On some mainstream diet programmes people are ‘allowed’ to drink unlimited amounts of sugar-free diet drinks. People often use them to curb cravings and to try to avoid eating. But do diet drinks actually help us lose weight? Well it seems that there is little difference between diet drinks and their high sugar cousins when it comes to weight.
Studies show that diet drinks can still cause excess weight gain and contribute to the development of fatty liver – just like sugar-sweetened drinks do. It is possible that the sweet taste in your mouth from sweeteners triggers insulin release in the same way that sugar does. High insulin levels then predispose us to store fat. Researchers suggest that artificial sweeteners could ‘trigger compensatory food intake by stimulating sweet taste receptors’. In essence making us crave sugary foods even more.
There is some suggestion that artificial sweeteners can alter our gut bacteria and this can go on to influence our metabolism, cravings and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disorder. Our gut microbes are an important factor in our weight loss journey. The composition of these bugs have the power to determine whether we are lean or overweight.
My concern as a clinical nutritionist is that even if diet drinks work as a temporary strategy to help you lose weight. There is a strong likelihood that the metabolic disturbance they create could make weight loss an intangible goal in the longer term.
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