NPR

Artificial Sweeteners Don't Help People Lose Weight, Review Finds

It's easy to think that artificial sweeteners are a health win. But a review of research finds that there's no evidence they help people lose weight, and they may be associated with other problems.
What seems like an obvious choice to lose weight doesn't look so obvious based on available data. / Sharon Pruitt / EyeEm / Getty Images

The theory behind artificial sweeteners is simple: If you use them instead of sugar, you get the joy of sweet-tasting beverages and foods without the downer of extra calories, potential weight gain and related health issues.

In practice, it's not so simple, as a review of the scientific evidence on non-nutritive sweeteners published Monday shows.

After looking at two types of scientific research, the authors conclude that there is no solid evidence that sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose help people manage their weight. And observational data suggest that the people

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