The reason why we present the evidence for the safety of aspartame as an artificial sweetener is because the alternative usually is to consume foods/drinks sweetened with refined sugars. Sugar sweetened beverage is hands down the worst grocery in terms of avoiding weight gain.
.
It is very possible that long term studies may one day show harmful effects of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, but make no mistake: the evidence for the dangers of refined sugars is undeniably stronger than the evidence for the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners.
.
The reason is that a high amounts of refined sugars in your diet makes it REALLY hard to avoid overconsumption of calories. This is in part due to sweet flavor, caloric density and limited satiety, resulting in a caloric surplus and weight gain over time.
.
Obesity is in turn linked to an array of other diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers (breast, colon, and endometrial), stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, arthritis and even infertility.
.
The association between sugar and obesity is dose dependant meaning that people consuming more sugar also tend to weigh more. This also applies to children! Just because your kids run around more doesn't mean they can't become overweight.
.
A cube of sugar weighs around 3 grams. So 9 grams of sugar might not sound like much but it is the same as 3 sugar cubes!
.
BEWARE: Refines sugar doesn't MAGICALLY make you fat without a caloric surplus, but if you aren't counting calories you should limit added sugars.
.
THE EVIDENCE:
.
1.Mersk M et al. Sucrose-sweetened beverages increase fat storage in the liver, muscle, and visceral fat depot: a 6-mo randomized intervention study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Feb;95(2):283-9
.
2. de Ruyter JC et al. A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children. N Engl J Med. 2012 Oct 11;367(15):1397-406
.
3. Raben A et al. Sucrose compared with artificial sweeteners: different effects on ad libitum food intake and body weight after 10 wk of supplementation in overweight subjects.