Effects of Sugar Intake & Body Weight
- Review
Dietary (added) sugar by low-energy sweeteners
or complex carbohydrates contributes to weight loss. In two experimental
studies, no short-term differences in weight loss were observed after
use of aspartame as compared to sugar in obese subjects following a controlled
energy-restricted diet. However, consumption of aspartame was associated
with improved weight maintenance after a year. In two short-term studies
in which energy intake was not restricted, substitution of sucrose by
artificial sweeteners, investigated mostly in beverages, resulted in lower
energy intake and lower body weight. Similarly, two short-term studies,
comparing the effect of sucrose and starch on weight loss in obese subjects
did not find differences when the total energy intake was equal and reduced.
An ad libitum diet with complex carbohydrates resulted in lower energy
intake compared to high-sugar diets. In two out of three studies, this
was reflected in lower body weight in subjects consuming the complex carbohydrate
diet. In conclusion, a limited number of relatively short-term studies
suggest that replacing (added) sugar by low-energy sweeteners or by complex
carbohydrates in an ad libitum diet might result in lower energy intake
and reduced body weight. In the long term, this might be beneficial for
weight maintenance. However, the number of studies is small and overall
conclusions, in particular for the long term, cannot be drawn.
Source: Vermunt SH, Pasman WJ, Schaafsma
G, Kardinaal AF. TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Department of Nutritional
Physiology, Zeist, the Netherlands. 2003
Weight Loss Methods
The science of weight loss and obesity management is constantly evolving,
along with research into weight loss drugs, supplements and gastric bypass
surgery. At present, however, a balanced diet combined with regular exercise
remains the favored weight management strategy of most weight loss experts. Return to Weight Loss Data
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