Real Sugar Vs. Artificial Sweeteners: Which Is Better?
Do you want to hear an amusing quote? This one comes via the coworker who was telling us how bad Plastic #7 is. After he told me how bad my plastic mug full of green tea was (because of the plastic, not the green tea), I picked up his Cherry Coke bottle and replied, “Says the guy drinking 70g of sugar in that one bottle.” Here we go (might not be verbatim, but captures the essence):
Sugar is okay. It’s the artificial stuff that’s bad.
Yes, you read that right…”sugar is okay”. I politely informed him that there was nothing “okay” about sugar, which he argued adamantly against.* Luckily, he gave me an idea for another post…this one!
So which is worse: sweeteners or artificial sweeteners? And is either “okay”?
Taking Yet Another Look At Sugar
In months past, I’ve taken a look at the various sweeteners available and which is best. I also considered the arguments for and against the notion that high-fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar. Well now let’s look at sugar in comparison to artificial sweeteners. Note that these pros and cons are relative to artificial sweeteners.
Just for a definition, by sugar, I mean any type of caloric sweetener, such as cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, honey, etc.
Why Sugar Is Better
Over millions of years of evolution, one thing the human body has figured out is how to handle incoming nutrients. Through the actions of insulin, it either uses or stores incoming glucose for future use, either as muscle or liver glycogen or as fat. What I’m getting at is that the body knows what to do with the sugar you’re feeding it.
Of course, it can’t handle the high quantities of sugar that most people are shoveling in, but at least it has a mechanism for dealing with what is going in when handling sugar. It doesn’t matter if that incoming sugar is in the form of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, or agave nectar…the body knows that it is sugar and breaks it down accordingly.
Why Sugar Is Worse
Sugar is an empty calorie. Sure, with foods like honey and molasses, you get a few vitamins, but calorie-for-calorie, sugar, in all of its forms, is just empty calories compared to meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and tubers. It has few, if any, vitamins and minerals. It actually robs the body of the nutrients required for the body to process it.
Sugar sends your blood sugar sky high where it does damage to your arteries (for which cholesterol gets the blame). Your insulin then shoots up, clearing out the sugar, sending you into a hypoglycemic funk, and ruining your insulin sensitivity.
Sugar is also exceedingly easy to overconsume. A single tablespoon of sugar is nearly 50 calories. That pan of brownies you’re staring down? There’s probably 20-30 tablespoons of sugar in there, so you can figure out how much is in that 3″ square that goes down so easily. My blood sugar is skyrocketing just thinking about it.
Artificial Sweeteners
As for artificial sweeteners, I’m referring to any of the man-made non-caloric sweeteners that are found in numerous products in the store: Splenda, aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin, etc.
Why Fake Sugar Is Better
The main reason that people find artificial sweeteners to be a better choice is that they have no calories. The body is unable to process them and as such, cannot derive any nutritional value from them. Just switching from a five Coca-Cola per day habit to five Diet Cokes per day will save nearly 200g of sugar and 800 calories. That’s obviously an improvement if you’re trying to lose weight and requires no real change of your routine.
Why Fake Sugar Is Worse
Anyone that’s been around here for any length of time has figured out that I am a big fan of real, whole, unprocessed foods. And as bad as sugar is in terms of processing, artificial sweeteners are even worse. These sweeteners are made in a lab from who knows what chemicals. Further, we have no idea what these chemicals will do to the body with sustained long-term use.
I’m also not a fan of trying to fool the body. Just as with trying to outdo Mother Nature by creating “better” butter (i.e., margarine) and removing the “unhealthy” yolk from eggs, giving your body something that it can’t process just to keep from changing your habits is probably a recipe for failure.
Finally, I think normal use of artificial sweeteners is a false sense of security. There is scant evidence that these sugar substitutes actually help people lose weight. In fact, there is evidence that they may contribute to weight gain. These substances still stimulate the sweet receptors of the tongue and may even cause an insulin response since the tongue is the first step in the digestive process.
And as a final kicker, Splenda may be bad for your intestinal flora. As Mike pointed out in this article, your gut is the first line of defense in the immune system.
So Which Is Best?
Well, that’s easy to answer…the best option is c) none of the above. Your best bet is always going to be to ditch the sweet stuff, whether real or artificial and stick to Real Food. Turning the sweet tooth off is a good idea; fooling it with fake sugar is not a viable long-term solution. We are primed to gorge on sugar at every opportunity. And here’s why I think that is:
- Humans evolved in an environment with relatively little sugar.
