For years, dietary advice has focused on cutting down on sweet foods, based on the idea that less exposure to sweet tastes would reduce sugar cravings and thereby improve health.
However, a new study from Bournemouth University, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicates that this assumption does not hold.
According to the research, reducing consumption of sweet foods does not change our preference for sweetness.
Three different groups
The study involved 180 participants, who were divided into three groups with varying levels of sweetness in their diets.
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Some consumed a highly sweet diet, others consumed less, and a third group fell in between. The diets included sugar, naturally sweet foods, and sweeteners.
Researchers followed the participants for six months, measuring factors such as weight and signs of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Old habits return
The results showed no clear differences between the groups. Neither their health nor their desire for sweet foods changed significantly.
At the same time, many participants gradually returned to their previous eating habits.
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The study suggests that it is not the sweet taste itself that leads people to consume more sugar and other sweet foods.
Instead, the key factor is how much sugar and how many calories are consumed.
Sources: Science Daily, and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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