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We’re all looking for a way to grab the can of cookies without feeling guilty.
Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in sweets could be the solution – and it won’t leave you hungrier.
The study found that consuming foods loaded with sweeteners caused a similar reduction in appetite as sugary foods. The findings debunk a claim made by critics of artificial sweeteners, who have said the substances can make people hungrier.
They suggest that other benefits included lowering blood sugar, which is particularly significant for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
We’re all looking for a way to grab the can of cookies without feeling guilty. Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in sweets could be the solution – and it won’t leave you hungrier.
While other studies on sweeteners have typically focused on drinks, researchers at the University of Leeds wanted to focus on foods.
They looked at the effects of eating cookies with sugar or two types of food sweetener: the natural sugar substitute Stevia or the artificial sweetener Neotame, which is derived from aspartame.
The trial consisted of three two-week periods.
The participants, all of whom were overweight or obese, ate cookies with fruit filling that contained sugar, the natural sugar substitute or the artificial sweetener.
Blood samples were taken to establish baseline levels of glucose, insulin and appetite-related hormones and they were also asked to rate their appetite and food preferences.
After eating the cookies, they were asked to rate how full they felt for several hours.
Glucose and insulin levels were measured, as well as ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1, and pancreatic polypeptide, hormones associated with food consumption.
The results for the two types of sweeteners showed no differences in appetite or endocrine responses compared to sugar.
But insulin levels measured more than two hours after eating dropped, as did blood sugar levels, according to findings published in The Lancet eBioMedicine.
It is the latest study published by the SWEET consortium of 29 European research, consumer and industry partners who are working to develop and review evidence on the long-term benefits and potential risks involved in switching to artificial sweeteners.
Professor Graham Finlayson, lead researcher and from the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds, said: “The use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers has received much negative attention, including high-profile publications linking their consumption with an altered glycemic response. , toxicological damage to DNA and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
‘These reports contribute to the current confusion about the safety of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers among the general public and especially among people at risk of metabolic diseases.
“Our study provides crucial evidence supporting the daily use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers to control body weight and blood sugar.”
Professor Anne Raben, co-coordinator of the SWEET project, from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, said: “The findings show that sweeteners are a useful tool for reducing added sugar intake without causing a compensatory increase in appetite or intake. of energy, thus supporting the usefulness of sweeteners for appetite, energy and weight control.’