- Because we evolved in environments with few sources of concentrated sweetness, we learned to consume as much as we could when we found it, such as with a honey beehive. The brain is designed to reward us heavily when we feed it sugar, reinforcing the desire to go back for more.
- Whether we eat caloric or non-caloric sweeteners, we are still activating the pleasure centers of the brain associated with sweet tastes.
- These pleasure centers signal that there are concentrated sources of calories nearby and drive further consumption.
So by activating sweet receptors and telling the brain “sugar is available,” even if it’s not, we increase our appetites. One study (and there are probably more of these) showed that artificial sweeteners disrupt the body’s built-in calorie measuring ability.
But let’s face reality…we all live in the same world, a world where there are family parties and work events and desserts are going to happen. If given a choice, what should you reach for? I’d go for the real stuff. With the caveat that sugar intake should be VERY minimal, I’d rather go ahead and give my body the substance that it can process rather than some unknown chemical.
Sure, I’m going to get hit with a tired, sluggish feeling thirty minutes later, but on rare occasions, I’m not doing any lasting damage. And on rare occasions, artificial sweeteners probably won’t do any long-term damage either. But I feel better with the sugar that has some basis in evolution.
Again, better is a relative term. It’s better to smoke one pack of cigarettes than to smoke two packs. Cocaine is probably less harmful than crack. That doesn’t make it healthy. It’s even better to do neither.
Dealing With Sugar Cravings
Once people commit to cleaning up their diet, sugar cravings are often the hardest part. It’s the biggest derailleur of dietary plans. We’ve all been there; completely stuffed until the dessert cart rolls by or someone drops off the Girl Scout Cookies in the breakroom. I dealt with it and know that it’s not easy. Here are some tips I’ve found that work:
- Eat plenty of fat, protein, and nutrient-dense foods on a regular basis – These will help shunt your appetite. When the cake comes out, grab some almonds.
- Eat some fruit – The sweetness will help curb your sweet cravings.
- Find a good dark chocolate (or smart indulgence of your choice) – It has just enough sweetness for me to be satisfying without being unhealthy.
- Go for a walk – Just getting away from the temptation is usually helpful.
- Plan a few indulgences – I’m not a big fan of “cheat” meals, but early on, it can help keep things on track to know that in just another day or two, you can dig into some ice cream or a few pieces of candy. But you don’t need to eat the entire pint of Haagen-Dazs to indulge yourself.
- And finally, if you just can’t resist, have one bite. It won’t kill you and as long as you can control yourself beyond that point, can be helpful. I actually knew a guy that would take a bite, chew, then spit it out and that was enough to manage his cravings when they hit. It worked for him. Your mileage may vary. I’m better off avoiding than trying to indulge “just a little”.
Sugar cravings take a long time to go away. Long after you’ve figured out what to eat for breakfast instead of a bagel and cereal… Long after you’ve ditched the Rice-A-Roni in favor of asparagus… The cravings will resurface, often without warning. It’ll probably take a good six months or more to fully tame your sweet tooth. Just keep fighting the urges and find ways to kill them off without gnoshing the entire bag of Oreos.
Here are a few more articles with tips on eating real food, which will help control your cravings:
What are your thoughts on the real vs. artificial sweetener issue? How do/did you deal with you sugar cravings?
*Note: I typically don’t offer unsolicited advice to anyone, but since he yanked my chain… If people find out that I’m interested in nutrition and ask for advice, I’ll give it. Offering unsolicited advice rarely does anyone any good.
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31 Reader Comments
I’ve studied artificial sweeteners for a long time, and it seems like nearly all artificial sweeteners, with the exception of Saccharin, are bad for your body in the long run.
It seemed like Saccharin had gotten a bad rep from a flawed study with rats which seemed to cause cancer, but no other studies support this.
You might as well stay away from them, there is the natural sweetener Stevia which is meant to be very safe and calorie free.
I stopped sugar and started eating real foods about 3 months ago. In the early stages of my diet, I found that artificial sweeteners created cravings for even more sweet stuff. I stopped using them and it helped me stay on track.
I was never big on the artificial sweeteners, but once (about 3 years ago) I drank a lot of Pepsi One (Splenda) in a very short period of time. Very quickly, I became very depressed (“what’s the point of living” type); as soon as I made the connection, I immediately stopped as did the depression. Since then, I’ve learned that some use Splenda as an bug killer around the house — yummy. But don’t worry — it’s OK for you because it’s made from sugar.
