Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Metabolism: A Review of the Literature Published Since 2000

Abstract

Individuals with diabetes and those who have an interest in their diet may consume foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners. Therefore, it is particularly important to examine the effects of consuming artificial sweeteners on glucose metabolism. However, this is a difficult task because very few epidemiologic studies have been conducted in Japan. Therefore, we conducted a literature review of original articles published in both Japan and other countries focusing on the use of artificial sweeteners in individuals with diabetes or obesity. The prospective observational studies retrieved by this search showed that habitual intake of beverages containing artificial sweeteners was associated with the development of obesity and diabetes. By contrast, several clinical trials revealed that body weight and glucose metabolism were not affected by additional intake of artificial sweeteners or by consumption of special foods in which sucrose was substituted by artificial sweeteners. However, these clinical studies were conducted in Western countries and produced conflicting results. To establish the appropriate intake of artificial sweeteners for Japanese individuals, clinical epidemiological studies, including observational studies, will be needed in future.