Study Reveals Potential Risks of Common Sweetener on Hunger and Weight Gain

Researchers at the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute of the University of Southern California recently undertook such a study. Their findings add to an emerging body of research indicating the artificial sweetener Sucralose increases hunger and leads to weight gain. Using highly detailed blood flow sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to examine the effects of Sucralose, Sucrose, and Water on blood flow in the Hypothalamus. This tiny region of the brain is critical in regulating hunger.

This inclusion may have blinded the study to its real goal of revealing how these substances impact cerebral perfusion. More importantly, it looked specifically at their effects on hunger signaling. Participants in the study consumed one of three substances: Sucralose, Sucrose, or Water. These MRI scans made it possible for researchers to watch changes in blood flow in the Hypothalamus after eating each food.

Primary outcomes depicted Sucralose ingestion significantly increases hunger status versus Sucrose and Water. Perhaps less intuitively, this increase in hunger may lead to weight gain in the long term. This last finding is especially important considering that non-caloric sweeteners are prevalent in a large number of food products.

Based on community input, Dr. Ali, a principal investigator in the study, has noticed that. She even returned to her original position, advising her patients to limit their consumption of non-caloric sweeteners.

Considerations of this study’s impact go beyond personal food decisions. Increasing numbers of consumers are looking to artificial sweeteners to control their weight. It’s important to consider how these drugs alter appetite and metabolism. This research is an important contribution to our understanding of how non-caloric sweeteners might actually increase calories consumed and promote weight gain.

The Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute at the University of Southern California continues to explore the complex relationships between diet, brain function, and weight management. As more research is done, these results could lead to a reconsideration of dietary guidelines related to artificial sweeteners.