These days I avoid processed sugars (and other artificial sweeteners) most of the time which has helped boost immunity as well as some other issues.
bobby Reply:
So are you saying sugar is bad or artitfical is bad
I once had a diet soda a while back…..and then a migraine for a day and a half. Needless to say I’m not going to make that mistake twice.
L-glutamine helps, and I’ve found honeybush tea to be invaluable. Its naturally sweet, wildcrafted and delicious.
I’ll admit I eat a lot of sweets, although my craving for sweet drinks has practically dimished. Drinking sodas and sweetened coffee and bottled juices nearly makes me gag. I drink them occasionally when I really crave it, but it’s very rare that I do. I don’t usually eat candy either, maybe it’s an American thing but here in Japan a lot of American candies aren’t as sweet and they actually taste better. Still better of two evils none the less. I think it’s better overall to switch to alternative sweeteners, not the artificial types either. I have Stevia and Xylitol in my house for the things I do use sweeteners for. Xylitol is actually pretty good for you, but still a sweetener, so take in moderation. Stevia, it’s pretty good, but has a weird aftertaste as well. Eventually once you’ve stopped eating so many sweets things naturally become sweeter. I’ve drunk tea before that I swore was sweetened but it hadn’t been, some fruits tasted a lot sweeter than they used to be too.
Yup, Manny said it. The ONLY sugar substitute that is LEGIT is Stevia. It’s been used in Japan for well over 30 years with almost no known harmful side effects… minus those that might be allergic to the stuff.
In the end, just go with either raw sugar or Stevia, but stay away from Aspartame and/or sucralose. If you want some more cold hard facts about Aspartame, check out the article on my blog. I call it the deadly “diet” mistake.
Since I’m a college student and don’t always give myself time to eat breakfast, I usually grab a cup of coffee or some chewing gum. Are the ingredients in chewing gum just fake sugars? Any other comments/insights about chewing gum would be appreciated. Thanks!
Nancy Reply:
Trident XtraCare contains Xylitol (listed in ingredients as casein peptone-calcium phosphate) which is a non-coloric natural sweetner (like Stevia) but does not have a bitter aftertaste. Also look for toothpastes that contain Xylitol and Recaldent. Recaldent is a natural cavity retardent that also builds up tooth enamel. There are no fake sugars in this product. (This info is straight from the horses mouth-as I recently sent an inquiry about Xylitol & Recaldent to Adams (the manufacturer of Trident.) and I am delighted to share this information.
I always keep in mind that study you mentioned that suggests that artificial sweeteners might still provoke an insulin response. Until it’s proven false, I’m staying away even from Stevia. It’s better for you in the long run to just rid yourself of cravings for sweets anyway. Yeah, no more cheesecake. Boo hoo. So what? A few minutes of pleasure that can lead to hours of discomfort and maybe weeks of a messed up metabolism.
Some people drink diet sodas daily and convince themselves its okay because they used to drink 8 or so normal sodas daily so 2 or more diet sodas per day is an improvement. Its probably okay when you are just starting out low carb but you should eventually wean yourself off the diet sodas too. Particularly so they don’t become a daily event.
I have always been a fan of pure sugar. The artificial stuff like aspartme and sacrin are bad for you. Just use sugar in moderation and you will live a healthy life.
Weight Loss, who is that female in pink bikini on your website? Is it a female? The body is so masculine.
Weight Loss, what is moderation – everyday, weekly? Some people are not good at eating something in moderation.
Interesting stuff dood, but where do sugar alcohols sit in all’a this? Especially erythritol as it seems to metabolised differently than all the others?
Amazingly people still feel that sugar is not linked in any way to obesity….. On the BBC the other night they were discussing breakfast cereals and why the sugar contained in them is not bad for you “as there is no evidence linking sugar to obesity” Amazing but true.
It also said that the most important thing is that kids eat a breakfast, not the content of the breakfast.
I knew it! I need to swap my protein and veg for some frosted flakes!
The link is here if you wanna see it. http://tinyurl.com/db7gfy
[...] I can (usually defeated by travel and Thanksgiving to Christmas eating marathon). Check out this great article from the Life Spotlight Network about real sugar vs. fake [...]
