Artificial Sweeteners

There has been a lot of controversy about artificial sweeteners and weight. The epidemic of childhood obesity has been linked to increased soda consumption. Sodas and sweetened beverages like sports drinks and flavored teas have surpassed white bread as the number one source of calories in the American diet. A six month study done at Children’s Hospital in Boston followed two groups of teenagers. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, compared teenagers who substituted sugar-sweetened beverages for bottled water or artificially-sweetened drinks with teenagers who continued to consume their usual amount of soda and sweetened drinks. The study found that the teenagers that consumed diet soda lost weight and the teenagers that drank normal soda gained weight. The researchers estimated that one 12-oz regular soda per day will lead to about one pound of weight gain in a month.

There is also research that suggests that artificial sweeteners can make you gain weight. Although promoted to help you lose weight, artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal), or saccharin (Sweet’n Low) may interfere with your efforts to lose weight by confusing your body and disrupting hormonal balance. Critics claim that sugar substitutes sabotage the body’s ability to monitor food intake based on a food’s taste. This makes people more likely to overindulge in other foods. People who crave sweets turn to artificial sweeteners as a way of helping their sugar cravings, but they may make the cravings worse. They drink a diet soda and later in the day they are ravenous and craving sweets. Many people find that when they stop using sugar substitutes, their carbohydrate cravings stop.

A 2004 Purdue University study published in the International Journal of Obesity showed that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain in rats. In the study, rats were fed foods with artificial sweeteners. They were compared to a second group of rats that did not receive artificial sweeteners. The rats that consumed artificial sweeteners ate more food overall and gained weight. The rats that were not fed artificial sweeteners did not gain weight. The researchers concluded that artificial sweeteners made the rats gain weight because it was tricking the rats’ brains, stimulating appetite.

Researchers in at the Centre for Advanced Food Studies in Denmark performed a similar study on humans. Two groups of people were fed identical diets in a research setting. The only difference was that one group was served beverages with artificial sweeteners and the other group was served beverages that were sweetened with real sugar. The people who had artificial sweeteners ate more food than the people who had real sugar. Unlike the rats, however, the people who drank beverages with real sugar consumed more calories and gained weight and the people who drank artificially sweetened drinks, lost weight. The overall result of the study was the opposite of the rats. At the end of ten weeks, the people who had artificial sweeteners lost about two pounds and the people who had regular sugar drinks gained about three pounds.

These studies show that when you consume artificial sweeteners, your body craves more food. But humans are not rats. If you can’t judge the calorie content of a particular food based on its sweetness, you are more likely to overeat. This is why it is so important to read the labels. The food industry does more to alter food than just adding artificial sweeteners. Fat free products may cause the same effect. When manufacturers reduce the fat content in foods, they usually increase the sugar to compensate. For example, fat-free ice cream is usually higher in sugar content; sugar-free ice cream is usually higher in fat content. Sugar free or fat free does not mean calorie free and many times the regular counterpart has less calories and tastes better.

It is a problem if you drink more than one or two artificially sweetened beverages on a daily basis. A study presented at the 2005 American Diabetes Association meeting estimates that your risk of being overweight goes up 65% for every diet soda you drink each day. If you consume a lot of artificial sweeteners, you may have increased appetite and are more likely to overeat other foods. Humans have a major advantage over rats. Rats can’t read labels. You have to read labels to find out how many calories are in the food you eat.

There is still a lot of disagreement among experts regarding artificial sweeteners. My recommendation is to limit your consumption of diet drinks to no more than one or two cans per day. I recommend that you drink mostly water or unsweetened, low calorie beverages like iced tea or club soda. If you need to sweeten your coffee or tea, use a little bit of real sugar or honey, just don’t overdo it. Sodas and other sugary beverages have no nutritional value and should be avoided altogether.

Setback for Growth Hormone Treatment

Geref, also known as growth hormone releasing hormone is an agent used for the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency.  I use this medication quite frequently in my medical practice to evaluate patients for this disorder.  Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that the maker of Geref, Serono has made a business decision to discontinue the manufacture of Geref Diagnostic (sermorelin acetate for injection), a drug used to diagnose growth disorders. According to a statement released by Serono, the active ingredient used to produce Geref Diagnostic is no longer being produced. The last day to order samples will be September 30, 2008.

This is a setback for the diagnosis of growth hormone disorders.  Other agents are available, however, in my practice, Geref has been one of the best.

Hormonal Balance

Welcome to the official author blog for Scott Isaacs, M.D.  My philosophy is simple: permanent weight loss through hormonal balance.  My books take the approach of balancing your hormones to help you achieve optimum health and weight management.  More than just diet books, my books teach you about your hormones and show you how you can keep them balanced.

My books include:

Hormonal Balance:  Understanding Hormones, Weight and Your Metabolism

The Leptin Boost Diet:  Unleash Your Fat-Controlling Hormones for Maximum Weight Loss

Overcoming Metabolic Syndrome

A Simple Guide to Thyroid Disorders:  From Diagnosis to Treatment

Hormones are as fundamental as life itself.  All living creatures, as a matter of fact, have hormones.  They are powerful molecules that control your metabolism.  Hormones regulate how much fat you have and where you have it; they control your appetite; they affect your energy level; they influence your mood, your emotions, even your desire to exercise.  Hormones determine the size and strength of your muscles.  And hormones help determine your body weight. 

In my blog, I’ll talk about how to balance your hormones and improve your metabolism, increase your energy level, lower your appetite, and improve your body weight.

What is hormonal balance?  It really depends on who you ask.  If you ask a gynecologist, he’ll tell you it’s the female hormones-estrogen, progesterone and prolactin.  If you ask a urologist, she’ll tell you it’s all about testosterone.  If you ask a diabetologist, he will tell you it’s about balancing your insulin, glucagon and blood sugar. 

An endocrinologist will tell you that hormonal balance is having all your hormones balanced.  Hormones like leptin, adiponectin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), neuropeptide Y, ghrelin, resistin, dopamine, serotonin, visfatin, cholecystokinin, thyroid hormone, insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, cortisol, growth hormone and many others all influence your appetite, metabolism and weight.  All your hormones affect one another. 

It’s one big circle.  When one hormone is out of balance, it has profound effects on all your hormones.  They are all connected.  Hormonal balance means having the perfect amount of every hormone.  It means having a body that’s healthy and resilient.

My blog and my books address all your hormones and gives solutions for people struggling with their weight.  The diets in my books have helped so many people balance their hormones, lose weight and become healthier.  I love to hear success stories.  Please contact me at drisaacs@yourendocrinologist.com.

For more information about hormonal balance, please visit my website at www.yourendocrinologist.com.