In 2025, Kuiyuan Zhang and a team from Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine analyzed data from public databases to study how artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin relate to prostate cancer. They used computer models and lab tests to find key genes and see how sweeteners interact with cancer cells.

In 2025, Claudia Kimie Suemoto and a team from the University of São Paulo in Brazil studied 12,772 middle-aged adults (average age 52) over several years. They tracked intake of seven sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin in ultra-processed foods such as diet sodas and yogurts, using food surveys and cognitive tests for memory and thinking skills.

In 2025, Huang-Pin Chen and a team from National Cheng Kung University reviewed studies on low-calorie sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and stevia. They examined how these affect metabolism, heart health, cancer risk, and gut bacteria, pulling data from human and animal studies on blood sugar, insulin, and microbiome changes.

In 2025, Sandhya P Chakravartti and colleagues examined 75 young adults in a crossover trial. Sucralose (vs. sugar or water) spiked hypothalamic blood flow by 10-20%, boosted hunger by 15%, and strengthened brain connections for craving and sensing, potentially leading to overeating. Other studies (2022, 2023) showed sucralose alters gut bacteria, increasing glucose intolerance (10-15% worse in mice) and metabolic issues like inflammation.

A 2025 EMJ Neurology report highlights groundbreaking lab findings that the popular artificial sweetener erythritol—often found in sugar-free drinks—can impair brain blood vessel health. In simpler terms, this means erythritol could reduce blood flow to the brain and increase stroke risk.

Stevia is marketed as a natural, plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener—but multiple studies suggest it might act more like birth control than a harmless sugar alternative.