{"id":7500,"date":"2025-01-03T12:45:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T11:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=7500"},"modified":"2025-01-20T12:45:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T11:45:36","slug":"sugar-for-cyclists-should-you-replace-it-with-aspartame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/01\/03\/sugar-for-cyclists-should-you-replace-it-with-aspartame\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar for Cyclists \u2013 Should You Replace It with Aspartame?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A series about sugar wouldn\u2019t be complete without addressing artificial sweeteners. The proposition of artificial sweeteners is very tempting for those trying to manage their body composition. You get to enjoy something sweet without any of the calories that sugar has. But there may be some downsides too, these sweeteners have been getting some bad press when it comes to safety. Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What are artificial sweeteners?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic or derived from natural substances to be many times sweeter than sugar while carrying almost no calories. This makes them ideal for adding sweetness to foods and beverages without creating a glucose response in the body and without increasing energy intake. Plus, they don\u2019t contribute to tooth decay. Some of the most common ones are aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. Besides having a slightly different flavour compared to white sugar, the main drawback is the controversy about safety.<\/p>\n

Why do people think artificial sweeteners aren\u2019t safe?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People tend to be afraid of the unknown. These sweeteners are relatively new in our diets and they are synthetic. Both of these facts make a lot of people sceptical about their long-term impact on health. The larger issue is that there have been animal studies and one human study too, showing some connections between artificial sweeteners (specifically aspartame) and cancer. We wrote about this in a previous article<\/a> in more detail.<\/p>\n

What does the World Health Organization think?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So, what are the large health institutions making out of all the studies? Unfortunately, the World Health Organization (WHO) doesn\u2019t give us the pleasure of a clear and simple answer. Here is what the WHO says:<\/p>\n