besity & Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Are these popular sugar alternatives part of the problem or the solution?

Non-nutritive sweeteners (“sweeteners”) non-nutritive sweeteners have been are substances that provide sweet taste but contribute 8 approved by the U.S. Food and Drug few or no calories. They are found in products ranging Administration, including several from diet sodas to toothpaste. packaged for household use:

Sensing Sweetness SUCRALOSE sweeter 600x than sugar In addition to the taste buds Brain on your tongue, sweet taste SACCHARIN receptors are expressed in sweeter many organs and tissues 300x than sugar throughout the body.

Sweet taste receptors STEVIA are involved in nutrient sweeter Bone sensing, monitoring 300x than sugar changes in fat stores, Liver and maintaining energy Pancreas ASPARTAME balance. Like caloric sweeter sugars, non-nutritive Intestine 200x than sugar sweeteners may affect Fat tissue the activity of these Reproductive * Not pictured: acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), luo processes. han guo (monk) fruit extract, neotame, advantame organs

State It is unclear whether replacing caloric sugars with non-nutritive sweeteners... of the improves body composition by: OR worsens body composition by: Science added sugar intake consumption of less nutritious items excess calories altering hormonal signals in the body

Observational and Sweeteners may be less Further research interventional studies harmful than sugar in the is needed to fully provide conflicting context of obesity characterize the evidence about whether management, but other long-term health risks sweeteners are helpful metabolic effects in and benefits of non- or harmful to health. humans are unclear. nutritive sweeteners.

[1] Sylvetsky AC, Rother KI. Nonnutritive Sweeteners in Weight Management & Chronic Disease: A Review. Obesity. 2018;26(4):635-40. [2] Rother, Conway, Sylvetsky. How Non-Nutritive Sweeteners Influence Hormones & Health. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2018 ;29(7):455-467. [3] Peters et al. The Effects of Water & Non‐Nutritive Sweetened Beverages on Weight Loss & Weight Maintenance. Obesity. 2016;24(2):297-304.

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