Low-calorie sweetener findings leaves experts split

Six months ago, Gloria Ramirez switched from regular soda to diet soda. People told her it would be better for her because she is overweight. And her husband, who has diabetes, drinks diet soda on his doctor's advice.

After hearing about a study released this week that found rats given yogurt with a low-calorie sweetener found in diet soda gained more weight and ate more than rats given yogurt with traditional sugar did, Ramirez said she is thinking about exchanging a case of diet soda for bottled water.

"People think this stuff is helping them," Ramirez, 45, of Riverside, said as she sipped from a can of Diet Pepsi this week in downtown Riverside. "But, in reality, it's not helping them."

Some health experts said people shouldn't jump to conclusions.

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