In a new study, low-calorie drinks containing sucralose increased food cravings and calorie intake in certain groups of people. The authors accordingly concluded that such sweeteners do not have a dietary effect in the long term because theyCause food cravings. The question also arose as to whether a non-nutritive sugar substitute such as sucralose could be harmful.
This is how low-calorie drinks as a diet affect weight
For people who want to lose weight but enjoy cola or other high-calorie, sweetened soft drinks, a near-zero calorie diet version may be an attractive option. However, new research suggests that drinks containing low-calorie artificial sweeteners may not be as helpful for weight loss. Study results showed that the non-nutritive sweetener sucralose (E-955), which many diet drinks contain as an ingredient, increases cravings in people with obesity compared to drinks containing sucrose, a natural sugar. None of the study participants had current medical diagnoses or a history of eating disorders and diabetes. The cohort also included a relatively even number of healthy weight, overweight, and obese individuals. This allowed researchers to identify possible differences in how their bodies responded to artificially sweetened, low-calorie drinks. In one session, each person consumed 300 milliliters of such a drink, a sugar-sweetened drink, or plain water as a control.
The brain scans and blood tests used showed three significant effects that suggest that sweeteners actually make it harder to limit calorie intake. In women and people with obesity, these led to more activity in brain areas associated with appetite and cravings. Compared to sucrose, there was a decrease in metabolic hormones that signal satiety after consuming sweeteners. After the female subjects consumed low-calorie drinks, they also ate more compared to men. The results show that women and people with obesity may be more sensitive to artificial sweeteners. Therefore, drinking artificially sweetened beverages in these risk groups may trigger the brain to signal hunger.This studybegins to provide context for the mixed results of previous research when it comes to the neural and behavioral effects of artificial sweeteners.
