Study Shows Low-Calorie Sweeteners Have No Effect on Body Weight or Appetite

19 Jun 2014 --- Low-calorie sweeteners do not have an effect on body weight or appetite according to an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. Participants were placed into two groups (one given sugar and one given sweeteners), and the researchers of the study measured participants’ weight, fat and diet many times over a 10 week period.

Study participants were placed into one of two groups. The first group was given food and drinks containing low-calorie sweeteners while the other was given food and drinks made with sugar. Both groups thought that all of food and drinks they received contained low-calorie sweeteners. For the next 10 weeks, participants ate normally and consumed the study food/beverage each day.  The researchers measured participants’ weight, fat and diet many times over the 10 weeks.

Researchers found that the participants who ate sugar instead of low-calorie sweeteners consumed more total calories each day and also the participants who ate sugar gained more weight and fat while those who ate low-calorie sweeteners lost weight and fat. Meanwhile, participants who ate sugar were hungrier between lunch and dinner than those who ate low-calorie sweeteners.

Researchers concluded that, “body weight increased in the sucrose [sugar] group and decreased in the artificial-sweetener group during the 10-wk intervention” and that “the changes in body weight in the 2 groups during the 10-wk intervention seemed to be a result of changes in energy intake.”

“The results of this study show that low-calorie sweeteners can help people lose weight when swapped out for sugar because of the reduction in calories,” said Theresa Hedrick, nutritionist for the Calorie Control Council. “Eating too many calories leads to weight gain, but cutting calories with products containing low-calorie sweeteners while maintaining normal eating habits can lead to weight loss.” 

Source: Calorie Control Council