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While diet soda fans might not want to hear this, it turns out that seemingly healthier sparkling drinks could do more harm than good when it comes to weight loss efforts.
Artificial sweeteners remain controversial due to the fact that “the health consequences of artificial sweeteners or non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are still very much debated,” say the authors of a new study, published in JAMA network open. This is quite significant when you consider the fact that over 40% of American adults opt for drinks like diet sodas, in part because they believe it won’t cause additional weight gain.
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In the study, researchers at USC’s Keck School of Medicine looked at 74 participants who, after not eating the night before, were given drinks containing table sugar or an artificial sweetener. The researchers then monitored the participants for brain activity related to cravings for high-calorie foods while noting how much food the participants ate later in the day. What they found was that obese women and participants were left hungrier after drinking artificial sweeteners.
“Our study begins to provide context for the mixed results of previous studies with respect to the neural and behavioral effects of artificial sweeteners,” Kathleen Page, MD, the study’s corresponding author and Associate Professor of Medicine at Keck School of Medicine, explained in a statement.
Page added that by looking at different groups within the participants, they “were able to show that women and obese people may be more sensitive to artificial sweeteners.” In fact, when it comes to these people, “Drinking artificially sweetened drinks can make the brain feel hungry, which in turn can lead to more calories being consumed. “
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However, Kris Sollid, RD, senior director of nutritional communications at the International Food Information Council (IFIC), said Eat this, not that!One of the reasons some consider this a ‘controversial topic’ is that findings from observational research studying the impact of low-calorie sweeteners on body weight often conflict with data from randomized controlled trials. “
Sollid also notes that research supports the claim that low-calorie sweeteners “do not increase blood sugar levels or otherwise affect blood sugar management.” Beyond that, he points out that the scientific report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee supports the use of low calorie sweeteners for weight management, adding “there is no strong evidence that [they] increase appetite or food cravings in humans. “
If you’d rather avoid controversy and just steer clear of diet sodas. Sollid suggests going for 100% fruit or fruit juice whenever you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. For more tips on healthy sugar trading, be sure to check out I’m a Dietitian and It’s the One Thing You Dream of When You Give Up Alcohol!
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