In an effort to lose weight or limit their sugar intake, many families are switching to artificial sweeteners, whether this be in the form of diet soda, artificially flavored candy, or sweetener packets like Splenda. On the surface this seems like a win-win: sweet taste with zero calories.
Yet evidence continues to pile up suggesting that artificial sweeteners may actually be worse than ordinary table sugar and other natural sweeteners. Not only have some artificial sweeteners such as aspartame been linked to cancer concerns, but perversely, the more we learn, the more science suggests they may actually be counterproductive to goals of losing weight.
The problem with artificial sweeteners
The main problem with artificial sweeteners is that they confuse the body, throwing off its metabolism. When you drink a diet soda, for example, your brain is receiving signals that it is consuming something sweet and sugary, but the anticipated calories never arrive. “In what amounts to real-world Pavolonian training, the brain learns to link sweet-tasting foods passing through the mouth with the subsequent release of calories in the gut. But when that dietary signal becomes untrustworthy, with sweetness sometimes indicative of incoming energy, other times not, the brain abandons sweetness as a gauge of expected calories.” (Raloff, 2012)
One study gave people 5 different beverages, all of which had the same level of sweetness, but with calorie counts ranging from 0-150, depending on the degree to which they’d been flavored with artificial sweeteners. It was found that the highest calorie drink didn’t actually provoke the highest bodily response. There was a mismatch between “what the tongue sensed and what the stomach received,” which caused the brain to basically throw up its hands and go into conservation mode. (Schatzker, 2021)
Artificial sweeteners may increase hunger and appetite
As a result of confusing the body and throwing the brain into conservation mode, artificial sweeteners may actually increase appetite. “The brain, which had anticipated the calories and now senses something is missing, encourages us to keep eating,” says professor Ellen Ruppel Shell (2019, p. 43-44).
In a recent study that subjected volunteers to both blood tests and MRI brain scans to measure signs of conscious hunger, it was found that women and obese individuals had greater food cravings after consuming diet soda, and lower levels of hormones that normally suppress appetite. Interestingly, it didn’t seem to have the same effect on men or normal weight people. (The week, 10-29-2021, p. 21)
Artificial sweeteners don’t actually help people lose weight
Because of these things, in a rather cruel twist of irony, drinking diet sodas and consuming a lot of ‘zero calorie’ artificial sweets may actually be contributing to people’s weight gain, not helping them lose weight. One study tracked 3,700 participants, all who started at a normal weight. It was found that frequent diet soda drinkers went on to become overweight or obese during the next 7-8 years at roughly twice the rate seen among participants who avoided diet drinks. (Raloff, 2012)
Artificial sweeteners can distort the palate
Another problem is that consistent use of artificial sweeteners can distort the palate. Taste buds adjust according to our habits, and so consuming lots of artificially sweetened foods may create a taste template that makes healthier choices seem rather bland. “People who regularly consume artificial sweeteners may find naturally sweet foods (like fruit) unappealing, and unsweet foods (like vegetables) intolerable,” notes Dr. David Ludwig (2016, p. 88).
The truth about artificial sweeteners
If you’re one of those people who switched to diet sodas and artificial sweeteners because you thought this was a healthier choice that would help you lose weight, you might want to consider switching back, or cutting out sweetened drinks entirely. “I was drinking diet soda for years and thinking I was healthy,” says Kara Godin. “I never thought in a million years that just by shifting away from diet soda to water that I would [see] a change. My energy levels became significantly better, my weight changed, and my skin changed, just by making that shift.” (Wall Street Journal Magazine, May 2019, p. 34)
Additional information
If you found this material on artificial sweeteners informative, share it with others, and check out these related pages:
- Artificial Sweeteners & Their Health Effects
- Does sugar Make Kids Hyper?
- Does Too Much Sugar Turn Children Into Violent Criminals?
- Types of Sugar
References:
- Ludwig, d. (2016) Always Hungry? New York: Grand Central/Hachette Book Group
- Ruppel-Shell, E. (2019) “Obesity on the brain,” Scientific American Mind, 321(4)l 38-45, Oct.
- Schatzker, M. (2021) The End of Craving. Avid Reader