Early-life influences of low-calorie sweetener consumption on sugar taste

Declining trends in sweetness of the diet in the United Kingdom: 2008/9-2018/19

Sugar reduction is a major public health priority. Due to the assumed correlation between dietary sweetness and sugars intake, some organizations suggest minimizing dietary sweetness regardless of source. Data describing the trends/patterns in the sweetness of the diet may inform dietary recommendations. This cross-sectional study utilized dietary data from 2008/09 to 2018/19, including 15,655 individuals ≥1.5 year from the United Kingdom's National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Program. Products sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) were matched to their sugar-sweetened pair (e.g., regular cola vs. diet cola), which was used to estimate the sugar equivalents from LCS-sweetened products and estimate dietary level sweetness, defined as grams of approximate sugar equivalent (ASE) per day. Foods and beverages that underwent reformulation during the study period through the use of LCS were also identified. From 2008/9 through 2018/19, the ASE of the overall UK diet declined by about 10%. LCS products contributed 13% of ASE. There was evidence of a non-linear trend, with ASE levels relatively stable until 2014/15 and then declining. Overall, the decline in ASE was larger for beverages than foods (ASE values declined 20.7% for beverages vs. 4.4% for foods), although both decreased significantly (p-value < 0.01). Dietary sweetness has changed in the UK, due to a combination of consumer behavior, reformulations, policies, public health awareness programs, and media campaigns, emphasizing its multifactorial nature.

Neurobehavioral plasticity in the rodent gustatory system induced by regular consumption of a low-calorie sweetener during adolescence

Habitual consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) during juvenile-adolescence can lead to greater sugar intake later in life. Here, we investigated if exposure to the LCS Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) during this critical period of development reprograms the taste system in a way that would alter hedonic responding for common dietary compounds. Results revealed that early-life LCS intake not only enhanced the avidity for a caloric sugar (fructose) when rats were in a state of caloric need, it increased acceptance of a bitterant (quinine) in Ace-K-exposed rats tested when middle-aged. These behavior shifts, which endured months after the end of Ace-K exposure, were accompanied by widespread changes in the peripheral taste system. The anterior tongue had fewer fungiform taste papillae, and the circumvallate papillae had a reduced anterior to posterior span and diminished expression of genes involved in sweet reception, sweet and bitter intracellular signaling, fructose transport, and cellular progeneration in the Ace-K-exposed rats. Ace-K exposure also led to a significant reduction in dopamine-producing cells of the ventral tegmental area. The collective findings reveal that LCS intake early in life alters the taste-brain axis and the behavioral responsiveness to both positive and negative tastants that are important determinants of dietary preferences.

Consumption of Low-Calorie Sweeteners among Children Aged 6 Months to 5 Years in the United States, NHANES 2017-2020

BACKGROUND

Although the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) consumption by children <5 y due to potential health and development concerns, the extent of this consumption among these children is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to describe the intake, sources, and dietary patterns associated with LCS consumption among United States infants and preschoolers.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional 24-h dietary recall data (day 1) among 1497 children aged 6 mo to 5 y from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020 prepandemic. Complex survey procedures and sampling weights were applied to compare LCS consumption patterns (prevalence and frequency [times/day] of any LCS, any LCS-containing beverages [LCSBs], and any LCS-containing foods [LCSFs], with each occurrence of consumption = 1 "serving") across demographic subgroups and to assess the associated nutrients and % of total energy intake (TEI).

RESULTS

Thirty-one percent of children aged 6 mo to 5 y consumed ≥1 LCSB and/or LCSF on a given day. The prevalence of LCS consumption increased with age, 10.5% (6 to <12 mo) to 34.3% (2-5 y). Among LCS consumers, mean serving frequency was 1.4 times/d, with no differences by age or sex. Of all LCSBs servings consumed, 64.0% were fruit drinks; 57.8% of all LCSFs servings were non-Greek yogurt. As consumption levels increased from no LCS to >1 serving/d, intake of the following also increased: total sugar (+1.8% TEI, P-trend = 0.04), added sugar (+1.1%, P-trend = 0.048), sodium (+304 mg, P-trend = 0.04), and fiber (+0.8 g, P-trend = 0.01). In contrast, protein intake was lower (-0.7% TEI, P-trend = 0.02). Those consuming 1 LCS serving/d consumed more total energy than LCS nonconsumers (1606 compared with 1401 kcal), but TEI did not increase further with >1 LCS serving/d (1607 kcal). LCS consumption was not associated with carbohydrate or fat intake.

CONCLUSIONS

LCS consumption, primarily from fruit drinks and non-Greek yogurt, is prevalent among United States preschoolers, and this consumption is associated with greater intake of total sugar, added sugar, and sodium.

Does sweetness exposure drive 'sweet tooth'?

It is widely believed that exposure to sweetened foods and beverages stimulates the liking and desire for sweetness. Here we provide an updated review of the empirical evidence from human research examining whether exposure to sweet foods or beverages influences subsequent general liking for sweetness (‘sweet tooth’), based on the conclusions of existing systematic reviews and more recent research identified from a structured search of literature. Prior reviews have concluded that the evidence for a relationship between sweet taste exposure and measures of sweet taste liking is equivocal, and more recent primary research generally does not support the view that exposure drives increased liking for sweetness, in adults or children. In intervention trials using a range of designs, acute exposure to sweetness usually has the opposite effect (reducing subsequent liking and desire for sweet taste), while sustained exposures have no significant effects or inconsistent effects. Recent longitudinal observational studies in infants and children also report no significant associations between exposures to sweet foods and beverages with measures of sweet taste preferences. Overall, while it is widely assumed that exposure to sweetness stimulates a greater liking and desire for sweetness, this is not borne out by the balance of empirical evidence. While new research may provide a more robust evidence base, there are also a number of methodological, biological and behavioural considerations that may underpin the apparent absence of a positive relationship between sweetness exposure and liking.