Zero Sugar. Hidden Risks?

Dear Reader,

Kunal, a 35-year-old who works in manufacturing, remembers coming home from school during scorching summers and drinking a bottle of glass Coke.

“You needed something to cool you down. Back in my time, buses and schools never had air conditioners,” he told me.

But now, he says he’s much more health conscious. So instead of regular Coke, he drinks Diet Coke a couple times a week.

Many of us can probably relate to Kunal’s trajectory.

The sugar-free market is booming globally and in India, with projections suggesting it could grow into a multi-billion dollar industry over the next decade.

After all, India is often called the diabetes capital of the world. More than 100 million Indians live with diabetes, and many more are pre-diabetic.

“Non-nutritive sweeteners like saccharin and sucralose have all passed safety margin tests,” nutritionist Niti Desai told me. She also serves as the vice president of the Association of Diabetes Educators.

She added that they don’t spike blood sugar and have zero or limited calories, making them the better choice for diabetics and those struggling with their weight. 

“But recent research suggests that non-nutritive sweeteners may disturb our gut microbiome,” she added.

Some new studies suggest that these products could affect insulin response and potentially impact cardiovascular health.

Even major health regulators and organisations aren’t aligned on how these sweeteners should be viewed. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using non-sugar sweeteners for long-term weight control, saying evidence for sustained benefits was limited. But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that approved sweeteners are safe when consumed within recommended limits. Meanwhile, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) says low-calorie sweeteners can help reduce overall carbohydrate and calorie intake, especially in the short term, although it also calls for more long-term research.

So, what’s the verdict?

Are artificial sweeteners actually healthier? Or are we just replacing one problem with another? And what does all this mean for you as a consumer? 

Hear from experts and consumers in the latest episode of The Signal Brief.

You can find The Signal Brief on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

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Best,
Kudrat
on behalf of The Core

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