The brain knows the difference between 'real' and artificial sweeteners

While many of us try to curb the negative effects of a sweet tooth with artificial sweeteners, the brain knows the difference between these ‘energyless’ sweet flavours and ‘real’ sweeteners, a new study has shown.

The research, which was conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine, has found that our pleasure in consuming sweet products is driven to a great extent by the amount of energy it provides: greater reward in the brain is attributed to sugars compared to artificial sweeteners.

“The consumption of high-calorie beverages is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity, even after the introduction of artificial sweeteners to the market,” said Professor Ivan de Araujo, who led the Yale study.

“We believe that the discovery is important because it shows how physiological states may impact on our choices between sugars and sweeteners.

“Specifically, it implies that humans frequently ingesting low-calorie sweet products in a state of hunger or exhaustion may be more likely to ‘relapse’ and choose high-calorie alternatives in the future.

“The results suggest that a ‘happy medium’ could be a solution; combining sweeteners with minimal amounts of sugar so that energy metabolism doesn’t drop, while caloric intake is kept to a minimum.”

The study identified a specific physiological brain signal that is critical for determining choice between sugars and sweeteners. This signal regulates dopamine levels - a chemical necessary for reward signalling in the brain - and only arises when sugar is broken down into a form where it is usable as fuel for cells of the body to function.

Research was performed in mice, using a combination of behavioural testing involving sweeteners and sugars, while measuring chemical responses in brain circuits for reward. The researchers believe the findings are likely to reflect in humans.

“According to the data, when we apply substances that interfere with a critical step of the ‘sugar-to-energy pathway’, the interest of the animals in consuming artificial sweetener decreases significantly, along with important reductions in brain dopamine levels,” said Professor de Araujo.

“This is verified by the fact that when hungry mice - who thus have low sugar levels - are given a choice between artificial sweeteners and sugars, they are more likely to completely switch their preferences towards sugars even if the artificial sweetener is much sweeter than the sugar solution.”

The researchers say that now that they know that dopamine cells are critical in sugar/sweetener choice, they hope to identify the associate receptors and pathways in the brain.

The research was published in The Journal of Physiology.