I hate all artificial sweeteners! I am tall and thin and have no use for them. I am an overtaster (very sensitive taste buds) and the artificial stuff tastes bitter to me. My problem is, manufacturers are putting it in everything. . .toothpaste, antacids, non-diet drinks. I might not care if they labeled products, but they do not. Pepcid recently changed their product stating new great taste. It is so disgusting w/ sweeteners, I contacted the company and received my money back. They said go to the store and buy up the older product because this change is here to stay. I have taken care of diabetics for the last 25 yrs and these new sweeteners are dangerous. My client was eating diet hershey miniatures and eventually his glucose readings went through the roof. The glucose readings rise slowly, after 24hrs and continue to go up with daily consumption. I have told many people with mysterious high readings that seem to come from no where to check for changes in everyday products changing to artificial sweeteners. If manufacturers want to use artificial sweeteners in products that are not diet, they should create new name for it…Lower Calorie or something. I hate buying products that taste disgusting. Please use real sugar again and let me handle my diet. Label foods appropriately.
Oh yeah, there is no such thing as regular soda any more, they all have artificial sweetener in it. I tried Pepsi Throwback and it is so sweet, I’m sorry people, but I do not believe there is not one drop of artificial sweetener in it.
I’m also curious about the gum issue. I’ve just started the paleo/Evolutionary Fitness (DeVany)/Primal (Sisson) way but chew a few pieces of Trident Xtra Care each day for the recaldent (new calcium based tooth remineralization ingredient) . I don’t really notice any increase in sugar cravings or other side effects but am always wondering if the sugar alcohols and aspartame are worth it?
John, I think that’s probably a normal thing related to the body’s response to sweets…”eat more while it’s available!”
Hope, very interesting case study on Splenda. I can’t stand when I hear “It’s made from sugar”…yeah, sure…chlorinated sugar.
Carol, I haven’t had honeybush, but I do have rooibos, which is very similar. Has a nice natural sweetness to it.
BenUCSB, most gums are sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, if not sugar. I’m not sure what effect, if any, gum has on the secretion of stomach acid and insulin. You might just go with the coffee…we know what it’s doing to the body. But then again, a little gum is unlikely to be your undoing in the grand scheme of things.
Sue, I agree. I can see a use for artificial sweeteners in the early stages of dietary cleanup, but over the long term, it’s a bad idea.
Joe90 and jsmith, I don’t know a lot about the sugar alcohols other than too much of them can be “explosive”. I’ve heard people mention erythritol and xylitol, but can’t comment.
carb-junkie, that’s pretty pathetic. I’ll take Intermittent Fasting over a sugary breakfast! We’d do well to keep our kids from such garbage too.
Cheers
Scott
You are right, it takes a long time for the sugar cravings to disappear. I’m trying to follow a more Paleo lifestyle, but sometimes fall off the wagon!
By the way, I love the cartoon!
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I am not one of those people who gets huge cravings for sweet *solid* food. Once in a very great while I look at the sugar-free candies and go, “Hm.” Once in a very great while on my old WOE I ate up a bag of Jelly Bellies in a couple of days. I used to be able to shrug it off. I can’t even think about it now, it makes me sick. And there really wasn’t anything else. I’m more the savory snack kind of girl–chips were my downfall.
So I can get away with diet soda. And it’s just as well because caffeine withdrawal headaches set off migraines for me, and going without caffeine for extended periods (long enough to get past withdrawal) causes me to suffer migraines from time to time, but if I stay caffeinated, I almost never have that problem. I hate to say it, I’m sure the caffeine is wrecking my adrenals, but I’m a single mom and I don’t want to spend at least several days a month knocked out on the couch and puking my guts up and leaving my four-year-old unsupervised. And I’m a wuss about pain anyway.
Processed foods? Avoid hamburger. Chemicals? Your body is full of them, made in a lab or no. Unnatural living? You’re using a computer!
Chlorinated compounds? Do any of you use table salt?
The best one I’ve heard about sucralose is that it causes the thymus gland to shrink. I’m gonna need to see hard numbers on that one because guess what, the thymus gland is *supposed* to shrink. By the time we get into our seventies, if someone were to cut us open and look at ‘em, our thymus glands would be indistinguishable from the surrounding tissues. Now if sucralose accelerates that process then all right, let’s look at this. But I’m not convinced yet. This could wind up being like that thing where they fed cholesterol to rabbits–maybe this is a compound that humans can tolerate well but rats can’t.
But I *know* the damage sugar does to *another* of my glands, which is not ever supposed to make excessive amounts of insulin nor to stop making it entirely. Case closed (for now), as far as I’m concerned.
