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Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults
Published on: July 16, 2016
Impact of non-sugar sweeteners on metabolism beyond sweet taste perception
Herbert Herzog1, Lei Zhang1, Luigi Fontana2
1St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract:
Non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), low- or no-calorie alternatives to sugar, are marketed for weight loss and improved blood glucose control in people with diabetes. However, their health effects remain controversial. This review provides a brief overview of sweet taste perception and summarizes experimental findings of the impact of NSS on cardiometabolic health in animal models and humans. We also review evidence suggesting that many NSS are not metabolically inert, highlighting the challenges in related human studies. Given the conflicting and unclear data on health outcomes, additional mechanistic studies, particularly in animal models, are necessary to clarify how NSS influence feeding behaviors and energy homoeostasis.
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