda a week is not going to hurt me. Thomas says he's leaning towards, "Drink the diet soda if you must have soda." I'm still very suspicious of aspartame though.

[@mingkee27]

Stevia can go along well with lemon juice Monk fruit can go along well with chocolate They have no carb nor sugar

[@kengrew2616]

Can you do a video on the benefits of Xylitol. There are claims that it protects teeth from decay. Is this true?

[@MS-sd1uz]

I do believe xylitol has a positive effect but it won't fix a broken diet and poor dental hygiene and sweets addictions. Some metabolisms don't tolerate sugar alcohols though

[@kengrew2616]

@@MS-sd1uz Thanks! 👍

[@rexwine]

If someone has been eating bad food, not getting exercise, then really starts noticing how fat they've gotten, they then start artificial sweeteners. But the damage is possibly already done, so they show up later in the long-term stats with artificial sweetness being the link even when they did much damage earlier. Right or wrong? I sure don't know.

[@SuperAngelic5]

It would make sense

[@loganmedia1142]

It's not that the damage is already done, but rather that many of those people continue with their overall poor diet and lack of exercise while replacing sugar with something else. Then when they get sick or die it can look like those who consume sweeteners are prone to disease and earlier death.

[@drderrickchua]

You recommend artificial sweetened drinks to replace regular sweetened drinks in people at risk. Do you recommend the same for normal weight people who regularly drink regularly sweetened drinks?

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

great question. if it were only between those 2, yes, I would lean toward the no sugar product myself, based on the evidence we have. I wouldn't say this is "my recommendation" but it's the educated guess I´d personally make that said, I doubt an occasional soda makes a huge difference for a healthy person. it's the daily staples I´d try to optimize

[@stellasternchen]

I get hungry from them, same as regular sugar. I kind of keep both as a treat, not a regular.

[@jeroenneve5807]

Did you ever do a fact-check on Robert Lustig? Particularly: Sugar, the bitter truth. If not, then please do.

[@Physionic]

“No conflicts of interest”, yet releases sweet videos. Come on, Gil! 😛

[@zukodude487987]

One issue of replacing diet soda with fruit is that fruits contain calories. Which is more satiating, an apple or a 2l diet coke? The coke has less calories also. Diet drinks are the closest thing we have to a diet hack. Something that tastes as good as the original, but has virtually no calories.

[@im_attracted_to_my_4yo_sister]

I know but im really scared of the dangers from artificial sweetners

[@SmirkyWaters]

Agree that the announcement was a bit dramatic and uncalled for. Knowing how the WHO functions, it felt like someone was trying to get or justify their funding by reviving an old scare... That said, there are concerns in the nutrition world about the effect of artificial sweeteners on microbiome health and diversity. Would love it if you could do a video on research in that direction, as they are starting to make their way everywhere into our foods (in the plethora of diet sodas and drinks; the ever-increasing number of "no sugar added" processed foods and products; and even in non-diet foods, where they are used to lower the total calorie amounts). I've stopped using artificial sweeteners and avoid any food containing them, and I've gone back to consumption of regular sugar and honey in small amounts (e.g. in my coffee/tea, a cookie or pastry once in a while). Sugar is supposed to be bad for the microbiome too, but most of it gets digested and goes into the bloodstream before hitting the gut, whereas artificial sweeteners pass through your digestive system straight to your microbiome 🤷‍♂️ Not sure whether my reasoning is correct but would love to see it tested in research.

[@sbkir]

Okay, I hate to think I have to read all these studies to determine if allulose was included in this study. Is Allulose considered an artificial sweetener for this study? It is a bit different than Sweet-n-Low and the like. I would like to know more about that. There are studies showing that Allulose may actually have benefits, but I don't know which studies or much about it. If I am going to eat an alternative sugar, it's going to be allulose. It tastes EXACTLY like sugar where all the others do not.

[@kdw75]

Use sugar, use sweetner, use sugar, back and forth. Sweeteners seem to work better for me. I like Sucralose and Sacharin.