Sugar is unquestionably bad for you, with study after study linking it to a growing list of health problems. When you’re craving something sweet, you might believe that choosing food that uses artificial sweeteners is the healthier choice. Unfortunately, you’re not doing yourself any favors if you opt for alternatives like aspartame or sucralose. In fact, they’ve been shown to cause glucose intolerance and damage your health.
It’s ironic, then, that many people who turn to artificial sweeteners are doing so because they’re concerned about the obesity and type 2 diabetes that sugar can cause. One person who once believed artificial sweeteners were a healthier alternative was cardiologist Dr. Krumholz Harlan. After carrying out a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, however, he quickly changed his tune upon seeing the strong link between artificial sweeteners and increased BMI and cardio-metabolic risks.