Are you aiming to decrease your sugar intake? You may be tempted to turn to artificial sweeteners as your option of choice. They are sweet, low or no calories at all and are sugar free. These traits make an irresistible offer for your cabinet or refrigerator, but there’s more to artificial sweeteners than you’ve probably been told.
Artificial sweeteners, also known as synthetic sugar substitutes, are much sweeter than regular refined sugar. They may be derived from natural herbs or sugar itself, and are used in a variety of products that we use every day. Although artificial sweeteners have been touted for their ability to help you manage weight-loss and diabetes, there’s another side of the story that can be detrimental to your health. Here are some things you should know about artificial sweeteners before adding them to your grocery list.
The debate over artificial sweeteners
Some researchers aren’t buying into all of the hype swirling around artificial sweeteners. They believe that these products only make you hungrier, since the sweet stuff confuses the brain and fails to activate the food reward pathway needed to make you feel full. However, recent studies don’t support this claim.
While there’s much debate over whether artificial sweeteners can cause cancer, negative gut health and unhealthy blood sugar numbers, there seems to be a consensus among many: It may deceive the mind. Research shows that these alternative sweeteners may hinder our ability to associate sweetness with calorie consumption, leading to higher sweet cravings that can increase weight gain over time. But, if you try to eliminate artificial sweeteners overnight, you may run into some resistance. Animal studies have shown artificial sweeteners to be addictive.
Watch out for these artificial sweeteners
It can be tempting to run straight to artificial sweeteners to curb your sugar cravings. Nonetheless, your body may not respond to this well–especially if you increase your intake of them just because you believe it’s healthier. Before purchasing artificial sweeteners, read the labels carefully to better understand what you are putting into your body.