Reintroducing Artificial Sugars & Sweeteners

‍

Let’s talk about the reintroduction of artificial sugars and sweeteners.

‍

Early studies in mice show artificial sweeteners may have a negative impact on your microbiota and gut health,^1,2 and while further research involving humans is needed, it may be best to limit use for this reason. Sugar alcohols, which are also part of this group, are a known culprit when it comes to uncomfortable GI symptoms,² and more recently concerns have been raised for some (like erythritol) regarding an increase in certain health risks.³

For these reasons, you may want to decide to ditch artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols for good and choose to eat more options that don’t contain these non-nutritive sweeteners as an ingredient. Nevertheless, should you decide you would like to eat foods containing non-nutritive sweeteners in moderation, it’s a good idea to see how your body responds first.  

‍

‍WARNING: If you have a severe reaction at any point during Reintroduction, let your Care Team know. If you have a mild reaction or no reaction, continue onward according to the Reintroduction timeline below

DAY 1

1. ‍Choose a food that contains artificial sugars or sweeteners, such as sugar-free gum. If the label says “sugar-free,” it definitely contains artificial sweeteners. ‍
2. Eat your usual amount of that food, and try to eat it earlier in the day. Choosing to eat the food earlier in the day gives your body more time to potentially respond before bedtime.
3. Eat it as mindfully as possible—without TV, computer, or other distractions. 

DAY 2

1. ‍Choose a different item that contains artificial sugars or sweeteners, such as diet soda. Choose whatever food you like to continue the experiment.‍
2. Drink your usual amount of that food, and try to eat it earlier in the day. Choosing to eat your second food around the same time of day as your first food keeps the timing consistent for potential symptoms.
3. Stay calm as you consume it, trusting that your body will let you know if it works for you. 

DAY 3

1. ‍Choose one more food that contains artificial sugar or sweeteners, such as sugar-free popsicles. You can reintroduce any additional foods or drinks after you assess the experiment.‍
2. Drink your usual amount of that food, and try to eat it earlier in the day.

‍

REINTRODUCTION REFLECTION

Assess your experience from the 3-day experiment. If you noticed you had mild and manageable symptoms (or no symptoms!), you can enjoy artificial sugars & sweeteners in moderation—less is best! If you experienced more significant or severe symptoms, remove artificial sugars & sweeteners for now as you continue to experiment with other categories. 

‍

For some people, symptoms may be dose-dependent. This means that eating larger amounts of artificial sweeteners (or certain types) may be a trigger, whereas smaller amounts may not cause symptoms. This is why it’s so important to move on to the personalization stage to better understand how eating certain quantities you choose to eat relates to your unique needs. 

‍

‍

1. Conz A, Salmona M, Diomede L. Effect of Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota. Nutrients. 2023;15(8):1869. Published 2023 Apr 13. doi:10.3390/nu15081869
2. Ruiz-Ojeda FJ, Plaza-Díaz J, Sáez-Lara MJ, Gil A. Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials [published correction appears in Adv Nutr. 2020 Mar 1;11(2):468]. Adv Nutr. 2019;10(suppl_1):S31-S48. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy037
3. Witkowski, M., Nemet, I., Alamri, H. et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nat Med 29, 710–718 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9

‍