Researchers Make A Weight-Loss Case For Sugar Substitutes

A British review of published studies on artificial sweeteners – i.e., saccharin, aspartame, sucralose and stevia – has found that their use in place of sugar reduces caloric intake and helps people lose weight. For the study, 12 clinical trials, 228 comparative human intervention studies, and 90 animal studies were analyzed. The researchers found that comparisons of the dietary impact of artificially-sweetened drinks and water, for example, showed that they did not increase appetite, as some scientists have argued. Instead, artificially-sweetened beverages reduced weight more than water, perhaps because they may be an easier dietary change to make than switching to water.