Oral stimulation with aspartame increases hunger

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Endocrinology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Artificial sweeteners are widely used as sugar substitutes.
• Understanding their metabolic and appetite effects is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of aspartame "sweetness" on hunger.
• To determine if aspartame concentration influences hunger ratings.

Main Methods:

• Human subjects (10 males, 10 females per group) chewed gum with varying aspartame concentrations (0.05%-1.0%) or control gum for 15 minutes.
• Hunger ratings were assessed over time after gum chewing.

Main Results:

• Sweetened gum bases increased hunger ratings compared to controls.
• The effect was not directly proportional to aspartame concentration.
• Optimal concentrations for increasing hunger were 0.3% for females and 0.5% for males.
• High aspartame concentrations induced a transient decrease followed by a sustained increase in hunger.

Conclusions:

• Aspartame's sweetness can influence hunger, but the effect is complex.
• Sweetener concentration, subject sex, and time post-consumption are key factors influencing aspartame's effect on appetite.