Excessive consumption of sugar or its products can be harmful to our bodies in many ways. Diabetes patients are considered to be the most at risk because it not only increases the level of blood sugar but also causes obesity, both these conditions can have many complications. This is the reason why most people use artificial sugar to keep weight and diabetes under control.
Artificial sugar, or sugar substitutes, are sugar substitutes that provide a similar sweetness while containing far fewer calories than sugar-based sweeteners. However, studies have not found these sugar substitutes to be safe for health.
Researchers say that even if you are using sugar substitutes to avoid the side effects caused by sugar, surprisingly they can be more harmful to the body than sugar itself.
Artificial sugar in the diet
Before knowing the harm caused by artificial sugar, it is important to understand how it is included in our daily diet. Artificial sweeteners have been used in many beverages and foods such as frozen desserts, candy, chewing gum, snack foods, gelatin, etc. Many people are also using it to reduce daily calorie intake. However, researchers have been alerted about the health problems it may cause.
Artificial sugar can cause DNA damage
A report has been published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health regarding how artificial sugars are harming the body. According to it, a chemical called sucralose 6-acetate has been found which can potentially damage your DNA.
Researchers say the chemical may be "genotoxic," meaning it damages genetic information within cells. Apart from this, these substitutes have also been found to be harmful to the intestines.
Effects on Gut and heart health
Studies done to find out what side effects this chemical can have on the intestines have found that sucralose can damage the lining of the intestine. In addition, observations of the genetic activity of gut cells have found that it may also increase the risk of problems such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer.
It has also been clarified in the result of the study that the harmful side effects of artificial sweeteners can also increase the risk of heart disease along with intestines.
What do researchers say?
Dr. Daniel Leonardo, professor of the Department of Medical Oncology at a research center in the Philippines, says that there have been many studies in the past about the carcinogenic effects of artificial sweeteners. This study has come to know about a chemical that can damage DNA. On this basis, it can be said that even though it is being used to avoid the side effects of sugar, it can have more harmful effects on the body.
To maintain good overall health, experts recommend following a healthy pattern of diet. There has been a special emphasis on limiting the amount of processed foods and sugar.
(PC: Freepik)
