Most people want to know if the diet sweeteners really help them lose weight. The research shows that artificial sweeteners actually cause weight gain, and with obesity at an all time high, people are finally seeing the connection – especially in our children.
There are numerous ways to lose weight – and keep it off – without using the artificial sweeteners.
Diet Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain
Yes, aspartame can cause weight gain. The body doesn’t recognize aspartame (or any chemical sweetener for that matter) as food, so it’s less likely to satisfy your body’s need for nourishment, which in turn, increases your craving for more food.
- Diet sweeteners stimulate hunger;
- Chemical sweeteners alter insulin;
- Aspartame can change your Cephalic Phase Response;
- Diet drinks stimulate thirst;
- Artificial sweeteners create a craving for simple carbs;
- Eat the right types of carbs, and no weight gain.
Obesity became epidemic after diet sweeteners came on the market. We forget that food portions DO matter, and chemical sweeteners keep you hungry and coming back for more, super-sized portions. Diet food products are teaching our kids unhealthy eating habits.
Research
A survey of people in 2005 found results similar to a Purdue University study on obesity in rats. The survey showed a 41 percent weight gain among people who drank diet soft drinks.
The research shows that artificial sweetener interrupt the body’s ability to regulate and register the amount of calories it has consumed. As a result, metabolism slows down and does not burn as many calories. Then, when your body gets a sweet-tasting food that doesn’t deliver those calories, you overindulge and overeat as a consequence.
The Purdue researchers caution, however, that switching to food and drinks with refined sugar is still no substitute for cutting back on portions and increasing exercise.
Fuel From Natural Sugar
Simple carbs (manmade, diet sugars) pass through the intestinal wall into your bloodstream. This can lead to weight gain, increased fat, and elevated blood sugar that can lead to even further weight gain. So, there is no such thing as a sugar-free carb.
Carbohydrates are the most abundant source of energy found in nature. They are products of plant photosynthesis, which provide the plant’s fuel for life in the form of sugar. When we eat complex carbs, we are eating the plant’s energy, which in turn becomes our energy. Natural sugars are complex carbs as opposed to refined and artificial sugars that are simple carbs.
When we eat the right kind of complex carbs, we are providing our bodies with fuel to perform daily activities. If you are eating a balanced diet with reasonably sized portions, the carbohydrates from natural sugars should not cause weight gain. Unfortunately these days, we are victims of the marketing “fear of carbs and sugar” fad, and the artificial sweetener manufacturers are taking advantage of this with a marketing frenzy.
So, can aspartame and the diet sweeteners cause weight gain? Without a doubt.
