Eating sweet-tasting food or drinks does not enhance liking for sweetness
The “sweet tooth” hypothesis examined and rejected in a new review study Highlights: Evidence from human studies does not provide support to the widespread assumption that sweetness exposure drives a “sweet tooth”, a review of multiple studies shows After consuming a sweet-tasting food or drink, the desire for sweetness and consumption of the same […]
Year in review: Low/no calorie sweeteners’ science 2023
Highlights include recommendations, new research and scientific events Highlights: European and American clinical practice guidelines published in 2023 support the use of low/no calorie sweeteners in place of sugars, contrary to what WHO suggests in a conditional recommendation New long-term clinical studies indicate benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners in weight loss and maintenance The […]
Benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners in long-term weight control confirmed in new study
Summary findings of study by Harrold et al., “Non-nutritive sweetened beverages versus water after a 52-week weight management programme: a randomised controlled trial” Highlights: A new year-long randomised controlled trial found that daily drinking of low/no calorie sweetened beverages can help in long-term weight control Results showed significantly greater weight loss with low/no calorie sweetened […]
A critical appraisal of the WHO reviews of aspartame
Highlights Following a comprehensive safety assessment of all available evidence, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), reconfirmed the safety of aspartame and re-affirmed the Acceptable Daily Intake. As part of its comprehensive assessment, JECFA examined recent conclusions of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic […]
ISA scientific response to the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on use of non-sugar sweeteners
The WHO guideline on use of non-sugar sweeteners risks hindering global efforts to stem the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) Highlights Scientifically rigorous studies have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners in calorie reduction and weight control, dental health and diabetes management The WHO guideline lacks scientific rigour as it is not […]
No rise in blood glucose with low/no calorie sweetened beverages, like water
New systematic review of clinical trials confirms benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners when compared to sugars Highlights A new systematic review of controlled clinical trials found that low/no calorie sweetened beverage consumption has a neutral impact on blood glucose and endocrine responses, contrary to effects seen with sugar-sweetened beverages The (lack of) impact of low/no […]
Science news on low/no calorie sweeteners: 2022 year in review
Highlights: Benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners in reducing sugars and calorie intakes and assisting with weight loss are confirmed in 2022 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) Low/no calorie sweetened beverages may be associated with cardiometabolic benefit when used to replace sugar-sweetened beverages New studies confirm that low/no calorie sweeteners’ intake is […]
Addressing reverse causality in observational research is critical to establish reliable associations between low/no calorie sweeteners and cardiometabolic health
Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies that model intake of sweeteners as change or substitutions to mitigate the influence of reverse causality Highlights: Reverse causality is a major source of bias in observational studies investigating associations between low/no calorie sweeteners and health outcomes By including prospective cohort studies that […]
The WHO recommendation for non-sugar sweeteners use is not supported by the collective evidence
A critical appraisal of the draft WHO guideline on use of non-sugar sweeteners Highlights Evidence from higher quality research reviewed recently by WHO supports the useful role of low/no calorie sweeteners in sugar and energy reduction and, in turn, in weight loss, despite a draft recommendation today suggesting against their use in weight control […]
Low/no calorie sweeteners can help in calorie reduction and weight loss, according to a new WHO-supported review
A critical appraisal of the systematic review by Rios-Leyvraz and Montez on health effects of low/no calorie sweeteners Highlights Results of the new WHO-supported study confirm that low/no calorie sweeteners may be effective at assisting with weight loss, when used in place of sugars resulting in calorie reduction Evidence from controlled clinical trials supports no […]