Scientists debate about how low-calorie sweeteners in foods and beverages can affect human metabolism, with some saying that they could affect metabolism in ways that contribute to obesity and diabetes. In contrast, others say that they have little impact on metabolism.
A study published in Cell Metabolism found that people who drank beverages that contained the low-calorie sweetener sucralose did experience metabolic problems and issues with neural responses but only when the beverage was formulated with both sucralose and a tasteless sugar (maltodextrin). “Consumption of sucralose combined with carbohydrates impairs insulin sensitivity,” the researchers from Yale University wrote in their study. “This metabolic impairment is associated with decreases in neural responses to sugar.”
Additionally, the results showed that the subjects who consumed beverages made with the low-calorie sweetener only and those who consumed beverages made with sucrose only did not impair metabolism “The subjects had seven low-calorie drinks, each containing the equivalent of two packages of Splenda, over two weeks,” says senior author Dana Small, professor of psychiatry and psychology and director of the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, in a Yale University press release. “When the drink was consumed with just the low-calorie sweetener, no changes were observed; however, when this same amount of low-calorie sweetener was consumed with a carbohydrate added to the drink, sugar metabolism and brain response to sugar became impaired.”
The dangers of a high-sodium diet have been well documented, but a new technology devised by scientists from Washington State University could help reduce sodium in processed foods while retaining taste and texture.
Consultant and nutrition specialist Mercy Lung’aho advocates for a healthier food system throughout sub-Saharan Africa. She shares how a blend of life experience, cultural awareness, and political savvy inform her daily work as a scientist and challenges her peers to prioritize interdisciplinary dialogue to address food system challenges.
Formulators of plant-based foods want their products to taste less astringent. So an engineer, a food scientist, and an oral biologist are teaming up to solve the problem.
Researchers study the effect of roasting cacao beans on the bitterness of chocolate made from the beans.
An update on the trends in healthy snacks and the ingredients used in formulating them
Linda Milo Ohr explores the ways that prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics support gut health and overall health.
Following a long-term diet that’s low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein from vegetables may reduce the risk of the most common subtype of glaucoma, according to a study published in Eye-Nature.
The U.S. FDA has announced in a letter of enforcement discretion that it does not intend to object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry products and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in healthy women.
According to a group of research, policy, and government experts, the United States needs to strengthen and increase funding for federal nutrition research and improve cross-governmental coordination in order to accelerate discoveries, grow the economy, and—most importantly—improve public health, food/nutrition security, and population resilience.
The 2020 DGAC revisited the topic of added sugars and concluded that a more appropriate target to help mitigate cardiovascular disease and obesity is to lower the number to 6% of energy from added sugars for the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report, an objective review of the latest available science on specific nutrition topics.
