Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed apples with high levels of the natural sweetener sorbitol. Sorbitol has only 2.6 calories per gram, 45% less than sucrose and fructose. Sorbitol, fructose and sucrose are all naturally found in fruit.

Although researcher Abhaya Dandekar has worked primarily on apples, he says that related fruits, such as pears, peaches, plums and cherries could also be produced as a low-sugar variety. Dandekar used genetic modification, but he says that plant breeders could use natural methods to achieve the same end.

'We are just getting under the hood of the biosynthesis of sorbitol,' says Dandekar. 'And it's extremely complex,' because sorbitol is used to generate fructose within fruits, but is itself produced in the leaves.

Lynsey Sizer of Weight Watchers UK says that eating fruit and vegetables has always been part of our central beliefs at Weight Watchers. Fruit and vegetables are generally low in fat and calories, making them low in Points values too. ™ But she says the research is interesting.

A sorbitol apple would be half a point on the Weight Watcher's diet, whereas a conventional apple is a full Point.

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Professor Benton suggests that following a low-fat diet is best for weight loss. Energy-dense diets tend to be associated with obesity, and energy-dense foods tend to be high in fat and have a low water content. High-carbohydrate diets, however, tend to be low in fat. He adds a number of studies suggest that the use of artificial sweeteners leads to increased consumption of fat, which in theory could lead to weight gain in unrestrained eaters as gram for gram fat provides more than twice the calories of sugar. There are a number of reasons why this may be, including that fact that carbohydrates, when consumed as solids, promote satiety (feelings of fullness) more than fat. Therefore, people who eat high fat meals may end up eating more energy than people who eat high carbohydrate meals.

It is clear that artificial sweeteners are not a magic solution to all bodyweight problems but may be helpful to some people as part of an overall diet and lifestyle conducive to slimming or weight control.

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