Autoimmune Thyroiditis with Hypothyroidism Induced by Sugar Substitutes

Furthermore, research has triggered concern for erythritol’s potential impact on cardiovascular health. You can of course read this article to find out specifically how aspartame causes damage. Some individuals may be more sensitive to aspartame damage and may include pregnant women, growing foetus, children and older people who might not tolerate it well. For people with the disease phenylketonuria, ingesting aspartame may cause damage to their brain. Although millions of people have hypothyroidism, there are many misconceptions around managing it.

• This non-nutritive artificial sweetener is made in the laboratory, and despite being recognized as safe by the FDA, many people are skeptical about its potential long-term effects.
• Interestingly, advantame is also a flavor enhancer for dairy, fruit, citrus, mint, etc.
• If you enjoy citrus-flavored sodas like Mountain Dew and SunDrop, you could be putting your health at risk.
• The connection is believed to be related to multiple factors, including an increased tendency to develop an autoimmune disease, glucose level irregularities, and alterations in fat metabolism.
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) is a disease that involves the immune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland, gradually leading to its failure.
• Outdated animal studies linked saccharin use with the prevalence of bladder cancer.

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• These include some fruit juices, frozen desserts, dairy products, and puddings.
• I asked her if she was doing anything differently, and she told me she had read that artificial sweeteners may actually cause weight gain, so she stopped them to lose weight.” That was the only change, Dr. Sachmechi said.
• For aspartame, a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials showed that the total cholesterol and triglycerides were not affected by aspartame intake compared to the controls or sucrose.
• ChREBPs regulate genes in the lipogenesis, glycogenesis, glycolysis, and pentose phosphate cycle pathways regulated by ChREBP 53.
• Blackstrap molasses is a thick, brown liquid which also contains B vitamins, iron, chromium and other minerals.

While the mechanism of how sugar substitutes impact the thyroid is not clear, the studies speculate that the sweeteners might be ramping up the immune system to attack the thyroid. They checked those results against 125 controls who were referred for Hashimoto’s work up but turned out to be antibody negative; 15 (12%) regularly used artificial sweeteners, 110 (88%) did not. NASHVILLE, TENN.– You might want to discourage your patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis from using artificial sweeteners, according to investigators from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. This case emphasizes that in all patients diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the intake of sugarsubstitutes should be inquired into. If found positive, the intake should be discontinued and the thyroid function test should be followed up closely. Questioning the intake of artificial sweeteners may be an important issue in nutritional guidance in the near future.

Aspartame, Sucralose, and Thyroid Function Summary

Some reported that dietary sugar and artificial sweeteners (2 mM sucralose) increased SGLT1 mRNA and protein expression as well as glucose absorptive capacity in wild-type mice but not in knockout mice lacking T1R3 or alpha-gustducin 25. Still, some studies link artificial sweeteners to an increased risk of health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. However, research is mixed, and some evidence points to the potential benefits, even for people at risk of these conditions. For example, people with diabetes might use artificial sweeteners to help manage their blood sugars. The effects of artificial sweeteners on glucose metabolism have been discussed. I am not a dietician but I do not like including anything artificial in my food.

If you have thyroid disease, a well-balanced diet is important, and there are some special considerations that you need to be aware of because certain foods can exacerbate thyroid disease. Organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, meat, poultry, fish, coconut oil, and butter are some of the best foods available for your health. And there’s no need to worry about so-called goitrogenic foods if you have thyroid disease. As a matter of fact, I recommend eating the goitrogenic foods some medical experts tell you to avoid because they’re excellent for your health.

But as the CSPI notes, the sweetener is so incredibly sweet that you only need to add a minuscule amount to your dish. Although erythritol is one of the newer sugar alcohols to hit the market, researchers have thoroughly examined it from many angles. It’s found naturally in some foods and can occur when food items like cheese, beer, and wine ferment. Otherwise, the zero-calorie sweetener is a man-made alternative to table sugar. Of course, since xylitol is a refined sweetener, it lacks vitamins, minerals, and protein. It does contain a very small amount of carbohydrates, but not enough to affect your blood sugars significantly.

Aspartame and thyroid autoimmunity

Outdated animal studies linked saccharin use with the prevalence of bladder cancer. Acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K, is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar. It is sold under the brand names Sunett and Sweet One and is often combined with other artificial sweeteners.

Notably, the effects of artificial sweeteners depend on individual differences, including the gut bacteria, and may increase blood glucose levels, promote atherosclerosis, and increase cardiovascular risk and total mortality. Therefore, the replacement of sugar with artificial sweeteners in patients should be monitored over time for changes in blood glucose and body weight as well as intake, and future guidance should be based on gut bacteria data (Figure 3). It should be noted, however, that the use of artificial sweeteners from an early age may lead to an insensitivity to sweetness, which may increase cardiovascular risk and total mortality. The initial release of insulin in response to food stimuli acting on receptors in the head and oropharynx is called the cephalic phase of insulin secretion 20. The taste stimuli were not swallowed, and they were applied in a randomized order, each on a separate day. Blood collection for the determination of plasma glucose and plasma insulin concentrations was performed 3 min before and 3, 5, 7, and 10 min after taste stimulation.

Aspartame is included in tabletop sweeteners, chewing gums, instant coffee, puddings, and soft drinks. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, aspartame is metabolized into methanol, aspartic acid, and tryptophane 14. Therefore, aspartame produces 4 kcal of energy per gram when metabolized; however, the quantity of aspartame needed to produce a sweet taste excess synthroid is so small that its caloric contribution is negligible. For aspartame, a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials showed that the total cholesterol and triglycerides were not affected by aspartame intake compared to the controls or sucrose. In addition, the treatment of C57BL/6J mice with ACE K for 40 weeks increased not only LDL cholesterol but also HDL cholesterol 42. A high-dose treatment (final 25, 50, and 100 mM) of AS (aspartame, ACE K, and saccharin) on human high-density lipoprotein (HDL) induced the loss of antioxidant capacity as well as increased atherogenic effects 43.

AACE: Artificial sweeteners tentatively linked to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

The research, conducted by investigators at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, evaluated 100 people who had been positively diagnosed with hypothyroidism. What they found was that the use of artificial sweeteners within this population—including aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) and sucralose (Splenda)—correlated with elevated levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In humans, saccharin (upper limit of the ADI) also promoted glucose intolerance and gut microbiome alterations in four of seven healthy subjects.

A group of rats was not fed any sugar, while other groups of rats were given different types of sugar substitutes. The rats who were fed artificial sweeteners developed altered thyroid activity, and their thyroid activity differed based on the type of sugar substitute they received. Future research on artificial sweeteners should take into account individual differences, including the intestinal microbiota, the type of artificial sweetener itself, and the duration of previous artificial sweetener administration.