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Key Takeaways
- Artificial sweeteners generally do not raise blood glucose directly because they are not metabolized like sugar.
- Chronic or high use of artificial sweeteners may affect insulin sensitivity, gut microbiome composition, and longer-term glucose regulation.
- For best results, use artificial sweeteners as a tool within a broader healthy-eating plan, rather than as a sole fix for blood sugar control.
When you swap out sugar for artificial sweeteners, your blood sugar typically stays steadier, but that’s only part of the story. While artificial sweeteners may help cut calories and avoid blood glucose (sugar) spikes, research suggests they can still influence how your body manages insulin and regulates blood sugar over time.
Sugar vs Artificial Sweeteners
When you consume foods or drinks that contain sugar, your body breaks the sugar down into glucose, which quickly enters the bloodstream. This rise in blood glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose into your cells for energy or storage.
Over time, frequent spikes in blood sugar and insulin can contribute to insulin resistance and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Artificial sweeteners (also called non-nutritive sweeteners) provide sweetness without a measurable increase in blood glucose or insulin release. Since they are not broken down into glucose, they pass through the digestive tract largely unchanged.
Common examples include:
What Are the Immediate Blood Sugar Effects of Artificial Sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners provide intense sweetness without the calories of sugar. Because they are not metabolized like regular sugar, they generally do not raise blood glucose levels after consumption:
- A clinical study found that two weeks of daily intake of pure sucralose or aspartame in healthy adults did not directly change glucose or insulin responses.
- In terms of short-term blood sugar spikes, replacing sugar with an artificial sweetener is often considered a beneficial move, especially if you have diabetes or are at risk.
- However, some older studies have observed small increases in blood sugar levels in some individuals.
How Do Artificial Sweeteners Affect Insulin and Metabolic Responses?
While blood sugar may stay relatively flat after artificial sweetener intake, the way your body handles glucose and insulin might still be influenced. Several studies show mixed or cautionary findings:
- Some observational studies in people with type 2 diabetes found that those consuming artificial sweeteners had higher insulin resistance compared to those who did not.
- A large cohort of over 105,000 French adults found that a higher intake of artificial sweeteners was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Additional reviews highlight that artificial sweeteners might alter the balance of microbes in the gut, incretin hormone (gut hormones released after eating that stimulate insulin release) responses, intestinal glucose uptake, and insulin sensitivity, especially with chronic intake.
In other words, while the immediate blood sugar effect may be none to minimal, there are potential longer-term effects on insulin and metabolic regulation that warrant attention. More studies are needed in this area to determine the full impact of artificial sweeteners on the body.
Do Artificial Sweeteners Affect the Gut Microbiome?
Emerging research suggests that the gut microbiome (the community of microbes in the gut) may mediate some of the effects of artificial sweeteners on longer-term glucose control. Key points include:
- In mice and human studies, certain sweeteners, such as saccharin and sucralose, caused shifts in gut bacteria. These changes were associated with impaired glucose tolerance.
- A review of studies identified a dysbiotic effect (an imbalance of gut bacteria) of artificial sweeteners in some trials. Still, others reported no significant effects on gut microbiota composition, leaving researchers conflicted on the topic.
- Because the microbiome seems to interact with insulin signaling, inflammation, and intestinal barrier integrity, these changes may influence blood sugar regulation over time.
Therefore, although artificial sweeteners themselves may not directly raise blood glucose, their indirect effects (via gut health and metabolism) might influence long-term blood sugar control.
What You Can Do
People with diabetes or those concerned about their blood sugar levels should consider:
- Use artificial sweeteners as one part of your overall strategy to reduce added sugar intake and avoid immediate blood sugar spikes. Fiber-rich foods, whole-food carbohydrates, and regular physical activity are cornerstone strategies for blood sugar management, rather than relying solely on “sugar swap” products.
- Consider other ingredients. An artificially-sweetened food or beverage may also contain carbohydrates that raise blood sugar, excess calories, fats, or other ingredients. For example, a “sugar-free” baked good may still cause a glucose rise due to its flour or starch content.
- Monitor your sweetened food intake. If you consume a lot of sweetened foods (even if artificially sweetened), your gut microbiome, appetite regulation, and insulin sensitivity may still be impacted.
- Individual responses vary. People with pre-existing insulin resistance, obesity, or poor gut health may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of frequent artificial sweetener use.