Intense sweeteners and the control of appetite

Abstract

The sensation of sweet taste without calories has been said to increase appetite and promote food consumption. Regular use of intense sweeteners might therefore lead to a paradoxical weight gain. These alarmist reports have not been confirmed by recent experimental data. There is no evidence that the addition of an intense sweetener to a plain stimulus promotes appetite or results in increased food consumption during some later meal. While replacing sugars with intense sweeteners (with attendant decrease in energy) has been said to result in energy compensation, published studies have variously reported perfect compensation, partial compensation, or no compensation at all, depending on the conditions used. Longer-term studies are needed to assess chronic effects of intense sweeteners on dietary compliance and the control of body weight.