Low- and no-calorie sweeteners (both natural and artificial) are commonly used t
ID: 3482636 • Letter: L
Question
Low- and no-calorie sweeteners (both natural and artificial) are commonly used to enhance the flavor of low-calorie "health" foods. However, it has been shown that individuals that drink only diet soda have greater problems with weight control then individuals who drink regular soda. Thinking about the biology of hormonal feedback and gustation, describe why such non-nutritive sweeteners might paradoxically promote weight gain and obesity in individuals that ingest them regularly. (Maximum 300 words)Explanation / Answer
Our body senses sweetness of food and calorie intake. With non nutritive sweeteners the calorie intake is nil, so the body tends to crave more and more of calories and ends up in eating more. That us it causes disruption of relationship between sweet taste perception and calorie intake. Further it changes cognitive and behavioral pattern, leading to greater energy uptake following saved calories from NNS. It induces less central reward than sugar thus leading to seek more palatable food.
Repeated exposure to a flavor trains flavor preference. For instance, person who changed from whole milk to skimmed one might feel whole milk heavy after getting used to skimmed milk. But in case of NNS usage, never we get a chance to consume less sweeter food.
NNS Binds to sweet taste receptors in beta cells leading to direct stimulation of insulin. Sweet taste receptors also affect glucagon like peptide, gastric Inhibitory peptide.
Thus artificial sweeteners tend to increase weight rather than losing and can lead to metabolic disturbances.
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