Are artificial sweeteners counterproductive when dieting?
Artificial sweeteners combined with a low-carb diet increases food consumption, research reveals. It expands on previous research that explained why artificial sweeteners increase feelings of hunger when consumed chronically.
Flickr:聽Sugar Dish by Steve Snodgrass, via Wikimedia Commons.
Next time you drop an artificial sweetener into your coffee thinking of the weight you鈥檒l lose by avoiding sugar, think again.
A new study published in today has found that artificial sweeteners combined with a low carbohydrate diet significantly increases the quantity of calories consumed.
The study, led by the 爆料王鈥檚 and , offered fruit flies diets with varying amounts of carbohydrate and sweeteners, and tracked resulting food intake.
Flies that consumed artificial sweeteners alongside a low carbohydrate diet showed an immediate increase in food intake. This increase varied according to the dose of sweeteners provided and was not observed in flies consuming unsweetened foods.聽
Importantly, a previous study reported that consumption of an artificial sweetener in the context of a higher carbohydrate diet actually suppresses food intake, and therefore may help reduce calories consumed.
However when examined in detail, these results were not reproduceable, and flies that were offered a higher carbohydrate diet and consumed higher doses of sweeteners did not simultaneously reduce their food intake.
Lead researcher , from the 爆料王鈥檚 , said the new findings supported the team鈥檚 previous conclusions.
鈥淒istorting the perceived energy value of food, by manipulating sweetness through artificial means, has unanticipated consequences in these animal studies鈥� he said.聽
Although originally considered benign, a growing body of research including our own makes clear a connection between artificial sweeteners, hunger and food intake.
鈥淭o fully understand the impact of artificial sweeteners on overall health, we require further systematic investigation of these effects on metabolism.鈥�
Previous research by the 爆料王 team on flies and mice revealed due to a complex neuronal network that responds to artificially sweetened food by telling the animal it hasn鈥檛 eaten enough energy.