Aspartame *is* evil, though. I’d love to see it banned. If nothing else, it tastes like crap. Also, I don’t need to be unbalancing my amino acid intake.
I think fake sweeteners are kinda scary. I also notice with real sweeteners that white sugar and corn syrup have a different effect on my body than honey and maple syrup. Sugar and corn syrup leave me desperately craving more. I’m not really sure why.
I like stevia the plant ( I grow it, dry it, and add it to tea one little leaf goes far!) but I’m not sure how I feel about the new forms now on the market. The one by Sugar In The Raw is part stevia, & part dextrose, which is a corn sugar. I think you’re better off growing it and drying it if you want to use it than buying the supermarket version.
Hey Dana, I was just on another site. A lady there said she used to get bad headaches when she started IF (intermittent fasting) She used to drink soda and the like. Turns out it was a magnesium deficiency from the soda. Now since she started taking a mag supplement, no more headaches. Something to think about, maybe look into. Hope that helps. Since I quit the morning cup of Starbucks, I need less sleep, and have more energy.
I have been watching my weight since 1997 when I was 206 pounds. I used
the artifical sweeteners alot and all the other diet foods. I got my weight down
to 136 pounds. I had brain surgery and went up to 150 and haven’t been able
to get my weight back down. I was told that the artifical sweeteners trick your
mind and they actually shut you metabolism down. I am thinking this is what
has happened to my weight loss. I use thousands of them in a month. I have
decided to start using real honey in my teas and stop the coffee all together
and see what happens to my weight loss. See if it starts going down again.
Using the artifical stuff isn’t worth being unhappy in my body.
I am working on my Science Fair Project. My project is on what do people most prefer, real sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners? And this artical has helped so much. If you guys have any more info on it, please let me know.
Here’s my motto: “Everything in Moderation.” I believe that artificial ANYTHING is worse for you than small amounts of REAL things, like pure sugar. The problem with “DIET” anything, is that it is deceptive and misleading, so people think they can eat/drink MORE of it, because it’s “DIET”…so it’s really a catch-22; and people use it as an excuse to eat/drink MORE.
Anyhow, one other thing I wanted to state, was that I read a very good article about a woman who just woke up one day and couldn’t move or talk. Of course, she went and had all kinds of testing done, and it turns out that she was apparently developing MS. Well, her sister told her that maybe it was linked to all of the DIET sodas and crap she was consuming, and the woman listened to her and totally cut all of that crap out, and made a complete, 100% recovery. She definitely did NOT have MS after all. THINK about that, people. I believe (and I’ve even heard doctors say this before) that 90% of sick people in the hospital, are there because of their poor DIETS and LIFESTYLE. Americans are notoriously known for their bad eating/living habits, so it’s no wonder why we are all mostly OBESE and UNHEALTHY. It’s time to wake up, America!
jj Reply:
I think that is true. Some peolpe think that “diet something” is always going to help. But sometimes it resolves as sickness, like you said.
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I thought that was quite an amazing OPINION and nothing more. All fruits contain natural sugars so HEY! lets steer clear of them too while were at it huh?
Sugars are carbohydrates (which are needed by the body to perform) and only contain 14 calories per teaspoon. Thats where moderation comes in. No complete cut off from the diet, Doctor.
skustes Reply:
Did you actually read? Where did I say to steer clear of fruit?
Cheers
Scott
anand srivastava Reply:
A spoon of HCL is better zero calories. Our body needs it also
.
Eating fructose just because it contains less calories than fat, is ignorance of the metabolic problems it causes.
That does not mean fruits are bad, they are not empty fructose. Also fructose when eaten with food can be taken in bigger quantities. Still moderation needs to be exercised.
Today i learned in class that some word that starts with an “A” for fake sugar. & my teacher read this thingy that tested rats with fake sugar and the female rats got tumers as big as golf balls! And only a few male got tumers. My teacher said fake sugar is every where. In diet soda too! He said diet drinks are bad and real sugar is better. My sister is an example, she got brain tumer from drinking diet coke every time we went out. But shes doing fine because she got surgery.
[...] Real Sugar Vs. Artificial Sweeteners: Which Is Better? Thursday, June 24th, 2010 Daily WOD [...]
[...] Read HERE to learn more about the difference between artificial sweeteners and sugar. Post to comments which you would prefer to put in your body. Neither is an option of course! [...]