Artificial
sweeteners could impair the body's natural ability to count calories
and regulate body weight, a U.S. study reported Tuesday.
Purdue University researchers said the study
results could explain why a growing number of people in the United
States lack the natural ability to limit their food intake and body
weight as the consumption of artificially sweetened foods has
dramatically increased in the past 25 years.
"The body's natural ability to regulate food
intake and body weight may be weakened when this natural relationship
is impaired by artificial sweeteners," Terry Davidson, an expert in
behavioral neuroscience, said in a statement.
"Without thinking about it, the body learns
that it can use food characteristics such as sweetness and viscosity to
gauge its caloric intake. The body may use this information to
determine how much food is required to meet its caloric needs," he
said. The loss of the body's ability to count calories could also lead
to increased food intake and subsequent weight gain, especially among
people who don't count calories on their own, the researchers said.
United Press International.