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You are standing in front of the drink machine in your office. Should you get the sugar sweetened cola that has about 200 calories or the diet cola with 0 calories? You are watching your weight so you think that the 0 calorie option sounds better. However, what about what you heard recently about low calorie sweeteners causing weight gain?
A group of noted scientists recently got together to look at all of the evidence. Their goal was to answer the question – do low calorie sweeteners cause weight gain? After careful examination of many studies they concluded that using low calorie sweeteners, such as those in diet drinks and other sugar-free products, do not promote weight gain.
There is one word of caution. The scientists did not find any mechanism in our bodies that would cause weight gain when we consume low calorie sweeteners. However, we may overcompensate in what we eat when we use low calorie sweeteners. You choose the diet cola, so you think it is “OK” to then choose a higher-calorie food.
Bottom line – using low-calorie sweeteners in and of themselves do not cause weight gain. Just don’t use them as an excuse to have a candy bar with your diet cola.
For more information on Low Calorie Sweeteners and Weight, visit:
Can diet drinks help with childhood obesity?
REFERENCES
Anderson GH, Foreyt J, Sigman-Grant M, Allison DB. The use of low-calorie sweeteners by adults: impact on weight management. J Nutr. SUBMITTED
Bellisle F, Drewnowski A, Anderson GH, Westerterp-Plantenga M, Martin CK. Sweetness, satiation, and satiety. J Nutr. SUBMITTED
Raben A, Vasilaras TH, Moller AC, Astrup A. Sucrose compared with artificial sweeteners: different effects on ad libitum food intake and body weight after 10 wk of supplementation in overweight subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76(4):721-729.