Does Sucralose (Splenda) Increase Hunger? A Look at the Research
Sucralose, best known by its commercial name Splenda, is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners in the world. Sucralose is marketed as a calorie-free substitute for sugar. It appears in everything from diet sodas and sugar-free desserts to protein powders and chewing gum. Although it offers sweetness without added calories, growing evidence suggests that sucralose may not be as harmless as once believed. This is especially true when it comes to appetite regulation. Emerging research supports the claim: Sucralose increases hunger. This challenges the assumption that artificial sweeteners are a reliable aid for weight loss.
If you thought you were doing your body good: cutting calories by replacing sugar with sucralose, this article may have you rethinking that strategy! Let’s take a look at what research is showing about the consequences of choosing sucralose and how that choice may be affecting your weight loss.
What Is Sucralose and Why Is It So Common?
Sucralose is a synthetic sweetener derived from sucrose. It is roughly 600 times sweeter than table sugar. It maintains its sweetness even under high temperatures. This makes it ideal for both beverages and baked goods. Because it passes through the body without being fully metabolized, it contributes virtually no calories.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998, sucralose quickly became a staple in processed foods. It is now found in thousands of consumer products. However, widespread use doesn’t always equate to safety. As more data becomes available, researchers are reexamining the effects of this artificial sweetener. Healthcare professionals are particularly focused on how sucralose increases hunger in various populations.
The Hypothalamus: Command Center for Hunger
To understand how sucralose affects appetite, it’s essential to consider the role of the hypothalamus. This small but powerful brain region governs hunger, satiety, and energy balance. It communicates with hormones like insulin and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), signaling when we’re full or when we need energy.
When this communication is disrupted, eating patterns can shift dramatically. If the hypothalamus detects sweet taste without accompanying calories, it may trigger a hunger response. This occurs in an attempt to correct the energy imbalance. This mechanism may explain why sucralose increases hunger in some people, especially when consumed regularly.
Recent Human Research: Sucralose Increases Hunger
A landmark study conducted by the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California provides compelling evidence that sucralose increases hunger in humans (Rother et al., 2025). In a controlled trial, researchers studied 75 adults of various body weights. They compared neurological and hormonal responses after consuming drinks sweetened with sucralose. The study also included sucrose (table sugar) and plain water.
Using functional MRI (fMRI) scans, the researchers observed that sucralose led to increased activation of the hypothalamus—more than either sucrose or water. This elevated brain activity correlated with heightened self-reported feelings of hunger, particularly among participants with obesity.
Interestingly, sucralose did not stimulate insulin or GLP-1, two hormones crucial for inducing satiety. As a result, the body’s normal feedback mechanisms for feeling full remained inactive, even though the sweet taste suggested that food had been consumed (Rother et al., 2025). This disconnect further supports the conclusion that sucralose increases hunger rather than suppressing it.
Supporting Evidence from Animal Studies
Animal research has also contributed important insights into how sucralose increases hunger and affects body weight. A study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that mice exposed to sucralose over several weeks experienced significant weight gain and fat accumulation, particularly among females (Bian et al., 2017).
The researchers attributed these changes to altered expression of proteins involved in central appetite regulation. They concluded that chronic sucralose exposure could impair the brain’s natural mechanisms for controlling food intake. These findings are consistent with human studies and suggest a physiological basis for why sucralose increases hunger over time.
A Mismatch Between Sweetness and Calories
One key theory behind sucralose’s unexpected effects is that it creates a mismatch between sweetness and energy intake. Our brains are hardwired to associate sweet flavors with caloric content. When we taste sweetness but receive no energy in return, the brain may become confused and prompt further food-seeking behavior.
This mismatch can lead to increased cravings, overeating, and ultimately weight gain. This undermines the very reason many people turn to sucralose in the first place. While it seems logical that cutting sugar and calories would promote weight loss, the evidence showing that sucralose increases hunger suggests otherwise.
