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Scientists Warn Americans About Hidden Dangers Of Their Favorite Sweetener: 'Aim For A...'

While millions of Americans prefer consuming this sweetener instead of sugar, there's a little-known risk that could cause brain damage.

BY VIDHYA M.

PUBLISHED 3 DAYS AGO

Two women are enjoying sugary treats in their living room. (Representative Cover Image Source: Freepik)

For insects, sweet nectar may be nutritious, but for people, sweet treats and sugary drinks are a sure shot ticket to the hospital as regular consumption leads to obesity, diabetes, poor heart health, and even cancer at times, as per Harvard Health. Thankfully, with widespread awareness, people are now watching out for their sugar intake. But one common mistake many make is consuming artificial sweeteners, thinking they would be the best alternative for sugar, as they contain "zero calories." According to Statista, nearly 141.18 million Americans used sugar substitutes in 2020.

Sugar cubes inside and outside a glass jar. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Suzy Hazelwood)

One of the most popular sweeteners among Americans is sucralose, 600 times sweeter than table sugar, but it contains zero calorific value, as per the FDA. Turns out, despite its zero-calorie advantage, sucralose is a dangerous sweetener that can alter your metabolism, as per a study conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California. This sugar substitute, when consumed, directly impacts your brain's hypothalamus, a region responsible for hormones that control hunger. The study, published in the Nature Metabolism journal, involved 75 participants to analyze the effects of sucralose on the brain, hunger, and hormones, and it's not good news.

A person sprinkling sugar on their dessert. (Representative Image Source: Freepik | KamranAydinov)

The participants were divided into three categories: some of them drank water, some took a sucralose-sweetened drink, and the rest drank a sugar-sweetened drink. Then, when the researchers checked their brain activity, hunger levels, and blood sugar, the results were shocking. People who consumed sucralose felt hungrier, and this effect was worsened if the person was obese. While sugar is bad for health, it does one thing right - it boosts hormones to make you feel full after consuming it. But sucralose never stimulated those hormones, and the participants' brain activity was higher in the part where the hunger-controlling function occurs.

A person using artificial sweetener in their coffee. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Artem Podrez)

The study's author, Kathleen Page, pointed out that the results of the experiment were a clear indication that sucralose was "confusing the brains," impacting its potential to regulate hormones. "Added sugars should constitute less than 10 percent of your total daily calorie intake, and non-caloric sweeteners should not be used as substitutes for sugar. Instead, aim for a diet lower in overall sweetness to promote better metabolic health," Page explained. As sucralose interacts with the hypothalamus, it affects the way this part interacts with other regions of the brain, thus influencing our motivation and decision-making power. In the end, the participants' cravings and eating behavior were affected.

Illustration of a human brain. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Kjpargeter)

"If your body is expecting a calorie because of the sweetness, but doesn't get the calorie it's expecting, that could change the way the brain is primed to crave those substances over time," Page added. Hormones like insulin and GLP-1 tell the brain that your body has consumed enough calories. So, when sucralose failed to trigger these hormones, the brain failed to regulate appetite. Another crucial observation was that the effects of sucralose were more severe in women than in men. Further research will answer the sweetener's influence on children's and adolescents' brains. "The brain is vulnerable during this time, so it could be a critical opportunity to intervene," Page concluded.