Can Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain?

There has been a long running debate about whether artificial sweeteners cause weight gain. And the answer is “YES!”

Not only do they cause weight gain but they also contribute to several other metabolic disorders. These are the findings of the researchers at the University of Manitoba’s George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation. (Try fitting that on a business card.)

They reviewed 37 studies that where done over the last 10 years or more. These studies documented the results from over 400,000 participants who used artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and stevioside. They were able to document that artificial sweeteners had a negative impact on:

Metabolism

Gut Microbiome

and Appetite.

Additionally, their review of the literature clearly showed the following:

Increased risk for weight gain

Increased risk for obesity

Increased risk for high blood pressure

Increased risk for diabetes

Increased risk for heart disease

Increase in waist circumference

Increase in metabolic syndrome

Increase in cardiovascular events

Increase in BMI

Increase in cardiometabolic risk

As you can see by the above list there is nothing positive about drinking and consuming items that contain artificial sweeteners.

This is just the opposite of what has been used to market these types of products as an aid in reducing caloric consumption for weight management.

In an online article from Yahoo Beauty, the study author Meghan Azad states,

“I think most people consuming artificial sweeteners assume these products will help them avoid weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease – and yet we are seeing the opposite association from multiple studies.”

These researchers and others have theorized that the increased risk for weight gain is caused by a craving for other sweet things. This then leads to an increased consumption of higher-calorie foods. Especially since the person eating the artificial sweeteners thinks they are saving on calories, which allows them to consume other higher calorie items.

But we don’t have to theorize anymore. Not if you look at what artificial sweeteners do to a person’s microbiome.

Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain By Changing Your Microbiome

In a recent study done in Israel, scientist took 10-week old mice and fed them a daily dose of aspartame, sucralose or saccharin. The another group of mice were given water laced with one of two natural sugars, either glucose or sucrose.

While most people would assume that the mice given the natural sugars would experience weight gain, just the opposite happened.

After 11 weeks, the mice who consumed natural sugars were fine.

However, the mice who were fed artificial sweeteners experienced abnormally high blood sugar levels that if left unchecked could lead to metabolic disorders like diabetes.

And the microbiome of the mice given the artificial sweeteners experienced a significant shift in their gut bacteria from bacteroidetes to firmicutes. This is significant!

When you look at the microbiome of obese mice and obese humans, they are dominated by firmicutes.

When you look at the microbiome of lean mice and lean humans, they are dominated by bacteroidetes.

According to Jeffrey Gordon, a physician and biologist at Washington University in St. Louis, this relationship between bacteria and obesity is more than just a coincidence. As Dr. Gordon notes:

“more than 90 percent of the bacterial species in the gut come from just two subgroups – Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.”

There have been numerous studies that show when you increase the population of firmicutes over bacteroidetes, there is an increase in weight gain and metabolic disorders.

While there can be multiple factors that cause this change in the microbial community, current research clearly shows how artificial sweeteners can be a significant factor is changing your microbial community. Allowing firmicutes to dominate, which then leads to weight gain through increase fat storage. This then leads to other metabolic diseases.

Bottom Line: stop drinking and eating foods that contain artificial sweeteners.

Especially if you want to reduce your probability for weight gain and improve your gut microbiome.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer