Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia: Oxidative stress pathways and functional food perspectives

Background: The increasing consumption of non-caloric sweeteners has raised concerns regarding their potential effects on oxidative stress and related health outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame and saccharin, may induce oxidative stress in a dose-, duration-, and tissue-dependent manner. In contrast, natural sweeteners, such as stevia, may offer protective effects. This review synthesizes current findings on the oxidative and metabolic effects of non-caloric sweeteners, outlining key methodological limitations and the need for long-term clinical investigations. It further integrates mechanistic insights to distinguish the differential redox effects of artificial versus natural sweeteners and explores how antioxidant-rich functional foods might mitigate these impacts. This review comprehensively integrates mechanistic, experimental, and dietary evidence linking non-caloric sweeteners to oxidative stress while introducing functional food–based strategies to mitigate redox imbalance. It provides an updated synthesis relevant to evidence-based dietary guidance and regulatory evaluation.