The great sweetener myth! Sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose DO NOT make you hungrier, scientists say

We’re all looking for a guilt-free way to reach for the cookie tin.

Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in the treats could be the answer – and it won’t make you feel hungrier.

Consuming foods loaded with sweeteners caused a similar reduction in appetite as sugary foods, the study found. The findings debunk a claim by critics of artificial sweeteners, who say the substances can make people hungrier.

Other benefits included lowering blood sugar levels, which is especially important for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, they suggest.

While other sweetener studies have typically focused on drinks, researchers from the University of Leeds wanted to focus on food.

They looked at the effects of eating cookies containing sugar or two types of food sweeteners: natural sugar substitute Stevia, or artificial sweetener Neotame, derived from aspartame.

The trial consisted of three two-week periods.

Participants – all of whom were overweight or obese – ate cookies with a fruit filling that contained sugar, the natural sugar substitute or artificial sweetener.

Blood samples were taken to determine 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 from 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 were reduced, as were blood sugar levels, according to the findings published in The Lancet eBioMedicine.

It is the latest study published by the SWEET consortium of 29 European research, consumer and industry partners working to develop and assess evidence on the long-term benefits and potential risks associated with switching on artificial sweeteners.

Professor Graham Finlayson, lead researcher and from the University of Leeds’ School of Psychology, said: ‘The use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers has received a lot of negative attention, including high-profile publications linking their consumption to reduced glycemic response, toxicological damage of DNA and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

‘These reports contribute to the current confusion about the safety of sweeteners and sweetening enhancers among the general public and especially among people at risk of metabolic diseases.

‘Our research provides crucial evidence to support the daily use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers for managing body weight and blood sugar levels.’

Joint coordinator of the SWEET project, Professor Anne Raben, from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, said: ‘The findings show that sweeteners are a useful tool to reduce added sugar intake without leading to a compensatory increase in appetite or energy intake, thus supporting the usefulness of sweeteners for appetite, energy and weight control.’