Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners like acesulfame, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose give the sweetness of sugar with virtually none of the calories. Most people who use artificial sweeteners or choose foods or beverages made with them do so because they want to lose weight. And for a lot of people, they do help. But some research suggests that the use of artificial sweeteners may actually promote weight gain.

Artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than table sugar. People who use these sweeteners often may desensitize themselves to sweetness. If that happens, they may find healthful but not–so–sweet foods such as fruits and vegetables unappetizing by comparison.

Calories removed from the diet by swapping sugar for sweeteners may re–enter in the form of refined carbohydrates (like those found in crackers, chips, pastries, and the like) and unhealthy saturated and trans fats.