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They've long been used as supposedly healthier substitutes to the real thing in several diet foods and drinks.
But, a new study out of Purdue University, the results of which were published in the Behavioral Science journal, has baffled researchers and nutritionists alike.
Groups of rats were fed yogurt that had been sweetened with either real sugar or saccharin (an artificial sweetener).
After having their dessert first in this Bizzaro-like experiment, the hopped up rats were then presented with a large amount of their normal food.
Contrary to prior and common knowledge, the saccharin "Rat Pack" consumed more overall calories, gained more fat, and put on more weight than the real-sugar rodents.
One theory as to why this would occur goes like so: Sweet foods are generally not very filling and make most people crave more calories, regardless of whether the sweetness comes from real sugar or artificial sweeteners.
So, if you eat a food that contains real sugar, you're getting that same urge to eat more, but, at least you are also getting slightly more satiated from the calories in the sugar.
Now, if you remove the calories from the sugar, as in artificial sweeteners, you are still hungry for more, but your hunger tank is on near empty, so you crave and need even more calories to feel full.
Of course, this all comes down to will power.
If you can restrain yourself from succumbing to this strange paradox, then you will benefit from the lower-calorie sweeteners.
However, if you are a slave to your body's natural cravings, then artificial sweeteners may be counterproductive to your weight-loss goals.
The simplest answer is to avoid sugar (real or fake) as much as possible, and stick to the real best diet foods: fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
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