Media reports that low calorie sweeteners may promote obesity and diabetes are premature and should not change recommendations without larger scale trials, Australian researchers say.

The media reports were based on findings presented at a US conference from a small in vitro study in stem cells in which the artificial sweetener sucralose promoted expression of genes related to fat metabolism and inflammation.

Presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Chicago, the findings were interpreted as showing that artificial sweeteners could promote metabolic syndrome and predispose people to prediabetes and diabetes, particularly in individuals with obesity.

However Associate Professor Richard Young, a diabetes researcher based at The University of Adelaide, said it was too soon to start issuing health warnings, although the findings added to “accumulating evidence that artificial sweeteners may not be metabolically inert”.

Last year Professor Young led a team which carried out a small study in humans which suggested consuming high levels of artificial sweeteners could increase glucose absorption from the gut, and increase blood glucose levels as a result.

“These guys looked at fat cells and found, just like we found in the gut, that artificial sweeteners can cause an increase in the sugar transport mechanism, so more sugars get into the fat cells,” he told the limbic.

“My only caveat was a relatively small study and the dose of sweetener they have exposed the cells to is perhaps in an order of magnitude higher than one might expect to be circulating in humans.

“But what I think they are showing here is a proof of concept study.”

The taccumulating research in this area now justified high-powered human studies, he said.

“We are at the point where it’s almost mandatory to move out to clinical trials to see if they are as safe as the food industry and some advocates would have us believe.

“That’s the next step before we can make community-wide statements on what people should be doing.

“My own feeling is perhaps people who are excessive consumers of artificial sweeteners might be best served by moderating that intake.

“I don’t believe a moderate intake of artificial sweeteners is a concern but I believe people who have excessive intake, just like excessive intakes of sugar, I think will ultimately find they both work the same way.”

“The take home message here is it’s an early study but it follows other studies that suggest sweeteners may affect the way glucose is managed by the cell and the individual. We need a lot more research and it’s early days and this study is not particularly well powered to make bold statements but it certainly adds another layer to what we do know.”