Children’s Sweetener Use has Increased by 200% Since 1999, Claims Study

10 Jan 2017 --- The consumption rate of foods and beverages containing low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) has risen sharply in both children and adults, according to a new study. About 25 percent of children and more than 41 percent of adults in the United States reported consuming foods sweetened artificially, numbers that represent a 200 percent increase in LCS consumption for children and a 54 percent jump for adults from 1999 to 2012.

“Just 8.7 percent of kids reported consuming low-calorie sweeteners in 1999 and thirteen years later that number had risen to 25.1 percent,” says lead author of the study Allison Sylvetsky, PhD, an assistant professor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH).

“Kids aren't alone in this trend,” she explains, “More adults also are taking in low-calorie sweeteners in diet soft drinks and in a variety of foods and snack items.”

“The findings are important, especially for children, because some studies suggest a link between low-calorie sweeteners and obesity, diabetes and other health issues," she adds.

Low-calorie sweeteners are often used in place of added sugars such as sucrose and high- fructose corn syrup. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved several of these sweeteners including acesulfame-potassium, advantame, aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose.

Plant extracts such as stevioside and rebaudioside A are also used in place of sugar.

The study is the first to look at the use of low-calorie sweeteners in foods, beverages, and packets using the most recent data for the US population. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using data from nearly 17,000 men, women and children included in the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2012 and compared the findings to their prior analysis using data from 1999-2008.

In the current study, the researchers used the survey results from two dietary interviews in which consumers recalled what they ate or drank during a previous 24 hour period.

The findings showed that of those reporting consumption of low-calorie sweeteners, forty-four percent of adults and 20 percent of children consumed low-calorie sweeteners more than once a day and that seventeen percent of adults had a food or beverage sweetened with these products three times a day or more.

The study also showed that the likelihood of consuming low-calorie sweeteners went up as adult body mass index, a measure of obesity, went up. Furthermore, nineteen percent of adults with obesity compared to 13 percent of normal weight adults used LCS products three times a day or more.

The results also showed that about 70 percent of LCS consumption occurred at home, and also revealed that children as young as two are eating or drinking LCS-sweetened foods and beverages.

Despite the rising popularity of diet or "light" foods and beverages, the scientific consensus on the health impacts connected to low-calorie sweeteners are undefined.

Recent studies have connected LCS to weight gain - perhaps because exposure to intensely sweet foods can trigger a craving for more. Sylvetsky adds, “It may be that people who drink a diet soda think they've saved enough calories that they then indulge in second helpings.”

However, other studies have suggested that the use of foods and drinks containing low-calorie sweeteners can help with weight loss, something which the International Sweetener Association (ISA) is keen to reiterate. 

Speaking with NutritionInsight, a spokesperson from the ISA said, "In times when overweight and obesity levels are increasing, the use of low-calorie sweetened products, when used in place of their full-calorie sugary versions and as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, can help in reducing overall daily energy intake and therefore be a useful tool in weight management, based on an overwhelming body of evidence."

"Given the acknowledged health impacts of overweight and obesity, seeking to scare people about safe, effective low-calorie sweeteners is unfortunate and not without consequences."

The ISA also state that the foods and drinks with low-calorie sweeteners are more widely available as a helpful choice for people of all ages who want to enjoy a sweet-tasting product with lower calories than its sugar-sweetened versions.

"Furthermore," they add, "Low-calorie sweeteners’ benefits in dental health for both adults and children are well documented, as they are non-cariogenic and tooth-friendly. Also, the consumption of foods containing low-calorie sweeteners instead of sugar induces a lower blood glucose rise after their consumption compared to sugar-containing foods, an important benefit for people with diabetes."

They finalize, "Importantly, all approved low-calorie sweeteners have been thoroughly tested and approved as safe for consumption by all population groups by regulatory authorities around the world, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe.”

Despite this, Sylvetsky warns that “Parents may be buying the light versions of the family favorites thinking they are healthier,” and advises that consumers that want to steer clear of low-calorie sweeteners to reduce the overall sweetness of their diet, and stick to a diet with plenty of fresh produce, whole grains, and limit added sugars.

“Drink water instead of soda. Sweeten a serving of plain yogurt with a little fruit,” says Sylvetsky. “And don't forget an apple or another piece of fresh fruit is a great snack for both kids and adults.”

by Hannah Gardiner