NPR

Artificial Sweeteners Don't Help People Lose Weight, Review Finds

It's easy to think that artificial sweeteners are a health win. But a review of research finds that there's no evidence they help people lose weight, and they may be associated with other problems.
What seems like an obvious choice to lose weight doesn't look so obvious based on available data. / Sharon Pruitt / EyeEm / Getty Images

The theory behind artificial sweeteners is simple: If you use them instead of sugar, you get the joy of sweet-tasting beverages and foods without the downer of extra calories, potential weight gain and related health issues.

In practice, it's not so simple, as a review of the scientific evidence on non-nutritive sweeteners published Monday shows.

After looking at two types of scientific research, the authors conclude that there is no solid evidence that sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose help people manage their weight. And observational data suggest that the people

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Federal Prosecutors Request 40-year Sentence For Man Who Attacked Pelosi's Husband
Prosecutors are asking a judge to impose a 40-year prison sentence for the man who broke into ex-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home seeking to hold her hostage and attacked her husband.
NPR4 min read
New 'Doctor Who' Star Ncuti Gatwa Feels 'Sad' For Critics Of Show's Diversity
Gatwa is the first Black man and the first person born outside the U.K. to play The Doctor. He's candid about how his own life has influenced his take on the role — and about his critics.
NPR11 min read
Kenya's Samburu Boys Share A Sacred Bond. Why One Teen Broke With The Brotherhood
After initiation rites – including circumcision – the boys leave their families to take charge of the herds, driving them high into the mountains. It's a way of life that climate change is testing.

Related Books & Audiobooks