While the majority of the evidence seems to support the safety of ASBs at moderate intake levels, there may be some negative aspects to their consumption. Infants born to mothers who consumed ASBs throughout pregnancy had an increased risk of being overweight according to BMI at 1 year of age. With childhood obesity on the rise, this is a concerning association, although this link is not necessarily causative.[1]
It is theorized that ASBs may impact the gut microbiome, causing changes in appetite regulation and weight, but this is not yet supported by research. In fact, some studies found that sugar-sweetened beverages can have more impact on the gut than ASBs. More research is needed to understand the effect of ASB intake on the gut microbiome.[2]
While some research has found an association between the intake of artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular disease, this could be related to lifestyle choices and confounding factors; there is no clear evidence that ASBs cause cardiovascular disease.[3][4][5]
References
- ^Laforest-Lapointe I, Becker AB, Mandhane PJ, Turvey SE, Moraes TJ, Sears MR, Subbarao P, Sycuro LK, Azad MB, Arrieta MCMaternal consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy is associated with infant gut microbiota and metabolic modifications and increased infant body mass index.Gut Microbes.(2021)
- ^Ramne S, Brunkwall L, Ericson U, Gray N, Kuhnle GGC, Nilsson PM, Orho-Melander M, Sonestedt EGut microbiota composition in relation to intake of added sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially sweetened beverages in the Malmö Offspring Study.Eur J Nutr.(2021-Jun)
- ^Debras C, Chazelas E, Sellem L, Porcher R, Druesne-Pecollo N, Esseddik Y, de Edelenyi FS, Agaësse C, De Sa A, Lutchia R, Fezeu LK, Julia C, Kesse-Guyot E, Allès B, Galan P, Hercberg S, Deschasaux-Tanguy M, Huybrechts I, Srour B, Touvier MArtificial sweeteners and risk of cardiovascular diseases: results from the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort.BMJ.(2022-Sep-07)
- ^Ruanpeng D, Thongprayoon C, Cheungpasitporn W, Harindhanavudhi TSugar and artificially sweetened beverages linked to obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.QJM.(2017-Aug-01)
- ^Pase MP, Himali JJ, Beiser AS, Aparicio HJ, Satizabal CL, Vasan RS, Seshadri S, Jacques PFSugar- and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and the Risks of Incident Stroke and Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study.Stroke.(2017-May)