Final answer:
Nutritionists have varied opinions on whether sugar or artificial sweeteners are worse for health, but most clinical studies suggest that artificial sweeteners are safe in moderation. Controversies continue over some sweeteners' metabolites and the relationship of HFCS to obesity. There is no strong evidence indicating that artificial sweeteners are unsafe or significantly beneficial compared to sugar. option 1
Step-by-step explanation:
Do nutritionists disagree over whether sugar or eating artificial sweetener is worse? While there are varying opinions within the nutrition community regarding the consumption of sugar and artificial sweeteners, most clinical studies suggest that artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States are safe for consumption by healthy individuals in moderate amounts. However, controversies and concerns about artificial sweeteners like aspartame persist due to its metabolites, despite the fact that certain food items like tomato juice naturally contain six times more methanol than a diet soda with aspartame.
Consumers are also aware of the rise in obesity rates potentially linked to high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) prompting some manufacturers to switch to natural sugar, though the FDA denied the rebranding of HFCS to "corn sugar." Additionally, artificial sweeteners are particularly useful for individuals with diabetes or those requiring control over their carbohydrate intake. For example, sweeteners such as aspartame, discovered in 1965 and about 180 times sweeter than sucrose, are noncaloric and used in a variety of foods, although they are not suitable for baked goods due to heat instability.
Lastly, past bans on sweeteners such as cyclamate and the use of saccharin during World War I highlight the historical ebbs and flows of artificial sweetener availability and public perception. As of 2018, there is no strong evidence indicating that non-sugar sweeteners are either unsafe or significantly improve health outcomes compared to sugar. Thus, the debate about the use and impact of sugar versus artificial sweeteners is multifaceted and rooted in both health considerations and consumer preferences.