The Arizona Republic

Jury still out on artificially sweet drinks

Feb. 21, 2006

For people watching their weight, artificially sweetened drinks often are seen as the lesser of two evils.

But are the drinks harmful?

Not everyone agrees.

"We have lots of proof that sugar-sweetened drinks cause obesity in children," says physician Caroline Apovian, director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center. "It's overwhelming.

"But we have absolutely no proof of any detrimental effects of artificial sweeteners in humans."

Pediatrician William Sears and his wife, registered nurse Martha Sears, authors of The Baby Book, say studies looking at possible links between artificial sweeteners and kids' behavior and learning ability have yielded conflicting results.

They urge common sense in giving artificially sweetened drinks to young people, saying they may increase the risk of "artificial reactions," or behavior problems.

Studies also have examined whether artificial sweeteners cause cancer (an Italian study released in November found a "statistically significant increase" in laboratory rats) or accustom the taste buds to sweets.

Researchers at Purdue University say their studies with rats revealed that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body's natural ability to "count" calories based on foods' sweetness.

Registered dietitian Johanna Donnenfield of Scottsdale Community College says there's not enough evidence to give artificial sweeteners a spotless bill of health.

"But if someone is consuming a ton of soda with high calories and is not willing to give it up," says Donnenfield, a former pharmacist, "it's better to go with the diet soft drinks.