The role of low-calorie sweeteners in the prevention and management of overweight and obesity: evidence v. conjecture
Abstract By virtue of reducing dietary energy density, low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) can be expected to decrease overall energy intake and thereby decrease body weight. Such effects will be limited by the amount of sugar replaced by LCS, and the dynamics of appetite and weight control (e.g., acute compensatory eating, and an increase in appetite and […]
Nonnutritive sweeteners and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies
Abstract BACKGROUND: Nonnutritive sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and stevioside, are widely consumed, yet their long-term health impact is uncertain. We synthesized evidence from prospective studies to determine whether routine consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners was associated with long-term adverse cardiometabolic effects. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library (inception to January 2016) for randomized […]
Personal variation in preference for sweetness: Effects of age and obesity
Abstract BACKGROUND: Use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs), which provide sweet taste with few to no calories, has increased, but data on whether children’s hedonic responses to NNSs differ from nutritive sugars or from adults’ hedonic responses are limited. METHODS: Most preferred levels of sucrose and the NNS sucralose were determined via a forced-choice tracking procedure […]
Metabolic effects of aspartame in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Abstract BACKGROUND: Data about harms or benefits associated with the consumption of aspartame, a non-nutritive sweetener worldwide consumed, is still controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials aimed to assess the effect of aspartame consumption on metabolic parameters related to diabetes and obesity. METHODS: The search was performed on Cochrane, LILACS, […]
Sucralose Suppresses Food Intake
Abstract No abstract available. Summary Using a similar design as in the study by Wang et al., the objective of the study by Park et al., is to look more closely into the findings by Wang et al., and understand what factors could be at play. Park et al. found that sucralose doesn’t increase appetite or food […]
Does eating good-tasting food influence body weight?
Abstract Does eating good-tasting food influence body weight? To investigate, we first established some concentrations of sucralose and mineral oil in chow that mice strongly preferred. Then, in Experiment 1, we compared groups of 16 mice fed plain chow (i.e., chow with no additives) to groups fed chow with added (a) sucralose, (b) mineral oil, […]
Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners among children and adults in the United States
Abstract BACKGROUND: Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) has increased markedly during the past several decades, yet the prevalence of LCS consumption in recent years is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe LCS consumption in the United States and to characterize consumption by sociodemographic subgroups, source, frequency, eating occasion, and location. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study […]
Artificially sweetened beverages and the response to the global obesity crisis
Abstract Christopher Millett and colleagues argue that artificially sweetened beverages should not be promoted as part of a healthy diet. Summary This paper in Plos Medicine by Borges et al is only a commentary and not a new clinical study or review of the literature and therefore cannot provide supporting data to the claims that […]
Low Calorie Beverage Consumption Is Associated with Energy and Nutrient Intakes and Diet Quality in British Adults
Abstract It is unclear whether consumption of low-calorie beverages (LCB) leads to compensatory consumption of sweet foods, thus reducing benefits for weight control or diet quality. This analysis investigated associations between beverage consumption and energy intake and diet quality of adults in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (2008–2011; n = 1590), classified […]
Sweetening yoghurt with glucose, but not with saccharin, promotes weight gain and increased fat pad mass in rats
Abstract The claim that non-nutritive sweeteners accelerate body weight gain by disrupting sweet-calorie associations was tested in two experiments using rats. The experiments were modelled on a key study from a series of experiments reporting greater body weight gain in rats fed yoghurt sweetened with saccharin than with glucose (Swithers & Davidson, 2008). Both of […]