Diet

Trending: Americans are Consuming More Low-Calorie Sweetener Than Ever Before

Low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are becoming common additives as awareness for the adverse effects of sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages continues to increase. However, the long-term health effects of LCS is still relatively unknown. Despite this, the consumption of LCS is at an all-time high.

According to a recent report led by Alison Sylvetsky of the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at George Washington University, the consumption of LCS has increased significantly in both children and adults in the United States, with 25.1% of children and 41.4% of adults consuming at least one food or beverage containing artificial sweeteners a day.

Their findings reflected a similar trend that Dr Sylvetsky, Jean Walsh of the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at George Washington University, Rebecca Brown of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Miriam Vos of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, identified in their 2012 study, “Low-calorie sweetener consumption is increasing in the United States.” The study documented the increase of low-calorie sweetener consumption from 1999 to 2008, and showed that adults consumption of sweeteners rose from 26.9% in 1999-2000 to 32% in 2007-2008 and from 8.7% to 14.9% in 2007-2008 in children.

In the new study, entitled “Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners among children and adults in the United States,” researchers collected data on 16,942 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2009 to 2012 and assessed the prevalence of low-calorie sweeteners with two 24-hour dietary recalls. One in-person 24-hour dietary recall was used to determine the frequency, occasion, and location of low-calorie sweetener consumption. Participants were grouped according to age, sex, race/ethnicity, location where low-calorie sweeteners were consumed, socio-economic status, and weight.

The current study found that the percentages of adults and children consuming low-calorie sweeteners increased again to 41.4% and 25.1%, respectively. Most participants reported consuming low-calories sweeteners once a day, primarily with meals.

Females were found to consume more low-calorie sweeteners than men. Likewise, individuals in the highest tertile income consumed more low-calories sweetener products than individuals in middle or low income tertiles, and low-calories beverages and foods in children. Non-Hispanic white participants had a higher prevalence of low-calorie consumption than Hispanic, and non-Hispanic black participants.

The frequency of consumption was associated with increased body weight in adults, with obese individuals consuming the most low-calorie sweeteners than overweight, and normal-weight individuals.

The subgroup results were similar to the findings in the first study, but the prevalence increased significantly overtime.

The continued increase of low-calorie sweetener consumption highlights the need for more research on the long-term health effects, and possibly monitoring patients consuming artificially sweetened drinks. “Well-controlled, prospective trials are required to understand the health impact of this widespread LCS exposure,” the researchers concluded.

Additional Reading on Low-Calorie Sweetener Use:

 —Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Sylvetsky AC, Yichen J, Clark EJ, et al. Consumption of low calorie sweeteners among children and adults in the United States [published online January 10, 2017]. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.11.004.

Sylvetsky Ac, Walsh JA, Brown, RJ, and Vos MB. Low-calorie sweetener consumption is increasing in the United States [published online August 1, 2012].  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.034751.