Many people worry that swapping sugar for low-calorie sweeteners could leave them craving sweeter foods or lead them to eat more later. But new research suggests that may not be the case. A review led by researchers from the University of Ljubljana, Wageningen University & Research and the University of Leeds found no evidence that replacing sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners harms weight management or cardiometabolic health.
Graham Finlayson, a psychologist at the University of Leeds, told Newsweek that findings from randomized controlled trials differ from some previous studies that have linked artificial sweeteners to poor health outcomes. However, this review found no evidence that sugar substitutes harm weight, health, or sweet taste preferences. The review brought together evidence from five studies conducted through the SWEET, SWITCH and Sweet Tooth research consortia: Across the studies, replacing sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners did not appear to hinder weight loss or make people more likely to gain weight.
In the SWEET trial, participants who included sweeteners in their diet maintained slightly more weight loss over a year than those who avoided them, while the SWITCH study found people drinking sweetened beverages lost more weight than those drinking water. The Sweet Tooth trial, meanwhile, found that changing the overall sweetness of the diet had little effect on body weight or body composition. Researchers also found little difference between groups when it came to blood sugar control, insulin levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and other markers of heart and metabolic health.
Some short-term studies suggested sweeteners may help reduce post-meal spikes in blood sugar and insulin when used instead of sugar. Although one study detected small changes in gut bacteria, these were not linked to worse health outcomes. The review also challenged the idea that low-calorie sweeteners encourage a "sweet tooth." Across the trials, sweetener use was not associated with greater hunger, stronger cravings or higher food intake.
In fact, participants in the SWEET study who avoided sweeteners developed a stronger preference for sweet foods over time, while those who consumed sweeteners did not. Finlayson told Newsweek: “One plausible explanation is that retaining sweetness while reducing sugar and calories makes a weight-management diet more satisfying and easier to adhere to over time. However, Finlayson said different types of studies can produce different findings.
He told Newsweek: “Specifically, observational studies have tended to find that people who consume more LNCS also have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or obesity. Researchers note that people who already have obesity, diabetes or a higher risk of cardiovascular disease may be more likely to choose diet drinks or sugar-free products, making it difficult to separate cause from effect. Finlayson said: “Observational findings are useful for generating hypotheses that subsequently need testing.
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