Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - Sweeteners and weight loss

Low-carb sweeteners, the best and the worst 4-29-19 [ dietdoctor.com ]

excerpt:

Negative effects of all sweeteners

Note that while the sweeteners to the left above have minimal direct effects on blood sugar and insulin levels, they may still have other potential negative effects.

All sweeteners can maintain cravings for sweet foods.3 Also, when added to foods – such as muffins or yogurt – they may result in a significantly increased feeling of reward when eating. So by adding sweeteners to your foods you’re increasing the risk that you’ll end up eating more than you need. This can slow down weight loss, or cause weight gain.

The question marks by the sweeteners labeled as “zero” indicate that although they appear to have no effects on blood glucose and insulin, their impact on obesity, diabetes, gut health, and long-term risk for metabolic or cardiovascular disease is not yet known. More research is needed.4

This means that all sweeteners, including the non-caloric ones above, may have potentially negative effects. If you’re able to, you may be better off just avoiding all of them. Note that on a low-carb diet cravings for sugary foods tend to decrease over time, making it easier and easier to avoid them.5

However, most people enjoy something sweet once in a while. If this is true for you, we suggest trying to do it only occasionally. Keep reading to learn more, including how to make better-informed choices.