Zero-Calorie Sweeteners Can Still Make You Gain Weight

Zero-calorie sweeteners like saccharin — the main ingredient in Sweet'N Low  — can still induce weight gain without increasing one's caloric intake or insulin resistance, a new study published in the Appetite journal has found.

The study, which controlled the diets of 16 male rats for 14 weeks, found that rats who ate yogurt sweetened with the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than the rats who ate non-sweetened yogurt, even though the caloric intakes were similar.

The findings, published on Sunday, November 7, suggest that the "sweet taste of saccharin per se" could be responsible for weight gain, and could even be used to induce weight gain on purpose, while limiting caloric values.

The research has yet to be conducted on human subjects, but if you have staunchly avoided real sugar in hopes of staying trim, you might want to reverse course. Unless, that is, you're looking to induce "mild weight gain" without increasing your risk of diabetes.