Effects of carbohydrate sugars and artificial sweeteners on appetite and the secretion of gastrointestinal satiety peptides

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 105; no. 9; pp. 1320 - 1328
• Main Authors: Steinert, Robert E., Frey, Florian, Töpfer, Antonia, Drewe, Jürgen, Beglinger, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 14.05.2011; CABI Pub
• Subjects: acesulfame potassium; Adult; Appetite; Appetite - drug effects; Artificial sweeteners; aspartame; Aspartame - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; blood; Blood Glucose; Carbohydrates; Carbohydrates - pharmacology; Clinical trials; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; drug effects; Effects; fasting; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; fructose; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gastrointestinal system; Gastrointestinal Tract; Gastrointestinal Tract - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Tract - metabolism; ghrelin; Glucagon; Glucagon - blood; glucagon-like peptide 1; glucose; Humans; Hunger; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Male; metabolism; Nutritional Endocrinology; Peptides; pharmacology; satiety; Satiety Response; Satiety Response - drug effects; secretion; sucralose; Sugar; Sweetening Agents; Sweetening Agents - pharmacology; sweetness; taste; Thiazines; Thiazines - pharmacology; tongue; tyrosine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult; Carbohydrate sugars; Intestinal chemosensitivity; Artificial sweeteners; Satiety peptides; Gut taste receptors; Appetite; Peptides; Digestive system; Secretion; Gut; Gustative system; Gastrointestinal; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Gustation; Chemosensitivity; Satiety; Sweetener; Carbohydrate; Taste; Sugar; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S000711451000512X

In vitro, both carbohydrate sugars and artificial sweeteners (AS) stimulate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). It has been suggested that the gut tastes sugars and AS through the same mechanisms as the tongue, with potential effects on gut hormone release. We investigated whether the human gut responds in the same way to AS and carbohydrate sugars, which are perceived by lingual taste as equisweet. We focused on the secretion of gastrointestinal (GI) satiety peptides in relation to appetite perception. We performed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, six-way, cross-over trial including twelve healthy subjects. On separate days, each subject received an intragastric infusion of glucose, fructose or an AS (aspartame, acesulfame K and sucralose) dissolved in 250 ml of water or water only (control). In a second part, four subjects received an intragastric infusion of the non-sweet, non-metabolisable sugar analogue 2-deoxy-d-glucose. Glucose stimulated GLP-1 (P = 0·002) and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY; P = 0·046) secretion and reduced fasting plasma ghrelin (P = 0·046), whereas fructose was less effective. Both carbohydrate sugars increased satiety and fullness (albeit not significantly) compared with water. In contrast, equisweet loads of AS did not affect gastrointestinal peptide secretion with minimal effects on appetite. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose increased hunger ratings, however, with no effects on GLP-1, PYY or ghrelin. Our data demonstrate that the secretion of GLP-1, PYY and ghrelin depends on more than the detection of (1) sweetness or (2) the structural analogy to glucose.