Last updated 18/03/2022 by The pain clinics - Interdisciplinary Health

- Artificial sweetener: Fast track to overweight?

There are a number of alternatives to sugar on the market for those who want to cut down on calories in their diet. The irony of this is that a new study published in research journals Cell Metabolism has revealed that "diet" editions of drinks and food increase appetite and hunger - which leads to more eating and weight gain.

The use of sweeteners, such as sugars, has increased as the average weight of the population increases. Did you know, for example, that about one in three men is overweight? The reason why many people choose to use these is that they contain virtually no calories while giving the same sweet taste as sugar. So this must be good, right?

Study: "Diet" products can cause hunger

Products that are marketed as "without sugar", "diet" and "sweetener only" can thus have a sour taste. The new study showed that they can have a dramatic effect on appetite and taste.

The study was conducted at Sydney University and showed the researchers that there is a specific area of ​​the brain that interprets the sweetness and energy content of the food we eat. It was in this area that the researchers found the surprising finding.

When the animals in the study were fed a diet containing a high content of the artificial sweetener, sucralose, they ate significantly larger amounts of food. A finding that indicated that the artificial sweetener changed the feeling of hunger in the brain and caused the animals to consume considerably more calories compared to the control group. Sucralose is a derivative of sucrose and is as much as 650 times sweeter than sugar - which can naturally lead to strong misinterpretations in the brain, since it believes it will absorb 650 times more energy. Aspartame is also a common artificial sweetener that is used frequently in Norway.

- When the brain does not understand

As mentioned, there are misinterpretations when the brain discovers that the imbalance between the sweetener and energy (calories) - as mentioned, contains most sugars and the like almost zero calories, ie zero energy. Professor Greg Neely stated the following:

"Through systematic research regarding this effect, we found that inside the reward area of ​​the brain, sweetness is measured against energy. If there is a significant imbalance between these two, over time, then the brain will recalibrate and ensure that you get more calories. "

- 30 percent higher calorie intake

The researchers fed fruit flies with a sucralose-containing diet for five days. When the flies were then allowed to return to their natural diet, they measured a caloric intake that was increased by as much as 30 percent.

This increase was attributed to the fact that eating artificial sweeteners actually changes the brain's interpretation of the degree of sweetness - which meant that when the flies regained their natural food, the sweetness there was misinterpreted to be significantly higher than it really was. Thus, the brain had calibrated itself in relation to the artificial sweetener it had relied on before - and thus did not understand why sugar, which was 650 times less sweet than sucralose, gave it more energy. The study was later repeated on mice with the same result.

- Artificial sweeteners affect appetite by tampering with complex neural networks

The researchers found that appetite and hunger increased through a complex network of neurons. This network sounds alarm if you have not received enough energy compared to what you have eaten.

So by controlling the diet, scientists were able to map this very advanced area of ​​the brain. They also found that there is a genuine response that will make food taste better - and consistently eat more of it - if you are really hungry.

- Artificial sweeteners were also linked to a number of negative side effects

Hyperactivity, decreased sleep quality and insomnia were among the side effects that researchers found in the group that included artificial sweetening. This is also known from other previously published studies.

Conclusion:

In a modern world where we get stuck on more and more "diet" issues without really knowing if it works, sometimes you just have to say STOP. Thus, this study has shown that artificial sweetening can increase the risk of overweight - not reduce it. So if you use sugars or drink light drinks then our personal opinion is that you can put them on the shelf - forever. Your body (and BMI) will thank you for that. Instead, try natural alternatives such as some honey, maple syrup or brown unrefined sugar. Yes, it does require some restructuring, but it is at least as good when your brain gets calibrated back to normal.

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References:

Neely et al, 2016