Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

242 ALICE CALLAHAN, PHD, HEATHER LEONARD, MED, RDN, AND TAMBERLY POWELL, MS, RDN
Figure 4.41. A “Saccharin Notice” sign warns consumers that a grocery store shelf contains
products with saccharin, which has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Between
1977 and 2000, products containing saccharin had to include a cancer warning label. This
requirement was removed after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services determined it
was not a concern in humans at doses typically consumed.
There are other emerging safety concerns about sugar substitutes, though. Small studies
on both mice and humans show that consuming artificial sweeteners can change our gut
bacteria and cause glucose intolerance. 9-11 Glucose intolerance means that blood glucose
is abnormally elevated, showing that glucose metabolism is not working properly, and it
is a precursor to the development of diabetes. Other researchers worry that having the
taste of sweetness signaled to the brain without accompanying calories could derail our
normal pathways for sensing hunger and satiety and for regulating glucose metabolism. 12
This research is alarming but still preliminary. However, it is an active area of study, and we
can expect more information to emerge in the years to come.