Hunger makes all sweetness more rewarding, but artificial sweetener users show unique brain responses

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journal Food Quality and Safety suggests that feeling hungry amplifies our immediate enjoyment of sweet tastes, regardless of whether the sweetness comes from sugar or zero-calorie substitutes. The research also provides evidence that people who regularly consume artificial sweeteners show heightened brain activity in areas linked to self-control when tasting sweet drinks. These findings imply that switching to zero-calorie options might subtly change how the brain processes sweet temptations over time. Excessive sugar consumption plays a major role in the development of obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. To reduce calorie intake, many people have turned to non-nutritive sweeteners, which are artificial or plant-derived additives that taste sweet but provide little to no metabolic energy. The widespread use of these low-calorie alternatives has raised questions...