Artificial zero-calorie sweeteners like sucralose may be more than just a sugar substitute – they could be changing how our brains work when it comes to hunger control. New research suggests that consuming sucralose can lead to increased hunger and alter brain activity, particularly in people with obesity.
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California found that drinking sucralose triggered heightened brain activity in the hypothalamus, the area responsible for regulating appetite, compared to sugar consumption. The team also discovered that sucralose enhanced connectivity between the hypothalamus and other brain regions linked to motivation and decision-making.
This “mismatch” between sweet taste and caloric energy could lead to long-term shifts in cravings and eating behavior. If the body expects a calorie but doesn’t get one, it may prime the brain to crave those substances over time. The study’s corresponding author, Dr. Kathleen Alanna Page, warned that this could change the way the brain is primed to crave certain substances.
While sugar consumption spikes blood sugar levels and triggers hormone responses that regulate hunger, sucralose had no impact on these hormones. In fact, the differences in hormone responses to sucralose compared to sugar were more pronounced in participants with obesity.
The study raises important questions about whether artificial sweeteners are an effective tool for weight management. As one-third of US adults and nearly 1 in 5 children and adolescents are considered obese, understanding the potential link between calorie-free sweeteners and hunger control is crucial. Further research is needed to track body weight and eating habits to better understand this connection.
In the meantime, researchers have launched a follow-up study to explore how calorie-free sweeteners affect developing brains in children and adolescents. The findings of this study could provide critical insight into whether artificial sweeteners are leading to changes in these vulnerable populations.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/03/29/health/your-zero-calorie-sweetener-is-changing-how-your-brain-works