Calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas may gain more
weight than if they drank sugary drinks because of artificial
sweeteners contained in the diet sodas, according to a new
study. A Purdue University study released Sunday in the journal
Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing
the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats
given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie
sweeteners. "There's something about diet foods that changes
your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry," said ABC News'
medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard. Though Savard said more
research needs to be done to uncover more information, the study
does hint at the idea that the sweeteners alter a person's
metabolism. Savard said another recent study, which included
more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed at
least one diet drink a day could increase their chance for
weight gain. In the Purdue study, the rats whose diets contained
artificial sweeteners appeare