Sucralose Might Be the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

A recent study shows that sucralose activates brain regions tied to hunger and food motivation, leaving your body in a state of confusion that increases cravings instead of curbing them
Sucralose alters connections between the hypothalamus and anterior cingulate cortex — brain regions that weigh risks and rewards — leading to stronger urges to eat, especially in women and those with obesity
Unlike sucrose, sucralose failed to increase insulin and GLP-1 — hormones that signal fullness — resulting in a body that thinks it’s eaten but gets no confirmation from key metabolic pathways
Just 10 weeks of sucralose use was enough to trigger gut dysbiosis in healthy adults, with a measurable impact on insulin sensitivity and a rise in inflammation linked to liver and colon issues
Mice fed sucralose at levels considered “safe” were less able to fight infection and cancer due to impaired T cell activation — effects that reversed only after sucralose was removed from their diet

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen
0:06.1	summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe
0:11.2	for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:14.0	If the sweet taste in your daily diet soda actually primes your brain to crave even more food,
0:20.8	would you still
0:21.8	crack the can open? Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, here to guide you
0:29.0	through today's deep dive into sucralose, and why that zero-calorie label isn't helping you.
0:34.7	And I'm Alaraskai. Together, we're unpacking research showing how sucralose,
0:39.7	often sold as Splenda, may be pushing your hunger into overdrive, disturbing your gut, and even
0:45.6	dulling your immune defenses. If you've been leaning on artificial sweeteners to control weight,
0:50.9	you'll want to stay with us. Let's start with the headline finding.
0:55.1	Scientists at the University of Southern California scanned volunteers' brains after they drank
1:00.1	water, table sugar, or sucralose.
1:03.4	The sweetener switched on regions tied to hunger and motivation, your hypothalamus and reward
1:08.4	circuits, without delivering calories.
1:10.5	That mismatch left participants physiologically primed to eat more.
1:15.0	The study followed 75 adults aged 18 to 35,
1:19.0	spanning lean to obese. Each person visited three times and received a different beverage at each visit.
1:25.2	Functional MRI tracked brain blood flow, while blood
1:28.7	tests measured insulin and gLP1, hormones that normally tell you you're satisfied. After the sucralose
1:35.2	drink, insulin and gLP1 barely moved. Your brain got the sweetness signal, but your metabolism never
1:41.9	received confirmation that fuel arrived.
	...

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