Families trying to do their best often turn to sugar-free alternatives or use sweeteners thinking they have made the right choice for their health. However, a new study has revealed the effect of sucralose, a common sugar substitute, on our brains may be far more intense than we thought.
The [USC study](https://keck.usc.edu/news/calorie-free-sweeteners-can-disrupt-the-brains-appetite-signals/), published in the Nature Metabolism journal, took 75 adult participants and did a variety of tests including MRIs after giving them different types of drinks. It found that sucralose increased hunger and hypothalamus activity, with obese people being particularly susceptible to this influence.
After these staggering findings, the researchers are pushing for more studies looking at how this might impact children specifically. Corresponding author, Kathleen Alanna Page, MD, director of the USC Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute rang the alarm.
“Are these substances leading to changes in the developing brains of children who are at risk for obesity? The brain is vulnerable during this time, so it could be a critical opportunity to intervene,” she warned.
In the study, sucralose was found to increase hunger, especially in people with obesity. It also affected how the hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible for things like appetite, communicated with the rest of the brain.
Connections with the areas of the brain controlling motivation, sensory processing and decision-making were particularly affected. This could mean sucralose has a role in changing the foods we crave and whether we give into these cravings or not.
Page explained that the issue with this sweetener may be that it works so well it confuses the brain. Sucralose is promoted for its combination of zero-calories and a sweet taste mimicking calorie-dense sugar.
She explained: “If your body is expecting a calorie because of the sweetness, but doesn't get the calorie it's expecting, that could change the way the brain is primed to crave those substances over time.” Essentially, sucralose may be telling your brain what to eat but not telling your appetite controllers, like insulin, that you have already eaten.
The researchers highlighted that there’s still a lot of unexplained questions around this topic, including the long-term effects and how it could impact different demographics. This study already found that female participants had greater changes in brain activity, suggesting it could affect sexes differently.
The experts have already begun follow-up studies exploring how these sweeteners affect the brains of young people and children. This age group is already known to consume more sugar and sugar substitutes than any other.