This "Healthy" Sweetener is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted June 14, 2025

Everyone knows that a balanced diet and regular exercise are crucial for maintaining a healthy weight.

But what if the “diet” products you’re using to cut calories make you hungrier, so you eat more?

Well, a shocking new study suggests that a popular artificial sweetener is secretly sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Let’s dig into this disturbing research…

I’ve warned you before about the dangers of artificial sweeteners.

These fake sugars harm gut bacteria and disrupt metabolic processes. So, it’s no surprise they’re linked to various health issues, from headaches to increased cancer risk.

I’ve even cautioned about their questionable weight loss benefits.

Now, a team of scientists has uncovered evidence that one widely used artificial sweetener doesn’t just fail to help with weight loss—it could actively make you hungrier.

The research, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, found that people who consume sucralose (a key ingredient in sugar substitutes such as Splenda) experience significantly increased brain activity in regions involved with appetite control.

Participants in the randomized crossover trial reported feeling hungrier after consuming it compared to regular sugar.

In fact, the study found these “diet” sweeteners could be making you up to THREE TIMES hungrier than if you’d just eaten regular sugar!

So, in other words, the very products marketed to satisfy your sweet tooth to help you lose weight can cause overeating.

While this single study is eye-opening, it also fits into a troubling pattern. A growing body of evidence links diet sodas and other no- or low-calorie foods to weight gain. The evidence has become so compelling that in 2023, the World Health Organization issued an advisory specifically warning against using sugar substitutes to lose weight.

But the new study revealed an even more concerning finding—sucralose appears to affect your decision-making skills. So not only are you hungrier after eating these fake sugars, but your ability to make good choices may also be compromised.

This study wasn’t designed to prove a direct link between overeating and artificial sweeteners. More research is needed to do that. However, the findings are compelling enough that it would be wise to avoid them—despite the FDA’s insistence that they’re safe.

To protect yourself, start here:

• Ditch the diet sodas and artificially sweetened foods
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with moderate amounts of natural sweeteners
• Read ingredient labels carefully, as sucralose is hidden in many “sugar-free” products
• Train your palate to enjoy less sweet foods
• Stay hydrated with water, unsweetened tea, or coffee instead

Artificial sweeteners might seem like a clever shortcut to weight loss, but this research makes it clear that they do more harm than good. Your body deserves better than fake foods that trick your brain and sabotage your goals.

P.S. Artificial sweeteners strike again. (Heart WARNING!)

Source:

Chakravartti, S.P., Jann, K., Veit, R. et al. Non-caloric sweetener effects on brain appetite regulation in individuals across varying body weights. Nat Metab 7, 574–585 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01227-8

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

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