Artificial sweeteners – do they really help you to lose weight?

Millions of people use artificial sweeteners, both knowingly in their morning coffee and, maybe less aware, when they consume any one of an enormous range of foods and drinks containing them (including ice cream, cakes, yoghurt and, especially, soft drinks).

Discovered more than a century ago, these low-calorie (and no-calorie) products are supposedly very useful when used to replace sugar in weight loss diets. But do they really help you to lose weight?

Some studies show that drinks containing artificial sweeteners may alter the perception of hunger in your brain and might even lead to your eating more than usual.

As dieticians suggest, whether or not you lose weight by replacing your sugar intake with an artificial sweetener depends partly on what else you eat, how much you eat in total, and your lifestyle in general. Like most things, moderation appears to be the key.