Are you someone who can’t bear the thought of trading your diet soda for a non-fizzy drink? Or have you mulled around the idea of giving up artificial sweetener in your coffee or tea, but just can’t seem to do it? If so, you may be interested in a study that showed that it’s possible your inability to give up artificial sweeteners is more than just lack of willpower. In this study, scientists gave rats the choice between water sweetened with artificial sweetener and cocaine, and discovered that 94 percent preferred the sweet taste of the sweetener over the cocaine! The scientists said:
Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals. We speculate that the addictive potential of intense sweetness results from an inborn hypersensitivity to sweet tastants.