The message for us to cut back on sugar is loud and clear. The average American eats more than 70 pounds of it per person, per year. For many, the solution to cut back is a simple one: Swap sugar-filled beverage and food choices with calorie-free, artificially sweetened options. The American Heart Association suggests replacing sugary foods and beverages with artificial sweeteners as a way “to limit calories and achieve or maintain a healthy weight.”
Artificial sweeteners lend sweetness without adding extra calories, but they may not be as beneficial as you’d think. Here are three reasons to think twice before chucking back a can of diet pop:
您对人造甜味剂没有完全满意
There’s a growing body of evidence to support the idea that people who consume artificial sweeteners may actually end up consuming more calories than those who don’t.Researchers at Yale University School of Medicinediscovered that artificial sweeteners don’t signal the release of dopamine, an appetite-controlling hormone. Dopamine is a reward-signaling chemical, meaning it leaves us with feelings of fullness and satisfaction. Artificial sweeteners don’t satisfy the appetite with calories, says Dr. David Ludwig, professor of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. Diet soda might quench your thirst and your immediate craving for something sweet, but it won’t reduce your appetite. Artificial sweeteners may trick the body into thinking it’s about to receive more calories than it actually does, causing people to then compensate for lack of satiety with more food later in the day.
YOU DEVELOP A HYPERACTIVE SWEET TOOTH
此外，频繁使用人造甜味剂“可能会限制对更复杂口味的容忍度”，Ludwig解释说。考虑一下：人造甜味剂比糖甜200至600倍。您吃的越多，您的身体就越开始渴望这些超甜食物，因为您对甜味产生了更高的耐受性。随着时间的流逝，全谷物产品，水果和蔬菜等健康食品会失去光泽。即使是天然甜食（思考：胡萝卜，苹果，甜菜），对于那些定期食用人为甜食的人来说，味道几乎没有甜美，也不令人满意。
您可能会以不利的方式改变肠道细菌
去年，一组以色列科学家发现，人造甜味剂（包括阿斯巴甜，三氯蔗糖和糖精）可能会导致肥胖和糖尿病，因为它会破坏肠道微生物组。一系列细菌，有助于消化食物，吸收营养并保持消化系统的内衬。它们影响我们的肥胖风险，调节我们的免疫系统，并为我们提供有价值的营养。
Thestudy看着微生物组，发现人造甜味剂破坏了小鼠消化系统的细菌平衡，增加了血糖并增强了触发脂肪储存的某种肠道细菌的生长。与假糖无关的卡路里，没有什么可消化的，因此它们直接进入肠道，影响了数百万居住在那里的微生物。尽管研究的作者警告发现这些发现是初步的（毕竟，老鼠的行为不像人和结果并不一定反映了人类发生的事情），但许多科学家现在对人造甜味剂对人类微生物组的影响感兴趣。
那么什么是外卖？
尽管人造甜味剂可能时不时地为您节省了一些卡路里，但重要的是要查看包含整个甜味剂的食物和饮料的类型。大多数人都经过高度处理，例如苏打水和包装的零食食品。
Foods that replace sugar with artificial sweeteners may have fewer calories and appear to be healthier, but are not as healthy as you’d think. Look at the entire package. Stick to wholesome, hearty foods, and satisfy your sweet tooth with foods high in naturally occurring sugar, like fruit and dairy. Sugar-containing foods in their natural form tend to be highly nutritious. You’ll not only be full and satisfied, but you’ll also benefit from the fiber, protein and calcium inherent to these whole foods.
Still stuck on sweet? Some have more difficulty shaking their sweet tooth than others. Rather than switch to artificially sweetened foods, take a new approach with some of your traditionally sweetened favorites:
Oatmeal:去咸！顶部钢丝燕麦，配以奶油荷煮的鸡蛋，新鲜的西红柿和切成丁的鳄梨。
咖啡：Try a cold brew. It has a much cleaner flavor, so there’s less need to temper bitterness with sugar. Or choose a flavored coffee grind, like vanilla or hazelnut with a splash of half-and-half or almond milk.
Yogurt:Stir a tablespoon of nut butter into plain yogurt and top with naturally sweetened fresh fruit.
