NCT04497974

Sweet Tooth: Nature or Nurture? Role of Long-term Dietary Sweetness Exposure on Sweetness Preferences

Completed NA Last updated 13 June 2024

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Dietary intervention in Food Preferences in 180 participants. Completed in 5 June 2024.

Timeline

20 October 2020

Primary endpoint
5 June 2024

5 June 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Wageningen University
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	double
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	180
Start date	20 October 2020
Primary completion	5 June 2024
Estimated completion	5 June 2024
Sites	1 location across Netherlands

Drugs / interventions tested

• Dietary intervention

Conditions studied

• Food Preferences — all drugs for Food Preferences →

Sponsor

Wageningen University

Who can join

Adults 18 to 65, any sex, with Food Preferences. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

In recent years, social pressure has been exerted towards lowering sugar and sweetness levels in foods, with the aim of decreasing the sweetness preference of the general population. However, the resilience/flexibility of sweetness preferences and the impact on energy intake is a fundamental knowledge gap. Recent, relatively long-term studies limited to no more than 3 months did not find a relationship between sweetness exposure and sweetness preferences. Therefore, a longer-term systematic investigation is necessary to objectively evaluate whether sweetness preferences can be altered via varying the sweetness exposure and whether it can affect other outcomes, such as perceived taste intensity, food intake, body weight, body composition, glucose homeostasis and sweet liker type. The study sample will consist of 180 subjects. Enrolled participants will be distributed into three intervention groups; regular dietary sweetness exposure (n=60); low dietary sweetness exposure (n=60); and high dietary sweetness exposure (n =60). The intervention is semi-controlled for a period of six months. Preference and perceived taste intensity of a series of familiar and unfamiliar foods will be assessed at baseline (Day 0), during the intervention (Month 1, Month 3, Month 6) and in the follow-up period (Month 7, Month 10). Furthermore, outcomes such as observed food choice and intake during a test meal, reported food preferences, reported food cravings, sweet-liker type, glucose homeostasis, body weight, body composition and biomarkers related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease will be assessed as well.

Publications & conference data

4 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Study protocol of the sweet tooth study, randomized controlled trial with partial food provision on the effect of low, regular and high dietary sweetness exposure on sweetness preferences in Dutch adults.
   Čad EM, Tang CS, de Jong HBT, Mars M, et al · · 2023 · cited 10× · PMID 36627602 · DOI 10.1186/s12889-022-14946-4
2. Understanding the determinants of sweet taste liking in the African and East Asian ancestry groups in the U.S.-A study protocol.
   Cheung MM, Hubert PA, Reed DR, Pouget ER, et al · · 2024 · cited 5× · PMID 38683826 · DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0300071
3. The Sweet Tooth Trial: A Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of A 6-Month Low, Regular, or High Dietary Sweet Taste Exposure on Sweet Taste Liking, and Various Outcomes Related to Food Intake and Weight Status.
   Čad EM, Mars M, Pretorius L, van der Kruijssen M, et al · · 2026 · cited 2× · PMID 41485871 · DOI 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.09.041
4. XXXIIIth Annual Meeting of the European Chemoreception Research Organization, ECRO 2023, “Diverse Flavors” Van der Valk Hotel Nijmegen Lent, The Netherlands, 18 - 21 September 2023
   · 2023