Artificial Sweetners Make you Crave Sugary Treats

Substituting a soda with artificial sweeteners for a sugary beverage can help lower calorie intake, but there’s no evidence it helps you keep off the pounds in the long-term, a recent review of hundreds of studies on non-calorie sweeteners, appetite and food intake published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated.
Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children’s Hospital in Boston, cites animal studies that suggest consuming diet drinks alone (not with food) can confuse or disrupt the body’s ability to determine calorie content based on sweetness. As a result, the hyped-up sugar receptors could increase hunger and food intake, and contribute to weight gain. People would crave more high-calorie sweet foods and fewer healthful, less sweet foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Also, other research suggests possible links between diet soda and metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, kidney problems, and preterm delivery, it’s prudent if you’re more than an occasional diet soda consumer to curb intake.

Source: msnbc.com