Introduction
Though they are often touted as a healthy alternative to sugary snacks or desserts, foods containing nonnutritive sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda) and aspartame (NutraSweet) have recently come under examination for links to reduced insulin sensitivity in both healthy and diabetic adults. Saccharin (found in Sweet N’ Low) has been linked to raised blood glucose levels in rats, but further studies are needed to confirm its effect on human pancreases at this stage, as the rats did not develop liver insulin resistance.
Even though artificial sweeteners have a low glycemic index and zero calories, they can still spike your insulin.
At the point of publication (April 2023), stevia and erythritol are the two sugar substitutes that have not been shown to raise blood sugar and are the least likely to cause digestive issues. However, it’s important to note that both are relatively new, so further research is needed to conclude whether they have harmful long-term effects. Erythritol, in particular, has only been around since 2001.
The complicated history behind stevia.
Stevia appeals to many seeking a healthier alternative to artificial chemical sweeteners since it’s produced from a plant. While public perception has remained largely positive, stevia has raised health concerns with the FDA. After a preliminary study identified stevia as a potential carcinogen in 1991, the FDA banned its import and sale in the United States. A follow-up study addressed flaws in the previous study’s methodology and questioned its findings, leading the FDA to unban the product and clear stevia for use as a supplement but not as a sweetener. This distinction was made because the FDA did not feel that stevia had undergone adequate toxicology to classify it as safe, which prevented companies from using stevia in food products and beverages.
After years of further research — and crucially, corporate influence — the FDA agreed to categorize stevia as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS), exempting it from the standard rigorous approval process that food additives must meet. To qualify as GRAS, products are expected to be considered to be safe through expert consensus, scientific review, or used widely without known consequences. The FDA has since classified CocaCola’s Truvia and Pepsi’s PureVia as “generally recognized as safe” despite the fact that the FDA does not recognize them as stevia; rather, they are produced from a highly-purified, refined extract of the stevia leaf.
To conclude, stevia products are likely a healthier alternative to sugar in small doses for diabetics with a sweet tooth. However, they should still be limited, as the potential carcinogenic effects demand further research.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872759/