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Ask the Doctor: Are artificial sweeteners a good alternative to sugar?

Question:

Artificial sweeteners include:

Neotame

Saccharin

Stevia plant extract

Sucralose

Most people consume artificial sweeteners because they want to lose weight. Replacing concentrated sugar with products that have very few, if any, calories should tilt energy balance in favor of weight loss. And some short-term studies suggest that artificial sweeteners may have that effect.

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