Do Artificial Sweeteners Cause Inflammation?

Every restaurant in Calgary seems to have blue, pink, yellow, and white packets on the table to sweeten drinks. The white packets are sugar, but the rest are artificial sweeteners. People often switch to artificial sweeteners because they’re lower in calories. Some do so believing they’re healthier. While they are lower in calories, they may not be beneficial for weight control and may be detrimental to your health. Part of the reason is their link to inflammation.

The 1950s heralded the introduction of artificial sweeteners.

There has been a wide variety of sweeteners since they were first introduced. Some of these are no longer on the market due to other side effects. Even with those on the market, there are growing concerns over changes they make in the gut microbiome and immune reactivity. Those changes can cause inflammation. There’s also a link between inflammation and weight gain. Add to that, another study found that people who drank diet soft drinks had a bigger waist circumference than those who didn’t and you have a series of facts that could make you suspicious of the benefits of artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners are linked to diseases that are more prevalent if there’s inflammation.

While explosive diarrhea, gas, rashes, and other digestive issues are known side effects of some artificial sweeteners, there are links to more life-changing conditions. Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s, MS, autism, and systemic lupus. However, while there may be a link, it may come from other lifestyle issues the people studied have in common. For instance, people often use artificial sweeteners if they’re overweight and it may be obesity that’s creating the problem.

You don’t have to eliminate sweetness from your diet.

If sugar causes inflammation and artificial sweeteners also do the same, is there any sweet treat you’ll be able to enjoy? The answer is yes, but it may not be the answer you want. Sweeten your food with fresh fruit, canned fruit in natural juice, or frozen fruit. You’ll get the flavor you want, plus all the benefits from the fruit. Stevia, which is a natural sweetener, isn’t known to cause inflammation, but it has other side effects.

• Recent studies found that people suffering from joint pain and arthritis should avoid artificial sweeteners and sugar. Both cause inflammation, increased pain, and swelling.
• Sugar substitutes may cause you to crave sweet treats. It can increase the risk of glucose intolerance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
• Changes in your gut microbiome that can increase inflammation can also cause changes in fat storage. It can cause an increase in fat storage.
• Some artificial sweeteners that are safe for humans are dangerous to pets. Xylitol and food containing xylitol are extremely dangerous for dogs.

For more information, contact us today at Get RIPPED! by Jari Love