Carbonation Alters Our Brain’s Sugar Radar: Cause for Concern?

As much as humans love good-tasting tamales and ribs, we also love food that detonates in our mouth with an explosive crunch, crackle or carbonated fizz.

Now, some scientists have poked their noses into the workings of carbonation and discovered it changes our brain’s perception of sweetness. Carbonation makes it problematic for our brain to discern the difference between artificial sweeteners and sugar.

Is this a problem? As with many things, there is no definitive answer.

Accentuating the Positive

The positive point of this research is that people who need to watch calories will choose diet drinks because they taste as good as the sugared ones.

“This study proves that the right combination of carbonation and artificial sweeteners can leave the sweet taste of diet drinks indistinguishable from normal drinks,” said the Rosario Cuomo, the study’s author.


“Tricking the brain about the type of sweet could be advantageous to weight loss — it facilitates the consumption of low-calorie drinks because their taste is perceived as pleasant as the sugary, calorie-laden drink.”

Accentuating the Possible Negative

This study also identifies a problem. Carbonation causes the brain to pick up on fewer sweetness-related signals no matter what type of sweetener is used. However, the effect of carbonation on sucrose (sugar) is stronger than it is with artificial sweeteners.

  1. The brain's reduced perception of sweetness from sugar could cause an increase in sugar consumption among regular soda drinkers.
  2. For diet soda drinkers, the brain’s altered sweetness perception could upset the body’s sense of energy maintenance and balance, stimulating a person to increase their intake of sugar and food. This could explain the rash of metabolic diseases, eating disorders and obesity among diet soda drinkers.

Our sense of taste combined with the scrumptious sight and smell of fantastic food and drink causes physiological changes throughout our body. Digestive hormones, enzymes and other gustatory molecules in our stomach and intestines get excited and stimulate our appetite.


This is true when our brain is correctly assessing the sweetness of what we are consuming, and also true if our brain’s perception is being skewed by the effects of carbonation. If perception is skewed, it could negatively impact our eating habits.

Something To Consider

The results of one research study do not indicate a great universal truth has been found. Our human perceptions can also be distorted by taking life apart and focusing on its pieces.

Yet, it is wise that individuals dealing with the issue of obesity, managing an illness such as diabetes, or those concerned about maintaining their family’s health, stay informed about findings in nutritional research and consider the implications.

Carbonation: A Second Opinion

It seems highly unfair that simply adding some carbon dioxide to a sweet liquid creates a tantalizingly pleasant effervescence that many of us enjoy and even learn to crave. However, not all doctors and nutritionists find carbonation to be a health concern.


“There are no known negative effects of carbonation on the digestive system, and some studies have found that it helps relieve indigestion and constipation," said Andrew Weil, M.D. "While I’m concerned about the unhealthy amounts of sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine found in sodas, I have no concerns about the carbonation itself."

Sources: AGA Journals, Science Daily, Dr. Weil


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...