Why You Should Cut Back on Artificial Sweeteners
By Sara Butler
Artificial sweeteners seem like a gift. After all, sugar isn't good for you and being able to enjoy some sweet treats while avoiding added sugar seems as if it's the way to go. Even the American Heart Association says that replacing sugary drinks and foods with artificially sweetened food and drink is a great way to achieve a healthy weight. Of course, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is. Here are a few reasons why you may want to watch how many artificial sweeteners you have in a day due to the ways they can impact your health and wellness.
Artificial Sweeteners Don't Satisfy
Research is starting to shed light on the fact that people who eat or drink a lot of foods with artificial sweeteners consume more calories over the course of the day than those that don't. They simply don't trigger the part of your brain that leaves you feeling satisfied and full. Plus, artificial sweeteners may trick your body into thinking it's getting ready to receive a lot of calories when it's really getting none at all, which can make you eat more food to make up for it.
The moral of the story? It's difficult to trick your body!
Artificial Sweeteners Send Your Sweet Tooth into Overdrive
You develop a taste for the intense sweetness of artificial sweeteners. This may limit your tolerance for other tastes, including natural sugar. That's right, at about 600 times sweeter than sugar, artificial sweeteners make your body crave super sweet foods and over time, healthy foods such as fruit simply don't do.
Artificial Sweeteners Are Good for Your Gut
Researchers in Israel discovered recently that artificial sweeteners actually contribute to higher rates of diabetes and obesity by disrupting the balance of the microbes that live in your gut. Your gut microbiome is a delicate balance of bacteria that helps you to digest your food, maintain a healthy lining in the gut, and absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. Artificial sweeteners boost the growth of bacteria that trigger fat storage. While the conclusions drawn from the study need further examination, understand that you may be disturbing the bacteria in your gut with artificial sweeteners.
Just as with other things, artificial sweeteners have their place. As long as you're aware of the ways they can impact their health and try to limit them, then enjoy them in moderation.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.