Naturе: Sugar substitutes increase activity of appetite regulating part of brain

Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that the artificial sweetener sucralose increases the activity of the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates appetite and body weight. The results of the study are published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

In the experiment, 75 participants were asked to consume two beverage options - water sweetened with regular sugar and sucralose. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is 400-600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It is widely used in food production.

Before and after drinking the beverages, the volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain, gave blood samples, and reported how hungry they felt. The results showed that sucralose increased hunger and activity in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that plays a key role in controlling eating behavior. This effect was particularly pronounced in obese people.

According to the scientists, sucralose “confuses the brain”, providing a sense of sweetness without the expected energy value. The researchers also confirmed that sugar consumption led to an increase in blood hormone levels and the hormones that regulate it, including insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Sucralose did not have a similar effect.

“The body uses these hormones to tell the brain about calorie intake and reduce feelings of hunger,” explained Kathleen Alanna Page, co-director of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

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