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- Previous research on the usefulness of diet drinks for people trying to lose weight has not been conclusive.
- There are also questions about whether non-nutrient sweeteners are healthy.
- A new study concludes that these sweeteners may not reduce a dieter’s calorie intake in the long term because they increase cravings.
- The study focuses specifically on the artificial sweetener sucralose.
A 12-ounce (oz) can of the most popular cola drink in the United States has 140 calories, while a 20-ounce plastic bottle has 240 calories.
For people who want to lose weight but enjoy cola or other sweet, high-calorie sodas, a diet version with near zero calories may seem like an attractive option.
However, a new study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles suggests that drinks with low-calorie artificial sweeteners may not be as helpful for weight loss as many think.
The study found that sucralose, a non-nutritive sweetener (NNS), which many diet drinks include as an ingredient, increases cravings in women and obese people compared to drinks containing sucrose, a natural sugar.
Sucralose, also known by the brand name “Splenda”, is found in many diet drinks. The latest publications from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Research suggests that
The results of the study appear in the journal
“There is controversy surrounding the use of artificial sweeteners because a lot of people use them for weight loss,” says Kathleen Page, MD, principal investigator of the study.
“While some studies suggest they may be helpful, others show that they may contribute to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Our study looked at different population groups to find some of the reasons for these conflicting results. “
The safety of artificial sweeteners, researchers say
Michelle Routhenstein, cardiology dietitian and owner of Entirely Nourished, said Medical News Today:
“We know that regular consumption of artificially sweetened beverages has been associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. This is probably due to the negative impact of artificially sweetened drinks on risk factors for heart attack and stroke, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and weight gain.
Routhenstein did not participate in the study.
Researchers recruited 74 weight-stable, non-smoking right-handed volunteers. They were between 18 and 35 years old and 58% were women. None of the people had a current medical diagnosis or a history of eating disorders, diabetes or illegal drug use.
Each participant attended three experimental sessions with the researchers, having fasted overnight before arriving.
The cohort included a relatively equal number of people who were at a healthy weight, were overweight and were obese. This allowed the researchers to identify possible differences in the way their bodies responded to NNS.
In one session, each individual would consume 300 milliliters of a sweetened NNS drink, a sweet drink or, as a control, water.
After each participant consumed their drink, the researchers presented them with images of high-calorie foods and used functional MRIs (fMRIs) to record activity in regions of their brains associated with appetite and food cravings. .
The researchers also monitored the participants’ blood sugar, insulin, and metabolic hormone levels.
Finally, at the end of each session, the researchers offered participants a snack buffet and recorded the amount of food each consumed.
Tests and blood tests have revealed three significant effects that suggest that drinks sweetened with NNS may in fact make it more difficult to limit calorie intake.
- FMRIs found that in women and obese people, consuming drinks sweetened with NNS resulted in more activity in brain areas associated with appetite and cravings than consuming drinks containing sucrose.
- There was a drop in the levels of metabolic hormones that signal satiety after consuming NNS sugary drinks compared to drinks containing sucrose.
- After consuming NNS sugary drinks, women, but not men, ate more buffet snacks at the end of the session.
Of the study, Routhenstein said:
“There have been previous studies that show the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners, and this study adds more strength to the previous results. This study was a randomized crossover trial that showed a higher neural reward response to non-nutrient sweeteners. ”
“Our brains are intelligent and clearly cannot be fooled; when he sees that you are consuming a very sweet tasting food or drink without the calories to show, he is looking for a caloric sugar based food to make up for it.
Although Dr. Page notes that study participants may have been hungrier than usual due to their quick pre-session, she says:
“Our study begins to put into context the mixed results of previous studies regarding the neural and behavioral effects of artificial sweeteners. By studying different groups, we were able to show that women and obese people can be more sensitive to artificial sweeteners. For these groups, drinking artificially sweetened beverages can make the brain feel hungry, which in turn can lead to more calories being consumed. “
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