Hello and this week I've got some new research

and this week I've got some new research on

artificial sweeteners and how they may affect sugar metabolism,

and also some tips on how to use non-caloric sweeteners safely if you choose to.

Artificial sweeteners like Splendah and Equal were once seen as a calorie

counter's best friend. I mean you can drink all the sweet tea or lemonade or soda that you want

without ingesting a single calorie or a gram of sugar.

You can even eat pudding, ice cream, yogurt, baked goods, and other desserts sweetened

with sugar-free substitutes. And yet the proliferation

of more and more sugar-free foods and beverages doesn't seem to have made even a dent

in the obesity epidemic. I tackled this paradox in one of the very first

nutrition diva episodes way back in 2008. And back then we still weren't sure whether there was something about artificial

sweeteners that directly promoted weight gain. Scientists wondered for example

whether artificial sweeteners might backfire by causing cravings for other sweets or an increased

appetite that would lead you to consume more calories. Early studies in rats seem to

support this theory, but so far results in human trials have been

mixed. Alternatively, it could have been more of a behavioral phenomenon. For example,

it could be that using artificial sweeteners gives people a false sense of security that then leads them to over-consume other foods.

You know, the old, I'm having a diet Coke, so go ahead and supersize those fries effect.

This much is clear. Artificial sweeteners do not automatically lead to weight loss or prevent weight gain.

Among the people who use non-coloric

sweeteners, the only ones who seem to consistently lose or maintain their

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