Ditch the sugar and try low-calorie sweeteners to 'improve weight loss,' experts say

Substituting sugar for low-calorie sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and stevia derived substances can improve weight loss, help weight management and improve your mood, according to a new study out of Denmark.

“Our findings support the use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SEs) found in many foods and beverages worldwide as alternatives to sugar-sweetened products to help manage weight control in adults with overweight,” lead author Anne Raben said in a statement.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen spent a year analyzing obese children and adults — those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater — who were placed in two groups.

One group followed a healthy diet with less than 10 percent of energy from added sugar by S&SE, while the other was placed on a healthy diet with less than 10 percent of energy from added sugar, excluding S&SE.

Participants were asked to complete questionnaires at two, six and 12 months to assess the effects of S&SEs on diet satisfaction and measure changes in their weight, BMI by age and risk markers for type 2 diabetes and cholesterol.

In the end, the research showed that adults consuming S&SEs had slightly better weight loss maintenance after one year than the sugar group, with an average weight loss of about 16 pounds compared to 12 pounds.

There was no weight loss difference for the majority of children, but being allowed to consume S&SEs led to lower levels of uncontrolled eating at 12 months.

Those who consumed S&SEs were much more likely to decrease their intake of sugary foods and beverages over time.

The benefits of switching to sweeteners lasted longer than the study.

The positive effects impacted the participants for at least one year after rapid weight loss in adults — without increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, the research found that switching to sweeteners did not impact the markers for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The new research is expected to be shared at The European Congress on Obesity in Venice in May.

“The use of low-calorie sweeteners in weight management has been questioned, in part because of the link between their use and apparent weight gain in observational studies, however, increasingly it is becoming apparent that is not the case in long term studies,” Professor Jason Halford, Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds, said in a statement.

The reputation of S&SEs has fluctuated widely over the years since becoming popular in soft drinks, candy and other junk foods just decades ago. The American Heart Association recently backed a study that found both sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages can increase consumers’ risk of irregular heartbeat and stroke.

Meanwhile, obesity is on the rise worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that the percentage of obese adults more than doubled, from 7% to 16%, from 1990 to 2022.

Experts recommend embracing healthy eating behaviors — such as consuming a well-balanced diet and eating when hungry — rather than attempting to closely control eating.

Diets that aren’t “medically necessary” can “cause people real harm” and spur a “lifelong struggle” with weight, experts warn.