The Evidence Supports Artificial Sweeteners Over Sugar • 2015 Jul 27 • Aaron E. Carroll • The New York Times

The available evidence points to the fact that there appears to be a correlation between sugar consumption and health problems; none can be detected with artificial sweeteners.

While artificial sweeteners have had adverse effects in animals and may have subtle long-term effects on humans, consuming large quantities of sucrose and/or fructose is much more definitely likely to cause morbidity and mortality.

I think the author of the article is right in that much of the antipathy towards artificial sweeteners is because of a cultural anti-chemical/anti-artificial bias. But as far as the evidence is concerned, it seems like the main adverse effect of artificial sweeteners is that they cause you to crave and consume more sucrose and/or fructose, and we are much more confident that massive quantities of sucrose and/or fructose will increase your risk for disease and death.

(crossposted on Facebook)

All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.

—Paracelsus