Beezee Myth Busting – Artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are sweet-tasting substances that are low or zero-calorie. They’re used in food and drink products to replace sugars. Are sweeteners healthy or unhealthy? Can they help you lose weight? We’re here to myth bust!
“They are chemicals/additives – so they must be unsafe.”
We get asked a lot if artificial sweeteners are safe to eat. In short – yes they are. All sweeteners must go through rigorous testing and be deemed safe by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) before being allowed in foods and drinks. Artificial sweeteners are one of the most heavily researched food additives in the food industry, so we can be confident they’re safe to eat.
’Natural’ sweeteners like Stevia are better for you than ‘artificial’ sweeteners.
Yes, Stevia comes from a plant, but it has to be purified through a chemical process to be used in foods and drinks. Both Stevia and other artificial sweeteners are deemed safe for consumption by the FSA.
“They make you feel hungrier and lead to weight gain.”
According to the NHS there is no evidence sweeteners stimulate appetite in humans. It’s worth noting the long-term studies of sweeteners and weight show mixed results. However, this research is limited and can’t be directly linked to sweeteners.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that lower-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners will not necessarily make a food or drink healthy but can help you lower your sugar intake.
“They affect blood sugar levels and cause type 2 diabetes.”
If you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, we highly recommend taking a look at Diabetes UK as they have an in-depth article that explores sweeteners in relation to diabetes. They advise that it’s up to you if you use sweeteners or not. If you’re unsure, you can speak to your diabetes healthcare team.
You can also check food labels and ingredients on food packaging to help you make informed choices. Remember, sugar hides under lots of different names! We talk about understanding food labels during our free Beezee healthy lifestyle programmes.
“They can cause cancer.”
News articles and social media link sweeteners to cancer. Have you spotted many articles or posts about this very subject? However, according to Cancer Research UK there is no strong evidence that artificial sweeteners cause cancer. Again, it’s worth stressing that all the foods and drinks in the UK are assessed by the FSA for safety.
Beyond the myths
Artificial sweeteners can have a place within a balanced diet. They can help you have sweet-tasting food, without having to eat sugar. Plus, they have also been shown to help maintain dental health.
If you want more support on myth-busting and understanding what nutrition means for you, sign up to one of our free Beezee programmes today.
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