Another unsweet tale about artificial sweeteners

By Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. on Jul 2, 2024

Artificial sweeteners were heralded as a solution to American's sugar addiction. After all, the average person consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association -- and that spells an epidemic of chronic inflammation, overweight, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and even psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Unfortunately, we now know that artificial sweeteners come with their own risks. They can alter the bacteria in your gut biome, changing how they function, and making glucose control difficult. Research also indicates that women who drink more than 24 ounces of artificially sweetened beverages a day are at increased risk for stroke. And the most recent findings come from a series of studies out of the Cleveland Clinic that found that xylitol -- a common artificial sweetener in diabetic treats, gums and toothpastes -- raises the risk of blood clots and heart attack.

Giving up added sugars and artificial sweeteners can be hard. Our recommendation: Start by ditching sweetened beverages of all kinds. Substitute water, coffee and tea, hot or iced -- with no added sugar. Try using lemon or non-dairy "milk." Once you master that, you can begin substituting fresh fruit -- strawberries, mangoes, apples -- for sweet snacks. You'll be amazed at how satisfying fresh fruit flavors are, and you'll help repair your gut biome.

To learn more about how to bring healthy sweetness into your life, check out the recipes in Dr. Mike's "What to Eat When Cookbook" (Chocolate Chunk and Nut Chewies!) and the iHerb.com blog, "Tips for Curbing Sugar Cravings."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.