Artificial Sweeteners Send "Full Signals" to the Brain

Since artificial sweeteners are carbohydrate-free, we've assumed that they don't have any effect on the body's abilitiy to handle glucose. There's some new evidence that these sweeteners can trigger the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), according to new research. GLP-1 is secreted from the digestive tract to signal the brain that it is "full."

"In light of the large number of indivduals using artificial sweeteners on a daily basis, it appears essential to carefully investigate the associated effects on metabolism and weight," says Dr Rebecca J Brown from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Brown's team tested 22 healthy-weighted young adults on two glucose tests. These tests involved drinking a sugary beverage after fasting for several hours. Ten minutes before consuming the beverage, participants drank either 2/3 of a diet soda containing an artificial sweetener or an equivalent amount in carbonated water.

The blood glucose levels remained the same in both cases but the researchers discovered that test subjects secreted significantly more GLP-1 when they drank the diet soda over carbonated water.

What does this all mean? Researchers aren't exactly sure but the fact that the effect occurred with less than a full serving of diet soda suggests it "may be relevant in daily life” and can be used as a weight loss tool. The findings are interesting and much more research is needed to understand the significance of enhanced GLP-1 secretion on weight loss and overall health before making any conclusions.