Supplement
Nonnutritive sweeteners are compounds, such as aspartame, sucralose and stevia extracts, that taste sweet but add almost no calories, so they stand in for sugar in drinks and foods. People mostly look at them for weight control, and reviews of randomized trials found body weight went down and people ate less food, with moderate evidence for both. The effects were small, though, and each finding came from a single review; the evidence for HDL cholesterol was very limited, with no clear difference.
Sources: PMID 40913681; PMID 39606579
- Updated
- How we grade
- 3 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 6
- Graded outcomes
- 0201
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Intake Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 944 people | ||
| Weight Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 2,617 people | ||
General Cardiovascular Health
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) No effect | NoneNo effect | 2,209 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 2,209 people | |||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2,209 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2,209 people | ||||
Key findings
- Food IntakeImproves (the measure goes down)
- WeightImproves (the measure goes down)
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Nonnutritive Sweeteners products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure
Studies cited
3 studies from PubMed
- The effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on energy and macronutrients intake in adults: a grade-assessed systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.
- Effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies.
- The effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on lipid profile in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.