A new study finds sucralose, the primary sweetener in Splenda, changes brain activity related to hunger. Researchers say the results could be stronger cravings.
A popular sugar substitute may move the scale, but not in the direction most people expect.
A new study finds sucralose, the primary sweetener in Splenda, may actually increase your appetite and feelings of hunger.
The study included 75 adults who were asked to consume water, a drink sweetened with sucralose and a drink sweetened with regular sugar on different occasions. Researchers collected MRI brain scans, blood samples and hunger ratings after each drink was administered.
They discovered sucralose increased hunger and activity in the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates appetite and body weight.
It also changed the way the hypothalamus communicated with other brain regions involved with motivation.
The senior investigator says these findings suggest sucralose may confuse the brain and trigger changes in eating behavior.
She says, “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.”
Blood tests also revealed that unlike sugar, sucralose had no effect on important hormones like insulin, which tell the brain when you’ve had enough to eat.
The researchers say future studies should explore whether these changes in brain and hormone activity have any long-term effects on a person’s weight.
Source: Nature Metabolism
Author Affiliations: University of Southern California
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