Non-nutritive sweeteners do not cause weight gain or prevent weight loss.
Overview
- What did they test? In this study, researchers tested the effect of consuming two non-nutritive sweeteners, stevia and sucralose, vs. a non-sweetener control for six weeks to determine if non-nutritive sweeteners impact body weight in healthy adults. They also examined whether the results differ between a natural (stevia) and an artificial sweetener (sucralose).
- What did they find? There were no statistically significant differences in weight responses between the 3 conditions.There was a small reduction in body weight in all groups over the 6 weeks, which reached significance (P<0.05) in both the sucralose and control groups, but not the stevia group.
- What does it mean for you? Non-nutritive sweeteners are often promoted as a healthy alternative to traditional calorie-dense sweetener options for managing body weight. However, it is unclear if this is true across different types of sweeteners. This study showed that non-nutritive sweeteners had no impact on body weight, and there was no difference in response to the natural stevia vs. the artificial sweetener sucralose.
What’s The Problem?
Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) have become increasingly popular as sugar substitutes and are widely promoted as tools for weight management. The rationale is simple: NNS provide little to no energy, so they should reduce overall caloric intake and help with weight control.
While many randomized trials suggest modest short-term benefits during weight loss interventions 1, other studies have shown little to no difference when NNS are compared with water or placebo, and observational research has even linked their use to weight gain and higher risks of cardiometabolic disease 2.
These mixed findings raise the possibility that compensatory mechanisms, such as increased appetite or altered physiological responses to sweetness, may cause NNS to contribute to weight gain or impede weight loss. It is also possible that different types of artificial sweeteners have different effects.
