Sugar_Substitutes

Are sugar substitutes healthy? Research doesn’t yet offer comforting answers.

To satisfy the public’s craving for sweetness and concern about the health effects of sugar, food companies have increasingly turned to sugar substitutes. Natural and artificial sweeteners are added to everything from sodas to toothpaste, lip balm to snack items. 
Now, studies are raising concerns about the health effects of these substitutes. 
Late last month, a study associated the sugar substitute erythritol with an increased risk of stroke. Although the research was far from definitive, it raised the question of what sugar substitute – if any – is healthiest.
Unfortunately, that’s not an easy question to answer. 
All sweeteners on the market have met the government’s standard of being “generally recognized as safe,” meaning research has shown they are not toxic. 
But just because something isn’t toxic doesn’t mean it’s healthy – or that it’s helpful for weight management or disease prevention, said Allison Sylvetsky, an associate professor at The Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

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