According to a recent press release posted by EurekAlert, results from a new study are implying that it is hard to trick the brain by providing it with energyless sweet flavors. Much of the pleasure derived from consuming sweets is driven by the amount of energy it provides. The brain attributes great reward to sugars compared to artificial sweeteners.

Professor Ivan de Araujo led the study at Yale University School of Medicine USA. He says, “The consumption of high-calorie beverages is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity, even after the introduction of artificial sweeteners to the market. We believe that the discovery is important because it shows how physiological states may impact on our choices between sugars and sweeteners.”

“Specifically, it implies that humans frequently ingesting low-calorie sweet products in a state of hunger or exhaustion may be more likely to ‘relapse’ and choose high calorie alternatives in the future.”

“The results suggest that a happy medium could be a solution; combining sweeteners with minimal amounts of sugar so that energy metabolism doesn’t drop, while caloric intake is kept to a minimum.”

The study successfully identified a physiological brain signal that proves critical in determining the choice between sugars and sweeteners. This signal regulates dopamine levels, a chemical required for reward signalling, and only arises when sugar is broken down into usable fuel for cells of the body.

The research was performed in mice, using a combination of behavioral testing with sweeteners and sugars while also measuring the chemical responses in the brain for reward. Researchers firmly believe these findings will reflect in humans.

A similar study was reported on by the Los Angeles Times in 2009 that involved the use of magnetic resonance imaging. That study also found evidence that the brain knew the difference between real or fake sugars, at least on some level.

Professor de Araujo says that according to the data, when substances that can interfere with a critical step in the sugar to energy pathway are applied, interest in consuming the artificial sweeteners is greatly reduce and dopamine levels decrease.

Now that researchers know that dopamine cells are critical in sugar or sweetener choice, they hope to identify the associated receptors and pathways in the brain.