Friday 27/March/2026 – 11:36 AM
A recent study revealed that reducing food intake The sweet one It does not necessarily lead to a reduction in sugar cravings, which contradicts the common belief that staying away from sweets trains the body to reduce its cravings over time.
Why does the desire for sugar persist despite reducing sweets?
Researchers in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom conducted an experiment with about 180 adults, who were divided into three groups according to their level of consumption of sweet-tasting foods – whether high, low or moderate – over a period of 6 months.
According to the results of the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, no noticeable differences appeared between participants in preference for sweet taste, nor did weight indicators or risk factors for diabetes and heart disease change significantly.
The study explained that there is a common confusion between sweetness and sugar, as the sweet taste may come from different sources, such as fruit or low-calorie sweeteners, and not necessarily from added sugar.
Researcher Catherine Appleton confirmed that humans have an innate tendency toward sweet taste, which makes reducing sweetness alone insufficient to influence this preference.
Why doesn’t the desire for sugar go away?
Nutrition experts believe that cravings for sugar are not only related to taste, but rather are affected by several factors, most notably:
Overall diet quality
Levels of stress and psychological pressure
Number of hours of sleep
Timing of daily meals
Reliance on processed foods
The solution is not deprivation
The recommendations indicate that the focus should be on reducing added sugar, and not eliminating sweet foods completely, especially since some natural sources such as fruit and dairy products can be part of a healthy diet.
