From ... in Science Research — May 29, 2025

Sucralose Makes You Hungrier and Disrupts Your Weight Loss Efforts

Around 40% of Americans consume artificial sweeteners daily, usually under the impression that these products help with calorie control. Sucralose, sold under the brand name Splenda, is one example. This product was approved by the U.S. Fo

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nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, processed fruit juices, and gelatins. On the outside, sucralose seems like a perfect solution — it's sweet but has zero calories. However, it could be quietly sabotaging your weight loss goals. According to a recent study, rather than curbing your appetite, sucralose makes you hungrier. Rethinking your relationship with sucralose and other artificial sweeteners is necessary if you're serious about maintaining a healthy weight. If these sweeteners end up making your brain crave more food, then you're stuck in a cycle that undermines your efforts. They're not just ineffective — they could be actively harmful for anyone trying to reduce calorie intake, as the damage is far more widespread.

A study published in Nature Metabolism investigated the effects of sucralose, and whether it helps reduce appetite. Conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, the study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to observe brain activity in real-time. Their goal was to see how the brain responds to sweet taste without actual calories. • The study included diverse participants — The study involved 75 young adults aged 18 to 35 years old, including both men and women, with a range of body compositions. Some were at a healthy weight, while others were either overweight or obese. • Each person consumed a drink sweetened with either sucralose or real sugar on different days — The participants were asked to visit the research center three times. During each visit, they were asked to consume one of three beverages — sucralose, sucrose (table sugar), or water. • The researchers observed how their brains responded — Using MRIs, the researchers observed the brain blood flow of the participants before and after they were given the beverage. They focused on the brain regions involved in hunger,

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reward, and motivation to eat. Blood samples were also taken to measure the hormones associated with hunger and satiety, and the participants were asked to rate their hunger at certain intervals. • Sucralose confuses the brain's satiety signals — It triggered specific areas of the brain that control hunger and food motivation. Simply put, when you eat something sweet, your brain expects food — and energy — to follow. However, when the calories never show up, your brain goes into a state of confusion. So instead of curbing your appetite, sucralose ramps it up. According to Kathleen Page, the study's lead author, "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.”

If you've been relying on sugar-free products thinking they'll help control cravings, this data gives you a better explanation for why those cravings haven't gone away — or have gotten worse. But this isn't your fault. Your brain's responding to a chemical trick, reacting exactly as it was designed to. According to the researchers, they found more connections between sucralose and other areas of the brain that are connected to controlling motivation. • Sucralose affects your decision-making skills — According to Page, “[W]e found increased brain connectivity between the hypothalamus and the anterior cingulate cortex, which controls the risks and rewards of a decision.” • The hypothalamus lit up, signaling increased appetite, but not satisfaction — The study showed that after drinking sucralose, the participants' hypothalamus, an area of the brain that helps regulate appetite and fullness, lit up. But instead of signaling satisfaction, it increased food-seeking behavior.

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• Sucralose affects your hormones differently compared to table sugar — Based on the results of the blood tests, the researchers found that unlike sucrose, sucralose did not increase blood sugar levels as well as levels of insulin and GLP-1. These are hormones that help regulate appetite. “There's no signal, no signal at all,” Page said. “There's a sweetness signal, but there's no hormone signal telling you you're full. Sucralose doesn't have an effect on those hormones.” • Women and individuals with obesity were hit hardest by the effect — Their brains showed greater activity in reward centers, suggesting sucralose made them more responsive to the idea of food. “Women's lateral hypothalamus — a hub linking taste and hunger — lit up twice as strongly as men's after sucralose, suggesting biological sex plays a bigger role in appetite disruption than previously thought,” an article in News-Medical.net said. Page and her team are now working on a follow-up study to investigate how sugar-free sweeteners are affecting the brains of children and young adults, especially since they are more prone to consuming these sweeteners, which are widely used in junk foods, diet sodas and other processed snacks. "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," Page said.

The fact is that no chemically produced artificial sweetener is safe — they all wreak havoc on your health in different ways. Take aspartame, for example. It has a long list of studies detailing harmful effects ranging from seizures, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even Alzheimer's disease. You can read more about it in “ Decades of Research Confirms How Aspartame Harms Your Health .”

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Sucralose, apart from its ability to mess up your brain signals, has been found to be particularly damaging to your gut. • Consuming sucralose induces gut dysbiosis — A 2022 study published in Microorganisms revealed that consuming sucralose — in “amounts, far lower than the suggested ADI” — for just 10 weeks was enough to induce gut dysbiosis and altered glucose and insulin levels in healthy, young adults. • It affects a specific bacteria linked to glucose metabolism — The bacteria most affected belongs primarily to the phyla Firmicutes. These bacteria are centrally involved in glucose and insulin metabolism. • Sucralose leads to gut and liver inflammation — Animal studies suggest the sucralose-altered gut microbiome could be involved in inflammation of the gut and liver, as well as cancer. According to the researchers: “A study in mice showed that sucralose ingestion for six weeks increases the relative abundance of bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes, such as Clostridium symbiosum and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius. Notably, sucralose-induced intestinal dysbiosis also appeared to aggravate azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer in these animals. Likewise, sucralose ingestion resulted in gut dysbiosis and pronounced proteomic changes in the liver of mice, where most of the overexpressed proteins related to enhanced hepatic inflammation.” • Earlier studies also show sucralose's gut-decimating effects — Animal studies as far back as 2008 show that sucralose reduces gut bacteria by 50%, preferentially targeting beneficial bacteria. In fact, consuming as few as seven little Splenda packages is enough to have a detrimental effect on your microbiome. This sweetener also increases the pH level in your intestines and is absorbed into and accumulates in fat tissue.

