Artificial sweetener linked to weight gain

Most people who use artificial sweeteners, despite the uncertainty of health risks, do so to cut calories that would be added by eating regular sugar. It is assumed that no or little calories is a good thing and that it aids in weight loss, yet a new study suggests that using artificial sweeteners could actually make you gain weight.

The study, which was conducted by scientists at Purdue University, studied rats that were given food with natural glucose and food sweetened with saccharin. The study found that the rats that ate food sweetened with saccharin went on to eat more food, consume more calories, and put on more body fat and weight than those who ate the naturally sweetened food.

How is this possible? The researchers determined that the body may prompt itself to get ready to take in a lot of calories when it tastes sweet food. When the body does not get these calories it decides to eat more and expends less energy. The researchers believe this is a natural bodily process that gets interrupted by artificial, no (or low) calorie sweeteners. Not only do these sweeteners prompt the body to eat more, but they do not offer any nutritive qualities, which can also lead to overeating in an attempt to consume nutrients.
While the food industry has criticized this study, the researchers believe the data is very clear: artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain.







Alpha Carotene
Alpha lipoic acid
Glutathione
Lutein
Pycnogenol
Resveratrol
Superoxide Dismutase