Sucralose Increases Hunger: The Overuse of Sugar-Free Sweetener Alternatives
In today’s health-conscious society, sugar has become the villain of modern nutrition. In response, food manufacturers have flooded the market with sugar-free alternatives like sucralose, aspartame, erythritol, and stevia-based sweeteners. These substitutes are now found in nearly every low-calorie or “diet” product, from yogurt and protein bars to salad dressings and syrups. Aspartame and erythritol have their own health risks.
However, this reliance on hyper-sweet substitutes may be creating new problems. Consumers are training their palates to crave intensely sweet flavors, even when the sweetness isn’t accompanied by nutrition. As a result, we may be rewiring our taste buds and brain chemistry in harmful ways. Some researchers warn that the consistent use of artificial sweeteners may make naturally sweet foods like fruit taste bland. This blandness can lead people to seek out more intense sweetness from processed foods.
The constant stimulation of taste receptors without caloric feedback may overstimulate the brain’s reward centers. This creates a feedback loop of craving and dissatisfaction. This cycle helps explain why sucralose increases hunger, especially when consumed regularly in large amounts.
Sucralose Increases Hunger But Who’s Most at Risk?
While anyone can experience increased appetite from sucralose, certain groups appear more vulnerable. Individuals with obesity, insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome may be more likely to experience negative effects from artificial sweeteners. Their hormonal and neurological signaling pathways are already disrupted, making them more sensitive to the mismatches sucralose creates.
Children are another group of concern. Their developing brains and endocrine systems may respond differently—and potentially more harmfully—to long-term exposure to non-nutritive sweeteners. As more kids consume sugar-free drinks and snacks marketed as “healthy,” the long-term consequences remain largely unknown.
With Sucralose Increasing Hunger It’s Imperitive That We Rethink “Diet” Products
Given the evidence, it’s time to rethink how we use products that contain sucralose and similar sweeteners. While they may seem like a shortcut to weight loss or blood sugar control, the research increasingly shows that sucralose increases hunger. It encourages overeating and disrupts natural appetite regulation.
Instead of seeking zero-calorie sweetness, a more sustainable approach might be retraining our taste preferences. Reducing both added sugar and artificial sweeteners can help recalibrate our palates to appreciate the natural sweetness in whole foods like fruits, grains, and even certain vegetables.
Focusing on whole, minimally processed foods provides the body with actual nutrition and avoids the metabolic confusion that artificial sweeteners introduce. When we eat real food with real calories, the brain receives clear signals of satisfaction—helping reduce hunger and prevent overeating.
Conclusion
A Bitter Truth About Sweetness: Sucralose Increases Hunger
Sucralose has become a symbol of the calorie-free promise: all the sweetness, none of the consequences. Yet, current research is challenging that narrative. Sucralose activates hunger-related brain regions. It fails to trigger satiety hormones. As a result, it increases hunger, especially in people already struggling with weight and metabolic issues.
Animal and human studies align in showing that artificial sweeteners like sucralose may do more harm than good. This is especially true when it comes to appetite control. Furthermore, the overuse of sugar-free alternatives may distort our sense of taste and disrupt the body’s natural hunger cues.
This research raises important questions. Do other zero-calorie sweeteners, touted as safe, such as stevia and allulose, trigger similar responses in the body? Could these sugar substitutes also disrupt gut microbiota or interfere with the hypothalamic signaling involved in appetite regulation?
Ultimately, the solution may lie not in replacing sugar, but in redefining our relationship with sweetness altogether.
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References
Bian, X., Chi, L., Gao, B., Tu, P., Ru, H., & Lu, K. (2017). The artificial sweetener sucralose disrupts gut microbiota and metabolic function in mice. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00487
Rother, K. I., Brown, R. J., Sylvetsky, A. C., Sinha, R., & Small, D. M. (2025). Calorie-free sweeteners can disrupt the brain’s appetite signals. Nature Metabolism. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-025-01227-8
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. (2025, March 6). Calorie-free sweeteners can disrupt the brain’s appetite signals. https://keck.usc.edu/news/calorie-free-sweeteners-can-disrupt-the-brains-appetite-signals/
