Long term effect of nonnutritive sweeteners on appetite, caloric intake and body composition in rats

What is it about?

Wistar rats were fed a liquid diet (Osmolite) sweetened with nutritive sweetener (NS; sucrose) and NNS (stevia and saccharin) or a nonsweetened control. Intakes and weight gain were measured. Phases 1 and 2 investigated sweetness preference, phase 3 used diets with or without sweeteners, and phase 4 measured the effect on volume of food and caloric intake of alternating between NNS, NS, and control diets. In phase 1, rats preferred: stevia, 0.10%; saccharin, 0.20%; and sucrose, 15%. In phase 2, rats preferred the sweetened diet over the control. In phase 3, rats fed the NS diet consumed less volume and more calories but gained less weight. In phase 4, when altering diet from NNS to NS, no differences were observed in appetite or weight gain.

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Why is it important?

This research shows that non-nutritive sweeteners may give the appearance of weight gain depending on the control used in the research. Using sucrose-sweetened diet as a control, increased weight gain with the ingestion of NNS. However, using a nonsweetened control, neither increased caloric intake nor weight gain with NNS intake. Alternating diets between NNS, NS, and control did not affect the appetite.

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