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If you think switching to diet coke and similar beverages is a more health-conscious decision, then think again.

Researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine recently conducted a study to see the effects of consuming artificially sweetened drinks on the brain and came across some startling finds.

The team conducted MRI scans of 15 test subjects after they had consumed diet drinks, and found that their brains lit up as if they had consumed a sugary drink instead of one without any calories.

This research clearly shows that our body's metabolism is not completely dependent on the calorie-count of the food we eat.

FACT: The Body Does Not Count Calories!

Most people believe eating food rich in calories produces a stronger metabolic response as compared to foods that have a relatively lower calorie count.

But that is true.

In reality, the body's metabolic response depends on the natural baseline metabolism of the individual and their perception of the food's calorific value.

It has nothing to do with the actual contents of the consumed food.

That's why when we eat something sugary (even if it is sweetened by an artificial sweetener), our body perceives that we have consumed something that can provide us energy and so starts up the metabolic response to help catch the incoming nutrition.

Unfortunately, this learned response is not always good for what we choose to eat.

The Dangers of Mismatched Taste and Calories

Artificial sweeteners were created to fool the brain. And marketers of diet drinks never fail to remind us of this fact.

Their mantra: Enjoy the drink without the calories!

Unfortunately, they end up fooling our brains a little too much. And so when our body does not receive the calories it had expected, the mismatch produces dangerous consequences in the reward center of our brain.

Consequences like weight gain, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.

The Failed Fight Against Diabetes

Diabetes kills you slowly with time.

That's why health professionals and public health campaigns always keep telling us to eat healthy, reduce our sugar intake, and exercise daily.

Unfortunately, drinking beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin actually puts you at a higher risk of getting this disease.

So What Can You Do?

If you use artificial sweeteners like Sugar Free or Zero to control your cravings as a diabetic (or use them to protect yourself from getting diabetes), we recommend you stop using them right now.

And consuming diet coke and pepsi isn't helping you either.

But what CAN help is sharing this article to spread the awareness among your friends and family.

Help us remove India as the Diabetes Capital of the World.