Get Rid of your Sweet Tooth by Eating less Sugar: Research

Cut sugar to stop craving it.

 

A small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition asked participants who drank at least two sugar-sweetened beverages a day to reduce their sugar intake by 40% for three months.

When these men and women were given the occasional treat during their saccharine fast, they reported these honeyed foods tasted sweeter than the folks in the control group who were still savoring their regular sugary intake.

The study funded by Monell Chemical Senses Center and PepsiCo suggests that the more sugar people swallow, the more tolerant they become to the sweet stuff, so they need to eat more to really “taste” it.

By curbing their sugar consumption, they don’t need to eat as much to satisfy the same craving.

Those sweet results were unfortunately short-lived. Once participants were allowed to eat whatever they wanted again, they soon started eating the same amount of sugar as they did before the study.

But the study raises hope that the sweet tooth can be reined in by cutting back on sugar intake, which is something the new United States Department of Agriculture guidelines recommended last week.

Researchers hope that future studies will shed more light on how to manipulate people’s tastes and cravings.