Acute and repeated impact of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers in solid and semi-solid foods on appetite: protocol for a multicentre, cross-over, RCT in people with overweight/obesity - the SWEET Project

BMJ Open. 2022 Dec 23;12(12):e063903. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063903.

Abstract

Introduction: Intake of free sugars in European countries is high and attempts to reduce sugar intake have been mostly ineffective. Non-nutritive sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SEs) can maintain sweet taste in the absence of energy, but little is known about the impact of acute and repeated consumption of S&SE in foods on appetite. This study aims to evaluate the effect of acute and repeated consumption of two individual S&SEs and two S&SE blends in semisolid and solid foods on appetite and related behavioural, metabolic and health outcomes.

Methods and analysis: A work package of the SWEET Project; this study consists of five double-blind randomised cross-over trials which will be carried out at five sites across four European countries, aiming to have n=213. Five food matrices will be tested across three formulations (sucrose-sweetened control vs two reformulated products with S&SE blends and no added sugar). Participants (body mass index 25-35 kg/m2; aged 18-60 years) will consume each formulation for 14 days. The primary endpoint is composite appetite score (hunger, inverse of fullness, desire to eat and prospective food consumption) over a 3-hour postprandial incremental area under the curve during clinical investigation days on days 1 and 14.

Ethics and dissemination: The trial has been approved by national ethical committees and will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be published in international peer-reviewed open-access scientific journals. Research data from the trial will be deposited in an open-access online research data archive.

Trial registration number: NCT04633681.

Keywords: General endocrinology; NUTRITION & DIETETICS; PUBLIC HEALTH; Protocols & guidelines.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial Protocol
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Appetite*
  • Energy Intake
  • Humans
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Overweight
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Sugars
  • Sweetening Agents*
  • Taste

Substances

  • Sweetening Agents
  • Sugars

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04633681