The Skinny on Artificial Sweeteners: Do They Really Help You Lose Weight?

Many Americans who are trying to lose weight buy low-calorie "diet foods" containing sugar substitutes. Supermarket aisles are filled with soda, juice, yogurt, ice cream and other products made with artificial sweeteners. But do diet foods really help you lose weight?

The use of artificial sweeteners is on the rise, but Americans still are getting heavier. Why? If you don't exercise more, reduce portion sizes and eat fewer processed foods, using sugar-free products is not a magic bullet. In fact, using sugar substitutes can give dieters a false sense of security.

A study in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation points this out. Research showed that people who drank more than one diet soda a day were just as likely to have metabolic syndrome as those who drank regular soda. This syndrome is a risk factor for heart disease. Its symptoms include high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, plus a large waistline.

More research is needed to understand these results. Some nutrition experts cite the following possible theories:

Eating sugar substitutes keeps the taste of sugar "alive" in your system. While you are not actually eating sugar, it tastes like sugar to your body. Some theories suggest this causes you to crave sugar and sweets.

People who drink/eat a lot of sugar-free products often neglect wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. Instead, they favor processed foods. They order a diet soda, only to indulge in a rich dessert. Others enjoy their morning cup of coffee with skim milk, artificial sweetener and a frosted donut.

Sugar-free doesn't always mean calorie-free. You can easily take in too many calories by eating too much of a diet food. One popular sugar-free cookie brand has 0 grams of sugar, but 150 calories, 8 grams of fat and 19 grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Sugar-free does not mean healthy. Diet soda, puddings, cakes, cookies, coffee drinks, gelatin and frozen yogurt are popular sugar-free foods, but have no real nutritional value.

Drinking non-caloric sweeteners may confuse the body's ability to regulate hunger and fullness. Your body tastes something sweet and expects the calories to come with it. If the diet product doesn't satisfy your hunger, though, you may try to make up for these calories later. Early research suggests that diet drinks can actually stimulate hunger.

So, what's a dieter to do?
Take a close look at your eating patterns and ask yourself:

• Does your meal plan include a lot of sugar substitutes, but lack fruits, veggies and other wholesome foods?
• Do you eat/drink diet foods and constantly crave sugar?
• Do you use sugar substitutes, but still eat other high-fat, high-calorie foods?
• Do you buy sugar-free foods, but ignore calories and serving sizes?

If you answer "yes" to most or all of these questions, then sugar-free foods may be interfering with your journey to better health and weight loss. If so, try cutting back on sweeteners and let your taste buds adjust to foods that aren't as sweet.

Artificial sweeteners have a place as part of a nutritious eating plan, but they are not the key to health and weight loss. Remember, there is no sugar substitute for sensible eating and regular exercise.

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External Sources Davidson TL, Swithers SE. A Pavlovian approach to the problem of obesity. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 2004;28:933-935. Dhingra R, Sullivan L, Jaques P, et al. Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults in the community. Circulation. 2007;116:480-488. Accessed September 10, 2007.

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