Sandy KumskovArtificial Sweeters make you fat
February 11th 2008 21:54
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The well-documented and often life-destroying health risks from aspartame aside, US researchers have now found that artificial sweeteners are more likely to make you fat! Imagine that.....
The research was reported in the Courier Mail, Feb 12 2008, page 15; originally reported in Behavioural Neuroscience. The article says that eating food sweetened with saccharine can lead to greater body-weight gain than the same food sweetened with high-calorie sugar, and other artificial sweeteners could have a similar effect, they expect. They think the glucose prompts the body to prepare for more calories - so it activates the digestive system - which the artificial sweeteners do not!
The researchers fed rats yoghurt sweetened with saccharine, and the control group had glucose-sweetened yoghurt. Those who ate the artificially-sweetened yoghurt then ate more food and gained more weight and body fat. (Candace Pert in How to Feel Good reports that over 9000 "foods" currently on the shelves are sweetened with aspartame.)
Not surprisingly, the food industry isn't happy. Their first counter argument was presented by a dietician with the US Calorie Control Council, a body that represents - wait for it - the makers of reduced calorie foods!
The Council says the report oversimplifies the causes of obesity (no kiddng). They say obesity is related to:
- increased portions sizes (probably true)
- physical activity has decreased (true, until it levelled out in the late 80s and has stayed about static since), and
- overall calorie intake has increased (big fat lie! only 60 years ago the average daily calorie intake was around 5000 per day!! it's now around 2200!)
No doubt we'll soon be seeing counter-studies funded by the artificial sweeterner industry, telling us that sugar is bad, it causes diabetes and acne and cavities and and and ........... bets, anyone?
The research was reported in the Courier Mail, Feb 12 2008, page 15; originally reported in Behavioural Neuroscience. The article says that eating food sweetened with saccharine can lead to greater body-weight gain than the same food sweetened with high-calorie sugar, and other artificial sweeteners could have a similar effect, they expect. They think the glucose prompts the body to prepare for more calories - so it activates the digestive system - which the artificial sweeteners do not!
The researchers fed rats yoghurt sweetened with saccharine, and the control group had glucose-sweetened yoghurt. Those who ate the artificially-sweetened yoghurt then ate more food and gained more weight and body fat. (Candace Pert in How to Feel Good reports that over 9000 "foods" currently on the shelves are sweetened with aspartame.)
Not surprisingly, the food industry isn't happy. Their first counter argument was presented by a dietician with the US Calorie Control Council, a body that represents - wait for it - the makers of reduced calorie foods!
The Council says the report oversimplifies the causes of obesity (no kiddng). They say obesity is related to:
- increased portions sizes (probably true)
- physical activity has decreased (true, until it levelled out in the late 80s and has stayed about static since), and
- overall calorie intake has increased (big fat lie! only 60 years ago the average daily calorie intake was around 5000 per day!! it's now around 2200!)
No doubt we'll soon be seeing counter-studies funded by the artificial sweeterner industry, telling us that sugar is bad, it causes diabetes and acne and cavities and and and ........... bets, anyone?
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