Effects of Artificial Sweetners: Aspartame & your Appetite Levels
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Some people worry that the artificial sweetener aspartame can increase appetite. This isn't an outlandish speculation,
since aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet, is sweeter than table sugar or sucrose. But several studies have shown that
aspartame doesn't increase appetite, and a new study finds that it may even suppress appetite.
The study, reported in the journal Physiology and Behavior, looked at the effects caused by ingesting capsules filled
with 400 milligrams of aspartame (about as much as is contained in a glass of diet cola). The subjects, 36 young men
and women, were divided into six groups: those who took either the aspartame capsules or a starch placebo five, 30 or
60 minutes before a meal.
Results revealed that aspartame had a significant appetite-suppressing effect on only the 60-minute group, which consumed
18.5% fewer calories than did the placebo unit. Aspartame didn't increase feelings of hunger. This study confirms earlier
findings that associated similar appetite-suppressing effects with taking aspartame about an hour before a meal.
What is the mechanism for this appetite suppression? The authors of the study suggest that aspartame works by promoting
the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone produced in the small intestine. This hormone is known to be a potent appetite
suppressor, and its release is usually stimulated by the ingestion of fat, which partially explains the higher satiety
value of a fat-rich meal.
Another possibility is that the two amino acids that constitute aspartame, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, may jointly
activate satiety receptors located in the intestinal lining. Whatever the mechanism at work, at least you don't have to
worry about aspartame ruining your diet.
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