The effects of blind substitution of aspartame‐sweetened for sugar‐sweetened soft drinks on appetite and mood

Abstract

It has been suggested that habitual consumers of sugar experience “cravings” when deprived. Subjects (n = 27) who habitually consumed sugar‐sweetened drinks were placed on a seven‐day regime receiving either sugar‐sweetened drinks, or aspartame‐sweetened alternatives. A between‐subjects design was used to prevent subjects comparing the drinks, which were given blind with the cover story that the study was testing a new drink. In fact commercial carbonated beverages were given. At the end, subjects were unable to guess which they had received. Subjects completed a prospective food diary and rated mood daily using the Profile of Mood States, as well as before and after each test drink, using simple visual analogue scales. Compared to subsequent days, on the first day of the study subjects receiving aspartame‐sweetened drinks ate fewer grams of carbohydrate and had fewer sugar episodes (where sugars, or sugar‐fat, or sugar‐alcohol mixtures were consumed). Overall energy intake for the day was unaffected. By day two, there were no differences between the groups in diet or mood. Body weight at seven days was unaltered from baseline. Blind substitution of aspartame‐sweetened for sugar‐sweetened soft drinks did not increase other sugar consumption and did not adversely affect mood. Any effects of this dietary change appear transient.