Are sugar substitutes safe and helpful?
Dietary Guidance, Sensory, Health and Safety Considerations When Choosing Low and No-Calorie Sweeteners
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low-calorie sweeteners may reduce liver fat in overweight adults.
Many assume artificial sweeteners stress the liver or cause fatty liver disease—but this review finds the opposite: substitution actually lowers liver fat.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for a diet version or water with stevia to cut ~150 calories daily.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low-calorie sweeteners may reduce liver fat in overweight adults.
Many assume artificial sweeteners stress the liver or cause fatty liver disease—but this review finds the opposite: substitution actually lowers liver fat.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for a diet version or water with stevia to cut ~150 calories daily.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2025
Authors
J. Sievenpiper, S. Purkayastha, V. L. Grotz, M. Mora, Jing Zhou, Katherine Hennings, Cynthia M. Goody, Kristen Germana
Related Content
Claims (8)
Studies with people who drink diet sodas or eat foods with artificial sweeteners don’t show that these sweeteners change the good bacteria in your gut or how your body handles sugar, as long as you’re eating or drinking them in normal amounts.
The artificial sweeteners you find in diet sodas and sugar-free snacks, like aspartame or stevia, are considered safe by health agencies when you eat them in normal amounts — and there’s no solid proof they cause cancer, make you gain weight, or hurt your pregnancy.
The sweet compounds from stevia and monk fruit don’t get absorbed into your bloodstream like sugar does. Instead, your gut bacteria break them down, and your body flushes out the leftovers—so they don’t give you any calories.
The artificial sweeteners you find in diet sodas and sugar-free snacks, if approved by health agencies, are considered safe when you eat them in normal amounts — and there’s no solid proof they cause cancer, make you gain weight, or hurt your gut bacteria.
Even if you have existing health issues like diabetes, studies show that drinking diet soda or eating foods with artificial sweeteners doesn’t seem to make your health worse.