Eating More Sweet Foods Does Not Increase Preference for Sweetness

Recent research challenges the common belief that consuming more sweet foods influences an individual’s taste preferences. A comprehensive, randomized controlled trial conducted over six months examined whether varying the amount of sweet-tasting foods in the diet would affect the preference for sweetness, energy intake, or body weight.

The study involved 180 volunteers divided into three groups, each assigned diets with high, moderate, or low levels of sweet foods. These participants received food packages bi-weekly, containing about half of their daily food intake, with the composition carefully matched for macronutrients to avoid confounding factors. Throughout the trial, researchers assessed participants’ preferences for sweetness through taste tests conducted at multiple intervals—before, during, immediately after, and months following the intervention.

Findings revealed no significant change in sweet taste preference regardless of the level of sweetness in their diets. Participants who consumed more sweet foods did not develop a stronger preference for sweetness, nor did those on lower-sweet diets show diminished sweet preference. Additionally, there was no association between the intake of sweet foods and changes in energy consumption, body weight, or blood markers related to diabetes and cardiovascular health.

This study suggests that dietary exposure to sweet taste, within realistic consumption ranges, does not modify taste preferences or contribute to increased calorie intake and weight gain. The research is notable for its rigorous design, including the measurement of sweet preferences across the entire diet and not just isolated foods, providing valuable insights into long-term taste modulation.

The lead researcher, Dr. Kees de Graaf, emphasized that these findings challenge the popular notion that frequent exposure to sweet foods escalates preference. Moving forward, the researchers aim to explore whether these results hold true in children, a group potentially more adaptable in their taste development.

Overall, the results underscore that strategies aimed at reducing or increasing sweet-food consumption may not impact long-term taste preferences or energy intake, offering important implications for dietary guidelines and public health policies.