Artificial Sweeteners Can Keep Check On Calories

Substituting fake sweeteners into your diet can help you reduce your intake of calories and sugar which are the major contributing factors in America's hefty obesity epidemic.  

The researchers from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association have come out with an astounding finding. For people who run away from sugary cakes and beverages will be delighted to know that non-nutritive sweeteners has the potential to help people reach and maintain a healthy body weight and help people who are fighting diabetes and glucose control.

Substituting fake sweeteners into your diet can help you reduce your intake of calories and sugar which are the major contributing factors in America's hefty obesity epidemic.  But whether or not replacing real sugar with the fake stuff actually works to help you shed the pounds in the long run is "limited and inconclusive."

According to the American Heart Association, most of the women consume no more than 100 calories per day and men no more than 10 calories per day of added sugars.  These items  not only activate problems like obesity and triglycerides for coronary heart disease but also the foods and beverages high in added sugar tend to displace nutritious foods and with high calorie count and dropping level of nutritional value.

According to Christopher Gardner, lead author, associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, said, "While they are not magical bullets, smart use of non nutritive sweeteners could help you reduce added sugars in your diet, therefore lowering the number of calories you eat. Reducing calories could help you attain and maintain a healthy body weight, and thereby lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes."

According to co-author Diane Reader, RD, of the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis, Minn, "some people might clearly benefit from drinks and foods that replace sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners. For example, soft drinks sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners do not increase blood glucose levels, and thus can provide a sweet option for those with diabetes. Just because a food product includes a non-nutritive sweetener" does not mean that it is healthy."

Researchers conclude saying that, people who are trying to monitor and reduce the intake of calories or added sugar, it is very important to pick the correct diet products. Strategies for reducing calories and added sugars also involves choosing foods which have no added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners - such as vegetables, fruits, high-fiber whole grains, and non- or low-fat dairy.

The researchers noted that the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners has to be considered in the context of the overall diet.