In the study, nine rats were fed yogurt with saccharin and eight fed yogurt with glucose for a period of five weeks. At the end of five weeks, rats given saccharin gained 88 grams compared to 72 grams in rats eating yogurt with glucose. The artificial sweetener caused an increase in body weight by 20 percent.

The researchers explained that the artificial sweetener confused the body with a wrong interpretation of the sweet tastes. They said sweet tastes normally signal that the body is going to receive a lot of calories, and the digestive system prepares to react. As a result of the wrong interpretation, rats over-consumed calories.

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