“Zero Calorie” Myth

Bad news for those that think they can slurp down "calorie free" drinks and not gain any weight from it. Scientists at Purdue University have discovered that lab models actually end up consuming more calories when artificial sweeteners are consumed than when natural sweeteners are consumed. In a series of experiments, scientists at Purdue University compared weight gain and eating habits in rats whose diets were supplemented with sweetened food containing either zero-calorie saccharin or sugar.

"The studies suggest artificial sweeteners somehow disrupt the body's ability to regulate incoming calories. It's still a bit of a mystery why they are overeating, but we definitely have evidence that the animals getting artificially sweetened yogurt end up eating more calories than the ones getting calorically sweetened yogurt." Susan Swithers, professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University

The report, published in Behavioral Neuroscience, presented what seemed to be counterintuitive findings. The animals fed with artificially sweetened yogurt over a two-week period actually consumed more calories and gained more weight in the form of fat than the animals eating yogurt flavored with glucose, which is a natural, high-calorie sweetener.

This recent study is a continuation of work the Purdue group began in 2004, when they reported that animals consuming saccharin-sweetened liquids and snacks tended to eat more than animals fed high-calorie, sweetened foods. Susan Swithers, a professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University and a co-author of the study says that this study, as well as previous studies, suggest that artificial sweeteners somehow disrupt the body's ability to regulate incoming calories.

For some, this news doesn’t come as a huge shock. Diet soft drinks have been linked to weight gain in humans in previous studies. Artificial colorants, sweeteners and flavors tend to never be better alternatives than the natural counterparts they attempt to imitate. The use of no- or low-calorie artificial sweeteners in foods and beverages has more than doubled over the last 20 years, but so has the obesity rate.

Swithers told the LA Times that sweet tastes prompt the body’s digestive system to get ready to process caloric food. But when the calories don’t arrive because the sweetness was artificial, the body eventually learns not to crank up the metabolic furnace. Over time that adjustment makes it it harder to burn calories and shed weight. Hence, zero calorie and low calorie foods are actually more likely to make people fatter than help them slim down.

Posted by Rebecca Sato.

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Comments

[ScottDickson]

I think I know the answer. Sugar-free stuffs make you more hungry. That's what I've noticed when I switched from regular instant coffee to sugar-free. Sugar-free coffee drives me nuts! It makes me feel like I haven't eaten all day after an hour of drinking it.

[Stacey]

I've been avoiding artificial sweeteners for quite awhile because I don't trust them one bit and try to educate others to do the same. I would much rather have regular sugar any day. I read labels on everything I buy. If I pick up something that has splenda (sucralose), saccharin, aspartame, gelatin or glycerin (among many others) - it goes right back on the shelf. No thanks!...this crap ain't going in MY body!!

Here's some more stuff to stay away from...
http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_ingredients_list.asp

[Emy Smith]

It might make you more hungry, but I switch sugar in the tea with Splenda and I lost weight doing it.