Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
USA, Mar 29th.- The sweeteners influence the signs of appetite, causing it to eat more: this is what a study suggests, carried out by specialists from the University of Southern California and published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
According to the study, compared to sugar, sucralose consumption, a substitute for widely used sugar, increases the activity of the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates appetite and body weight.
Sucralose also changes the way the hypothalamus communicates with other regions of the brain, including those involved in motivation.
About 40 percent of Americans regularly consume sugar substitutes, usually to reduce calories or sugar intake.
Led by Kathleen Alanna Page, specialists testified if sucralose changes brain activity, hormone levels and hunger.
For the study, the researchers evaluated the reaction of 75 participants after consuming water, a sucralose-drenched drink or a drink sweetened with normal sugar.
Brain scans were performed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), blood samples and hunger assessments before and after consuming the drinks.
Sucralose increased hunger and hypothalamic activity, especially in obese people.
In addition, it changed the way the hypothalamus communicates with other regions of the brain.
Unlike sugar, sucralose does not increase the amount of certain hormones in the blood that create the feeling of satiety.
The results show how sucralose confuses the brain by providing a sweet taste without the expected calorie energy, Page explains.
This "disaster" could even trigger changes in desire and food behavior. (Text and Photo. Cubasi)
