8.Artificial Sweeteners Are Healthier Than Sugar

8.人造甜味剂比糖更健康

Many health-conscious people favor artificial sweeteners for their food, figuring they're a better bet because they don't contain any calories. It's true you're avoiding calories when you stick with artificial sweeteners, but the jury's out on whether they're healthier for you. The FDA deems artificial sweeteners safe, but experts say their long-term effects still aren't known. Further, there are numerous studies that raise red flags. For example, one study performed by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine found that if you eat artificially sweetened foods that are low in calories, it may cause you to down high-calories foods later in the day, especially if you ate the artificially sweetened stuff when you were tired or hungry. Artificial sweeteners don't signal "energy" to the brain the way regular sugar does.

许多有健康意识的人喜欢往食物中加些人造甜味剂，认为这种甜味剂是个更好的选择，因为它们不含任何热量。的确，坚持使用人造甜味剂你可以避免摄入热量。不过，这些甜味剂是否有益健康，这一点尚无定论。尽管美国食品和药物管理局认为人造甜味剂是安全的，但是专家称人造甜味剂的长期影响仍旧不清楚。此外，大量研究表明人造甜味剂值得注意。例如，耶鲁大学医学院的研究人员发现，尤其当你累了或饿了的时候，如果吃低热量，添加了人造甜味剂的食品，那么晚些时候你就会多吃些高热量的食物。因为大脑并不会把人造甜味剂跟普通的糖一样视为能量的来源。

Additionally, many people who rely on artificial sweeteners knowingly eat a little more throughout the day because they feel like they can afford to do so. After all, they've saved calories by opting¹ for Splenda or Equal in their coffee or plain yogurt, so it's fine to have that extra hamburger or serving of potatoes. In the end, it may be best to simply eat less real sugar than swap² it out for artificial sweeteners.

此外，很多依赖人造甜味剂的人每天会故意多吃一点，因为他们觉得自己可以这么做。毕竟，他们选择在咖啡或原味酸奶中加点儿人造甜味剂如Splenda 或 Equal，从而避免摄入一些热量。因此额外吃一些汉堡和薯条是可以的。总之，比起选择人造甜味剂，最好还是少吃糖。