June 6, 2022 Puzzle Piece
Almost everyone is aware that cancer risk has been linked to the use of
some sugar substitutes. The controversy goes back at least to the 1970s
with additional damning evidence added almost yearly.
This year is no exception, with a new large-scale French study being published in
PLOS Medicine in March 2022.
Far fewer consumers, however, are aware that sugar substitutes come with another risk:
liver toxicity.
Liver toxicity was highlighted in new research presented in Philadelphia at the
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting in early April.
The study examined two sugar substitutes specifically—
sucralose and
acesulfame potassium—and
found that the artificial sweeteners “disrupted” the function of a
protein that plays a vital role in the liver’s detoxification function.
Sucralose is commonly sold under the
Splenda brand name, while acesulfame potassium is primarily sold under the
Sunnett and
Sweet One brand
names. Though many consumers purchase these artificial sweeteners as a
personal sweetening alternative, the greater quantities are ingested as a
“hidden” sweetener in low calorie foods—especially soda pop.
No calories, but a risk to your health
“With an estimated 40% of Americans regularly consuming non-nutritive
sweeteners, it’s important to understand how they affect the body,” said
Laura Danner, a doctoral student at the
Medical College of Wisconsin where
the research was conducted. “In fact, many people don’t realize that
these sweeteners are found in light or zero-sugar versions of yogurts
and snack foods and even in non-food products like liquid medicines and
certain cosmetics.”
To conduct the study researchers utilized liver cells and cell-free
assays, which allow the study of cellular processes such as transport.
They found that acesulfame potassium and sucralose inhibited the
activity of
P-glycoprotein. P-glycoprotein is part of a family of “transporters” that work together to cleanse the body of toxic substances.
This binding and transporting process also causes other biological
problems in the body, including possible interference with the uptake of
prescription drugs: “The experiments also showed that the sweeteners
stimulate transport activity and likely bind to P-glycoprotein, and thus
compete with and inhibit the transport of other substrates such as
xenobiotics, drugs and their metabolites, short-chain lipids, and bile
acids.”
Even ‘safe’ amounts can be toxic
For consumers who put faith in government guidelines to provide a safety
limit there is additional bad news: The guidelines appear extremely
generous with regards to what a safe amount really is.
“We observed that sweeteners impacted P-glycoprotein activity in liver
cells at concentrations expected through consumption of common foods and
beverages—far below the recommended FDA maximum limits,” said Stephanie
Olivier Van Stichelen, Ph.D., who led the research team. “To our
knowledge, we are the first group to decipher the molecular mechanism by
which non-nutritive sweeteners impact detoxification in the liver.”
Although the researchers caution that the study is preliminary and needs
to be confirmed in clinical studies, some health experts acknowledge
that this is one more toxicity risk in a modern world where the
liver—and other organs—are already under constant toxic attack. Or, put
another way, ingesting artificial sweeteners could become “the straw
that broke the camel’s back” in terms of overloading an already-toxic
liver.
While research can highlight threats to health, other research
highlights natural ways to help offset the risk. Besides taking the
obvious step of avoiding regular use of artificial sweeteners, numerous
studies have proven the detoxifying effect of a number of herbs.
These detoxifying herbs include Dandelion Root, Milk Thistle and
Barberry Root. You can find these herbs, along with antioxidant minerals
and enzymes in
Optimal Liver-Kidney by
Optimal Health Systems.
You can use
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Sources: MedicalExpress.com, AS
Yours in Health and Wellness,
Doug Grant, Nutritionist, Fitness Expert, Formulator
John W Brimhall, DC, FIAMA, DIBAK, Formulator