Did you know ... that your gut has taste receptors?

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have made a pretty interesting discovery -- they've found that a specialized version of the taste receptors that detect sweetness on your tongue can also be found in your gut. You're probably thinking, hmmm, that is indeed interesting but how does it affect me? Here's how:

Your tongue can taste sweetness, whether it's real sugar or an artificial sweetener, right? Well, so can your gut. And since your gut is responsible for some of the hormones in your body that regulate insulin and fat storage, it's thought that perhaps your gut can't tell the difference between calorie-free sweetener and the real stuff, so they get processed the same way. Which could explain why using artificial sweeteners hasn't been shown to help with weight loss.

So my advice? Stick to real sugar and just use it sparingly.