How Zero Calorie Sweeteners Can Sabotage Your Success

Evidence that sweetness without calories may cause weight gain.

My goal with this Substack is to never make claims without substantive evidence. This is because I assume that you, my reader, are intelligent and curious.

Therefore, it’s not helpful if I bark out orders prohibiting zero-cal sweeteners while other health gurus give them the green light. Then you simply don’t know whom to believe. And it’s arrogant for me to demand that you believe me over others.

Instead, my goal is to always present you with evidence that persuades you. This is because knowledge provides motivation.

Plus, I never want you to give something up just for the sake of being “a health nut” and “that’s just not what healthy people do.” This can turn into a form of asceticism, or harsh treatment of the body, for the sake of proving to others how disciplined we are. In its worst form, it can be a form of pride where we judge people based on how long they fast, how few carbs they eat, and how strict they are.

Despite my love of the health benefits of fasting and my own decision to eat far fewer ultra processed foods than I used to, asceticism is the last thing I want to spread.

The difference between an ascetic and me is that my end goal is to see people feasting on rich, satisfying, delectable food, and eating until they are fully satisfied, never needing to count calories again, or feel deprived, or feel conflicted about enjoying a gourmet feast.

Even for those who are using therapeutic ketosis to conquer brain problems, feasting on fat and protein is still on the table (literally, ha, ha). And it’s even possible that after a prolonged period of healing, all foods may become safe again.

This spirit of feasting is the context in which I take such a hardline against artificial and zero-cal sweeteners at the risk of appearing a nay-sayer and poo-pooer and a wet blanket. I know people feel like, “Now wait a sec, I’m giving up breakfast, and cream in my coffee, and now I have to give up Stevia too? This is too much.”

I’m not against zero-cal sweeteners on principle as if I think people should have to “pay” by consuming calories if they get a sweet taste.

Instead, I discourage them based on evidence that they may put an obstacle between you and your fasting success.

Problems with Zero Calorie Sweeteners

• They increase hunger causing you to consume more calories throughout the day

• They increase the hormone insulin making it more difficult for you to tap into your fat stores. When you aren’t burning fat efficiently, you feel constantly hungry while losing very little weight. You want the exact opposite situation: to drop weight while feeling very little hunger and discomfort.

• They increase cravings for sweet foods which diminishes your appreciation of savory flavors

• When zero-cal sweeteners are used while fasting and raise insulin, your body will be forced to metabolize some muscle as opposed to fat since the zero-cal sweetener will block the fat stores from being as accessible. This will lower your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn resting).

• They alter the balance and diversity in the gut microbiome in a way that causes weight gain and inflammation.

• Zero-cal sweeteners, even plant-based ones such as Stevia, have significant health risks. (I’m using the term “zero-cal sweetener” instead of “artificial sweetener” to include Stevia which is not artificial).