Gymnemic acids (GA) suppress sweet taste and reduce consumption of high-sugar foods (HSF) which has been attributed to the reduction in pleasure. Herein we tested whether GA reduces the desire to eat HSF, before any HSF is tasted post GA dosing, which would implicate another mechanism of action not previously examined. In this double-blind experiment, 67 adults selected a favourite candy, consumed one standardized serving, rated candy pleasantness along with desire for more candy, and were randomly assigned to consume a GA or placebo lozenge. They subsequently completed candy desire ratings and were offered additional candy servings, one at a time. If an offering was accepted, it was consumed, pleasantness and desire ratings were reported, and another serving was offered. The GA lozenge versus the placebo produced a 31% reduction in participants who chose to eat the first candy offering after GA dosing and produced a 44% reduction in total candy intake. GA versus placebo participants who ate at least one optional serving reported reduced candy pleasantness, though reductions in reported desire did not reach significance. The GA lozenge reduced candy consumption and desire for candy, providing novel evidence that blockade of sweet taste receptors reduces desire for sweet food, even before the food is tasted after GA dosing. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02744885.
Keywords: candy consumption; desire; gymnemic acids; sweet taste blockade.