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This artificial sweetener isn't just altering your brain and hunger signals — it's interfering with your immune system, too. An animal study published in the journal Nature found that sucralose, even at levels considered “safe,” suppressed immune responses. • Sucralose consumption had immunomodulatory effects — The researchers found that mice with either a bacterial infection or a tumor were fed sucralose at “levels equivalent to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) recommended by the European and American food safety authorities.” • This lowered the activation of T cells — These cells play an important role in immune function, in response to either the bacterial infection or cancer. The dampened T-cell function was related to the way sucralose affected the release of intracellular calcium. • Previous studies also suggested this artificial sweetener influences cell membrane fluidity — This means it could interfere with T-cell communication. When the mice no longer consumed sucralose, their T cells began to work normally again. According to the study: “[T]he intake of high doses of sucralose in mice results in immunomodulatory effects by limiting T cell proliferation and T cell differentiation. Mechanistically, sucralose affects the membrane order of T cells, accompanied by a reduced efficiency of T cell receptor signaling and intracellular calcium mobilization.” While stating that humans would be unlikely to consume the levels of sucralose used in this study with “normal” or “moderately elevated” intake, the researchers attempted to spin the immune system suppression as a good thing. They largely brushed off the concerning finding that mice eating sucralose were less able to fight off infection and cancer and noted, instead, that the artificial sweetener could perhaps be developed into a drug for autoimmune disease.

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If you've been using artificial sweeteners like sucralose thinking they'll help you cut calories or manage cravings, it's time to stop. All the research findings, from changes in brain signaling, to hormone disruption, to weakened immune response, point to one thing — sucralose creates more problems than it solves. The fake sweetness confuses your brain, hijacks your hunger signals, and now we know, even weakens your body's defenses. Here's how to start reversing that damage and take back control of your hunger, energy, and overall health. 1. Cut out all artificial sweeteners — Your body needs a break from the confusion. Stop using sugar-free gums, flavored protein powders, diet sodas , and “light” snacks that list sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame potassium on the label. If you have a long history of using artificial sweeteners, be patient — your taste buds and hunger cues need time to recalibrate. Removing the chemical interference is the first step in resetting your metabolism and appetite. 2. Use real, whole foods with natural sweetness to retrain your taste response — I recommend switching to whole fruits with fiber like oranges, apples, or berries, and incorporating them slowly if your gut is sensitive. If you need a sweetener while your body heals, try raw honey or maple syrup in small amounts. Avoid pulp-free juices for now — start with whole fruit or fruit juice with pulp so your gut microbiome has a chance to stabilize. Your body knows how to handle real food. Trust it. 3. Sip dextrose water slowly throughout the day to support energy without confusion — If your gut is severely compromised or you're dealing with fatigue and unstable blood sugar, sipping dextrose water slowly over several hours will help. This gives your brain a clean, easy-to-digest source of glucose that doesn't trigger the same chaos as artificial sweeteners. It's especially helpful if you're transitioning off sucralose and struggling with cravings or low energy. 4. Track your hunger patterns and cravings to rebuild body awareness — Your hunger is shaped by the signals your brain and gut are sending. Start tracking how you feel before and after meals. Do your cravings drop when you eat enough carbs from clean sources? Do you feel more satisfied after real meals? This isn't about counting calories — it's about rebuilding trust with your body. Over time, you'll notice your hunger cues becoming more predictable and less extreme. 5. Support immune function by staying off artificial sweeteners long-term — If you've been getting sick often, feeling tired, or dealing with inflammation, cutting out sucralose will help restore proper immune signaling. Focus on nutrient-dense foods like bone broth, grass fed meats, collagen, fruit, and eggs while avoiding processed “diet” foods. Your immune system responds to what you eat every day. If you're someone who's been stuck in a cycle of cravings, low energy, and confusion about what to eat, you're not alone — and you're not broken. You've just been misled by products that were never designed with your long-term health in mind. Replacing fake sweetness with real nourishment is one of the most powerful things you can do to restore balance and stop fighting your body.

Q: How does sucralose increase hunger instead of reducing it? A: Sucralose tricks your brain by activating the same regions that expect calories after tasting sweetness. When no energy follows, your brain ramps up hunger and food-seeking behavior instead of calming it. Q: Does sucralose affect hormones that regulate appetite and fullness? A: Yes. Unlike real sugar, sucralose fails to trigger insulin and GLP-1 — two hormones that signal satiety — so your body thinks it's eaten but doesn't receive the message to stop eating. Q: What does sucralose do to my gut microbiome? A: Even small amounts of sucralose will induce gut dysbiosis — an imbalance of bacteria linked to poor glucose metabolism, inflammation, and increased risk of liver and colon damage. Q: Does sucralose weaken my immune system? A: Animal studies show that sucralose suppresses T-cell activity, impairing your immune system's ability to fight infection and cancer. The effect reversed once sucralose was removed from the diet. Q: What steps must I take to stop the damage caused by artificial sweeteners? A: Eliminate all artificial sweeteners, retrain your taste with real whole foods, support energy with dextrose water, rebuild hunger awareness, and focus on immune-supporting, nutrient-dense meals to restore balance.

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