A new study published in Nutrients examined whether artificial sweeteners and sweetness enhancers affect appetite regulation or lead to increased food intake, according to a March 20 press release. The research was conducted at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports at the University of Copenhagen as part of the European Horizon 2020 SWEET project.
The topic is important because there has been ongoing debate about whether non-caloric and low-caloric sweeteners help people manage their weight or if they might disrupt appetite control and promote overeating. Institutional recommendations have been inconsistent, with the World Health Organization advising against non-caloric sweeteners for weight management due to insufficient evidence, while a 2020 expert panel found no negative effects on weight or glucose regulation.
In this controlled sub-study, researchers tested the acute effects of an acesulfame potassium/cyclamate mixture compared to water on appetite sensations and energy intake. Participants were adults aged 18 to 60 years with a body mass index above 25 who regularly consumed sugar-containing products. They followed a low-energy diet during a two-month weight loss phase before being randomly assigned to either consume or avoid foods containing sweeteners during a four-month maintenance period.
The study found that fasting appetite ratings were similar between groups except for one isolated finding that did not persist. Fullness and satiety showed no significant differences across test days. While participants rated the taste of the sweetened drink lower than water, this did not result in higher food consumption; ad libitum energy intake remained equivalent between groups throughout the intervention.
Researchers concluded that compared with water, the Ace-K/Cyc mixture consistently reduced participants' desire for something sweet both immediately and over time, even after accounting for taste differences. However, they noted that their sample size was small and larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
The findings suggest that in this controlled setting, artificial sweeteners did not increase overall food intake but may help reduce cravings for sweets. Future research involving larger participant groups will be necessary to validate these observations.
