The Sour Side of Sweet

Part I of II part series "SWEET!" - a look at artificial sweetners

In America's current calorie conscious environment, it's easy to reach for a diet soda or that packet of Splenda for your tea and think that you're getting a sweet deal. Calorie-free artificial sweeteners have been gaining speed in the last decade and have worked their way into a huge variety of food sources from sodas to muffins. And while this increase in prevalence may seem like a no-lose situation, sweet taste without those naughty calories, emerging scientific evidence suggest that you may be "gaining" more than you think.

In 2010 the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine published a review of the contribution of artificial sweeteners to obesity and weight gain titled Gain weight by "going diet" Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings. Surprisingly, multiple large-scale research studies have shown that increased consumption of artificial sweeteners is directly correlated to higher body weights and increased BMIs. Trial groups have included many different ages, races, backgrounds, men and women. Across the board- the individuals who consumed artificial sweeteners on a regular basis gain Significantly More Weight than individuals who consumed artificial sweeteners on a limited basis [1].

So why?? Further investigation into how the body responds to artificial sweeteners provides insight. The taste and consumption of sugar increases our bodies' appetite. Harken back to the days of scarce food and limited resources. If our ancestors had stumbled upon a calorie dense food source (like fruit), they would have needed to consume as much as possible. Unfortunately, despite our improved circumstances, our bodies still respond with the same biological response. And while science has been able to rid the sweets of their calories, it hasn't been able to defeat our biological urges. Artificial Sweeteners elicit the same (some times even greater) appetite increasing response as sugar [2].

So while you may not be gaining weight from the sweetener its self - that sweetener is secretly sending the message to your body to eat more at that meal as well as for the rest of the day.

References:

1 - Yang, Q. Gain weight by "going diet" Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings. Yale J Biol Med. 2010; 83(2):101-108.

2- Mattes RD, Popkin BM. Nonnutritive sweetener consumption in humans: effects on appetite and food intake and their putative mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:1-14.

Photo Credit: Jade Gordon via www.sxc.hu