Artificial Sweeteners and Your Health

Are Artificial Sweeteners Messing With Your Health?

Miss Mary's Mix is not a health company nor are we offering health advice. We think it is worth noting why we take a different approach to zero sugar and low sugar products. Using better ingredients sometimes costs more, but we'd rather pay for the ingredients than pay with our health.

Artificial sweeteners are so common today that it's hard to find low-sugar or sugar-free products without them listed in the ingredients. These sugar substitutes promise a zero calorie solution to the sugar problem, but may not be as ideal as they sound.

In fact, artificial sweeteners may impact your health in the exact opposite way you hope. New research links artificial sweeteners to a growing number of health concerns.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND YOUR GUT HEALTH

Is your social media feed filled with products, influencers, and experts talking about gut health?

Whether the secret algorithms are listening to you complain about gut health or your demographics put you into the 60-70 million Americans suffering from a gastrointestinal disease¹, it's clear that gut health is "the new black" when it comes to health trends.

Our digestive system plays a crucial role in overall health and well-being.

This incredibly complex system can affect nearly every aspect of our lives. The enteric system (aka the 500 million neurons that regulate our gut)² is often called the "second brain" because it operates with a "mind" of its own - independent from our actual brain and the central nervous system.

When the good and bad bacteria in your gut is in balance, our body is rewarded with serotonin (the feel-good hormone).

Almost 90% of the serotonin we make comes from our gut. ³

The gastrointestinal system talks to the brain and the brain talks to the GI system. Tummy troubles can be the cause of anxiety, stress, and depression.⁴ In fact, 60% of anxiety and depression patients present with some form of gastrointestinal issue.⁵

Getty image with coffee mug and sign reading "Trust Your Gut"

SUCRALOSE AND GUT HEALTH

The idea of enjoying the super-sweet treats we love without the already well-known dangers of sugar can be so appealing. But using artificial sweeteners to satisfy a sweet tooth comes with a fresh set of problems.

Sucralose is one of the most common artificial sweeteners on the market. It's a chemically altared derivative of sugar itself, leading some to assume it is a healthier choice than both sugar and other artificial sweeteners.

Research now shows, however, clear connections between the consumption of artificial sweeteners like sucralose and negative affects on gut health.

Sucralose has been labeled "Gentoxic" even at low doses. One of the recent studies shows that sucralose causes our DNA to break apart, putting us at risk for the pain and discomfort associated with diseases of the digestive tract.⁶

SUCRALOSE AND INFLAMMATION

Inflammation is a natural response by your immune system to protect your body from harm. However, chronic inflammation can lead to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Just as we are learning how sucralose and other artificial sweeteners affect health, we are also learning about how gut microbiome plays a role in so many other body functions, including pain sensitivity. ⁴

Getty Image showing different types of sweeteners

SUCRALOSE AND INSULIN RESISTANCE

Sucralose is widely used in the food industry and is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the FDA. It is not banned in the US or the EU at the time this article is published.

The $4B+ industry is, however, facing increased scrutiny after the WHO issued its global alert in 2023. More studies are being conducted to understand the connection between artificial sweeteners and your health.

Sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar, can actually produce an insulin response in healthy adults at a very low dose.⁷ For those of us managing metabolic disorders, that's really bad news. The foods we turn to for help, might not be doing us any favors.

BETTER ALTERNATIVES TO SUCRALOSE

If you suffer from food allergies, gut health issues, or inflammation, it might be worth talking to your doctor or dietician about how much sucralose you're consuming and how often you're consuming it.

You may also want to consider taking a break from sucralose and tracking your reaction in a food journal.

Natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, raw honey, or even pure maple syrup, which are less likely to cause negative health effects, can be used in moderation as part of a healthy diet.

Sinless Syrups are gut-friendly coffee syrups

SINLESS SYRUPS, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, AND YOUR HEALTH

The potential link between sucralose and gut health, inflammation, or insulin resistance is still being studied. The controversy seems to be growing as more studies explore how long sucralose stays in our bodies, how it interacts with the brain, and what biological responses it triggers.⁸

There is evidence that artificial sweeteners, and sucralose in particular, affect certain groups more than others. Women, children, and those with underlying health conditions may experience more adverse health implications.⁸

If we can positively influence our health by changing what we eat and drink, isn't it worth a try?

Miss Mary's Sugar Free Sinless Syrups uses natural sweeteners, stevia leaf extract and monk fruit. Our formula was carefully created to give a better-for-you choice to sweeten your coffee & tea with realistic flavor and a just-right sweetness.

If you are on a mission to reduce sugar AND sucralose, we hope you'll consider including Sinless Syrups as better choice for low-sugar living.