This adaptation in humans is a reaction to the ingestion of sweet-tasting foods. The body learned to associate sweet-taste on the tongue with the resulting sugar-energy-load that landed in the stomach and the blood stream.

The human brain adapted to sweet-taste-perception by programing the liver to prepare for the arrival of an outside source of high energy – sugar.

As the tongue senses something sweet, it programs the brain to set into motion a series of biochemical events. It doesn’t matter if the sweet taste comes from natural honey or from artificial sweeteners.

This biochemical cascade triggers the liver to stop the manufacture of protein and starch from its body-reserves, and to begin to store the glucose-energy that circulates in the blood.

In the case of sweeteners, as well as diet beverages, the sweet taste sets these events into motion.

But when no calories actually appear in the stomach, this causes the body to demand real food, with resulting hyper-urges from the liver to overeat, or to drink more of the sweet-tasting liquid, and the cascade repeats itself.

Almost instantly, the body starts producing insulin, the “fat” hormone, which stores sugar in the blood stream, and programs the adipose tissue fat cells (belly fat) to store, store, store.

This reaction is called the Cephalic Phase Insulin Response (CPIR), and it’s responsible for the fat-storing effects of artificial sweeteners, chemical sweeteners, high glycemic sweeteners, diet beverages, including diet sodas, diet tea, coffee, energy drinks, sports drinks, and flavored waters.

The Cephalic Phase Insulin Response (CPIR) creates reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which further triggers strong cravings for more sweet-tasting items, and high glycemic foods.

After the taste buds are activated by a sweet-taste, the urge to ingest food can last from 1 to 2 hours. So, you are hungry for hours, because no real food or calories has satiated the body’s need for energy.

And now, the body is producing insulin for no reason, because the brain has instructed the liver to store instead of burn/release its storage supplies.

It does not matter if the sweet-tasting agent, such as a sweetener or diet soda, is swallowed or ingested, the cascade of fat-stimulating events occurs the moment the sweet-taste hits the tongue and mouth.

The result is the same - fat, fat, fatter - the Cephalic Fat Spiral.

Skinny Science researchers have been investigating and reporting the Cephalic Response in humans since 1997, and were the first scientists to inform the scientific community and media of the fat-storing effects of diet sodas.

Further information on the Cephalic Response, including a 4-hour live Podcast from Clear Channel is available on this topic at:

Click here for the Official Glycemic Research Institute Report on the Glycemic and Cephalic responses of sugars and sweeteners: