Switch to diet soda to avoid sugar and calories and maybe drop a few pounds. A new study might have you rethinking that decision. The study shows that replacing free sugars with non-sugar sweeteners does not help people control their weight long-term. The World Health Organization says that the artificial sweetener sucralose could be counterproductive, instead of the brain sending a signal to eat less, sucralose triggers an increase in appetite when consumed in a drink. Sucralose activates the area in the brain that regulates hunger, and that activation, in turn, is linked to greater ratings of hunger, an increase of more than 20%. The study only investigated the impact of sucralose and did not research other popular artificial sweeteners. Those studies are underway.
The idea that artificial sweeteners may be increasing hunger signals from the brain isn’t new — a prior study found women and people with obesity were especially sensitive. Artificial sweeteners, therefore, appear to confuse the brain, by sending signals of sweetness without delivering the needed calories the brain requires. When those promised calories don’t arrive, the brain may send out a signal to eat more.
Scientist warn that this doesn’t mean you can drink or eat more sugar and remain healthy.
