Low-Calorie Sweeteners May Aid Weight Management Without Health Risks

Study Design and Dietary Intervention

During the initial two-month phase of the trial, participating adults followed a low-calorie diet aimed at reducing their body weight by at least 5%, while participating children were instructed to maintain their weight. For the subsequent 10 months, subjects were divided into two distinct groups to track long-term behavioral and physiological outcomes. Group A followed a healthy diet where less than 10% of total daily calories came from added sugars, and participants were permitted to consume foods and beverages containing low- or no-calorie sweeteners. Group B followed the exact same low-sugar diet but strictly avoided sweeteners altogether. Throughout the 1-year duration, subjects completed questionnaires detailing their dietary habits, physical activity levels, and overall quality of life. Anthropometric measurements, body weight, and clinical markers for diabetes and heart disease were assessed at baseline and at 2, 6, and 12 months.

Cravings, Diet Satisfaction, and Weight Outcomes

By the six-month mark, participants in the sweetener group reported greater diet satisfaction, more positive moods, and reduced cravings for sweet foods compared to those avoiding them. Clarissa Dakin, co-lead author of the SWEET project and a PhD student in the Appetite Control and Energy Balance Research Group at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, detailed the trajectory of these behavioral shifts to Medical News Today.

This study was a large randomized controlled trial comparing how including or avoiding sweeteners and sugar substitutes as part of a low-sugar weight maintenance diet affects people’s mood, food craving, and satisfaction with their diet.

Clarissa Dakin, University of Leeds By the end of the 12-month period, researchers observed that individuals who abstained from sweeteners showed an increased liking for other calorie-containing sweet foods. Furthermore, participants who included sweeteners maintained slightly better weight control after one year than those in the restriction group. Blood markers for diabetes and cardiovascular disease showed no significant differences between the two cohorts.

Shifts in Perceptions of Sweeteners

According to Dakin, individuals who utilized sweeteners throughout the study viewed them more favorably regarding health outcomes by the end of the trial. Conversely, participants who avoided them grew less positive about artificial options while becoming somewhat more supportive of the safety of sugar. While natural and artificial alternatives such as aspartame, stevia, and saccharin remain widely utilized across the food industry, scientific literature on their metabolic and behavioral effects has often yielded mixed conclusions. Investigators behind the SWEET project emphasize that additional study—particularly involving larger cohorts of children—is required to fully understand the long-term impact of sweeteners on younger populations.