Everyone knows that the consumption of sugary foods can cause weight gain. It’s exactly for this reason why so many rejoiced upon the introduction of artificial sweeteners that contained very few or even zero calories.
However, scientists these days are saying that consuming anything with artificial sweeteners can actually make you gain more weight than when going for foods containing regular sugar.
In fact, a US study revealed that participants who drank 1 to 2 cans of diet soda daily had 65 percent risk of becoming obese in a span of 7 to 8 years, while those who went for regular soda had only 33 percent risk!
There are 3 reasons why the consumption of artificial sweetener-containing foods can make you gain even more unwanted pounds than those that contain regular sugar. They are the following:
- Artificial sweeteners make you crave even more food. Each time you consume anything that’s sweet-tasting, your body expects to get lots of calories. However, artificial sweeteners contain very few calories, some of them actually having no calories at all. When the body is supplied with fewer calories than expected, it makes you feel hungry so that it may get the amount of calories it’s anticipating. In other words, artificial sweeteners can increase your appetite tremendously.
- They make your sweet tooth even sweeter. Did you know that some artificial sweeteners are several hundred times much sweeter than regular sugar? For instance, saccharin can be up to 700 times sweeter! This is why consuming artificial sweeteners on a regular basis can intensify your sweet tooth. For instance, time may come when a thin slice of chocolate cake won’t be enough to please your sweet tooth — you will have to eat much larger slices of it just to have your sweet tooth feel pleased.
- Consuming artificial sweeteners can cause hormonal imbalance. Numerous studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can wreak havoc to the hormones. This is something that can lead to a host of health problems, and those who wish to slim down may only face much bigger problems. It’s for the fact that the body tends to store more fat cells, most especially in problem areas such as the abdomen and thighs. Eliminating them can become extremely challenging, too.
So before you reach for a product that says “sugar-free” or low-calorie” on its packaging, think twice. These products can actually make you gain weight rather than lose unwanted pounds.
Definitely, nothing can beat the long-established way of making your dream figure become a reality, and that is by opting for a healthier diet and getting your regular dose of exercise.
