# Artificial sweeteners: recent bad news **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2023, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-sweeteners-recent-bad-news/986345 "2023-06-30T11:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 111
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-sweeteners-recent-bad-news/986345/111 "2025-12-03T15:10:01Z")
So first off the callback to Lustig’s emphasis on huge fructose loads got me to search for old discussions here on that. Here’s my original thinking looking in the way back machine- > [@Sugar contributes to heart disease, what is the mechanism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-contributes-to-heart-disease-what-is-the-mechanism/705612/12): > > a direct negative impact of large loads of fructose suddenly delivered to the liver, with its limited ability to maetabilize fructose both quickly and safely, after a single Big Gulp; the impact of of what it replaces in the diet; and the impact of the additional calories consumed - may _all_ contribute. And the added sugar usually comes in foods that have a whole host of other crap in it - maybe the mechanism is the other crap too. And I still believe that is correct with two additional factors as well. The first is again those hedonic and satiety centers and how ultraprocessed foods, often very sweet, definitely high hedonic value and low satiety, drive more intake overall. That is relevant to this comment: > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > a cookie or donut or chocolate bar is a harmless treat. This is not the same as a regular habit of a giant bag of cookies or a dozen Krispy Kremes It is simply difficult for many to eat _a_ cookie. But it is becoming increasingly clear to me that very high stimulation of sweet receptors (located broadly not just on the tongue) and the parts of the brain that react, very probably have harmful impacts whether that stimulation comes directly with large calorie loads or is completely non-nutritive. _Beyond_ those other factors. Impact that _seems_ to especially play out with chronic _neurodegenerative_ morbidity and mortality. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-sweeteners-recent-bad-news/986345)._