“Eating less sweets may not reduce your appetite or improve your overall health,” says a new study that challenges long-held beliefs about the “sweet tooth.”
Dutch and British researchers found no significant differences in sweet food preferences among adults who ate more or less sweet-tasting foods over several months.
Participants’ weight, diabetes and heart disease markers also showed little change, according to study results published in January in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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The findings cast doubt on the common belief that cutting down on sweet foods can “train” your body to crave them less over time, highlighting that sweetness and sugar are not necessarily the same thing.
“People have a natural preference for sweet tastes, which has led many organizations, including the World Health Organization, to provide dietary advice to reduce the amount of sweetness in the diet altogether,” study co-author Katherine Appleton, professor of psychology at Bournemouth University in the UK, said in a statement.
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Cutting back on sugary foods may not reduce cravings, a new study finds.
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“However, our results do not support this advice, which does not take into account whether sweetness comes from sugar, low-calorie sweeteners, or natural sources,” Appleton added.
The clinical trial followed 180 adults divided into three groups. One group consumed high-sweetness foods, one group consumed a low-sweetness diet, and the third group consumed a moderate level of diet.
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The foods included sugar mixtures, natural sweeteners such as fruits and dairy products, and low-calorie sweeteners.
Over a six-month period, researchers tracked participants’ sweet food preferences, weight and biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Experts note that naturally sweet foods such as fruits and dairy products can also be part of a healthy diet.
No significant differences were found between groups on any of the measures. Participants also tended to return to their old eating habits once the trial ended, suggesting that sweet taste preferences may be relatively fixed in adulthood.
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“It’s not about cutting back on sugary foods to reduce obesity levels,” Appleton says. “Health concerns are related to sugar intake.”
She added that some fast foods can be high in sugar but not sweet, but naturally sweet products such as fresh fruit and dairy products may have health benefits.
Cravings can be influenced more by habits, stress, and overall diet than by sweetness alone.
That’s why public health advice should focus on how people can reduce their added sugar intake, portion sizes and overall calorie consumption, the study showed.
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Desire, on the other hand, is influenced by a variety of factors. Experts say that addressing these underlying factors can actually help reduce them.
“Appetite appears to be driven more by overall diet quality, stress, sleep, meal timing, and exposure to highly processed foods than by the sweetness of the meal,” Michelle Ruthenstein, a New York-based preventive cardiology nutritionist and certified diabetes educator, told FOX News Digital.
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Professor Ruthenstein, who was not involved in the study, recommended reducing added sugars and ultra-processed foods, focusing on a balanced diet containing protein, fat and fibre, and choosing more nutritious alternatives to sugary snacks to curb cravings.
Experts say sugar intake, not just sweetness, may be more important for health.
The researchers said their findings were based on generally healthy adults, and further research may be needed in other populations.
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This research received public and private funding from food and beverage industry organizations and others. Some researchers have disclosed past or current relationships with companies in the sweetener and food sectors.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study authors for further comment.
Original article source: Why sugar cravings don’t go away even if you stop eating sweets
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