Hidden harm in artificial sweeteners

PETALING JAYA: Artificial sweeteners offer potential health benefits such as aiding in weight management and blood sugar control for diabetics. Yet concerns have been raised about their long-term health effects, such as metabolic disorders and changes in taste preferences.

Health Ministry Food Safety and Quality Division senior director Norrani Eksan said aspartame is a food additive that has been approved for use in Malaysia as a sweetener or flavour enhancer since the Food Regulations (FR) 1985 came into force.

She said other than aspartame, there are artificial sweeteners that are used in the food industry.

Currently, more than 1,000 food and beverage products contain artificial sweeteners.

Dietitian Nurul Fathiyah Saad said some variants, such as sucralose and saccharin, are 100 times sweeter than refined sugar.

“While sweeteners are used in smaller amounts in processed foods like energy drinks and crackers to reduce calories and sugar content, their increased level of sweetness causes consumers to have a higher tolerance for sweet foods.”

While this can be dangerous, Nurul Fathiyah said many artificial sweeteners are also suitable for diabetics as the impact on their blood sugar level is insignificant.

“It is essential to consult healthcare professionals to determine the best options based on individual needs.”

She said the Health Ministry has set the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for consumers to estimate the amount of artificial sweeteners they can safely consume daily in their lifetime without increasing health risks.

Some of the ADI values for common artificial sweeteners are 40mg/kg of body weight for aspartame and 15mg/kg of body weight for saccharin.

Nurul Fathiyah said common artificial sweeteners are labelled with their E-number, and specific names are E951(aspartame) and E954 (saccharin).

To balance the benefits of artificial sweeteners and maintain a well-rounded diet, Nurul Fathiyah said Malaysians should consume natural and artificial sweeteners in moderation.

“Instead of relying solely on artificial sweeteners, one’s diet should consist of whole fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains for overall health.”

However, artificial sweeteners are not commonly consumed by Malaysians, as found by the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) conducted in 2003 and 2014 by the Health Ministry.

“Instead, Malaysians have a higher intake of added sugar and condensed milk or creamer in their daily diet.

“Sugar and condensed milk or creamer consistently ranked among the top 10 food items consumed daily by adults in the 2003 and 2014 MANS studies.

“Sugar consumption has increased from 21g to 25.5gm per day, and condensed milk or creamer consumption has increased from 30gm to 50.7gm per day,” she said.

According to the Health Ministry, the safety of any permitted artificial sweetener under FR 1985 has been evaluated by the US Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Food Additives.

“Due to their calorie-free sweet taste, foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners gained popularity in response to the growing need to reduce sugar consumption.

“This is a strategy to combat weight gain and other health issues, but it is important to note that the intake of artificial sweeteners should not be the only or primary approach to managing obesity and diabetes,” said Nurul Fathiyah.

According to the Health Ministry, some artificial sweeteners, such as glycerol and isomalt, needed to be labeled with warnings that excessive use can have a laxative effect.

“Enforcement and monitoring activities are carried out on all food products, including those at entry points in schools, restaurants and other public settings to ensure compliance of the standards prescribed under FR 1985.”

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