
A new study challenges the widely held belief that eating sweet foods increases your craving for them.
一项新研究对“吃甜食会增加你对甜味的渴望”这一广泛流传的观点提出了质疑。
It might come as a surprise, but your cravings for sweet flavors may not be influenced by how much sugar you consume.
这可能会让人感到惊讶,但你对甜味的渴望可能并不受你摄入糖分多少的影响。
In a recent randomized controlled trial, researchers discovered that increasing or decreasing the amount of sweet-tasting foods in the diet had no effect on participants’ overall preference for sweetness.
在一项近期的随机对照试验中,研究人员发现,无论饮食中增加或减少甜味食品的摄入量,都不会影响参与者对甜味的总体偏好。
After six months of following diets with different levels of sweet foods, people in the study showed no meaningful changes in how much they liked sweet tastes, regardless of how much sugar they consumed.
在坚持含有不同甜味水平的饮食六个月后,参与者对甜味喜好的程度并未发生显著变化,无论他们摄入了多少糖分。
“We also found that diets with lower or higher dietary sweetness were not associated with changes in energy consumption or body weight,” said the study’s lead investigator, Kees de Graaf, PhD, emeritus professor in sensory science and eating behavior at the Division of Human Nutrition and Health at Wageningen University in The Netherlands.
“我们还发现,甜味摄入高低不同的饮食,并不会影响能量摄入量或体重变化,”研究负责人、荷兰瓦赫宁根大学人类营养与健康系的感官科学和饮食行为名誉教授Kees de Graaf博士表示。
“Even though many people believe that sweet foods promote higher energy intake, our study showed that sweetness alone isn’t to blame for taking in too many calories.”
“尽管许多人认为甜食会导致能量摄入过多,但我们的研究表明,仅仅是甜味并不是摄入过多热量的罪魁祸首。”
Eva Čad, a doctoral fellow at Wageningen University, will present the findings at NUTRITION 2025, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held May 31–June 3 in Orlando.
瓦赫宁根大学的博士研究员Eva Čad将于2025年5月31日至6月3日在奥兰多举行的美国营养学会年度旗舰会议“NUTRITION 2025”上展示这一研究成果。
Filling a Major Research Gap
填补重要研究空白
“Most studies examining the effects of repeated exposure to sweet taste on the liking, or preference, for sweetness have been short-term, covering periods up to one day,” said de Graaf.
“目前大多数研究探讨反复暴露于甜味对喜好或偏好的影响时,研究时间都很短,最多只持续一天,”de Graaf说。
“Without consistent data on the longer-term effects, the basic question of whether or not sweetness preferences are modifiable has been unanswered.”
“由于缺乏关于长期影响的系统性数据,甜味偏好是否可以被改变这一基本问题一直未能得到解答。”
To address this research gap, the investigators conducted a study based on a validated approach to measuring sweet taste preferences using foods and drinks developed especially for the trial and not administered as part of the intervention diets.
为了解决这一研究空白,研究人员采用了一种经过验证的方法来衡量甜味偏好,使用了为本次试验特别开发的食物和饮料,但这些并不作为干预饮食的一部分提供。
The rigorous design followed a pre-registered and ethics-approved protocol with strict adherence throughout the trial.
这项研究采用严格设计,遵循事先注册并通过伦理审查的研究方案,在整个试验过程中严格执行。
For the study, three groups of about 60 volunteers—180 participants total—were each given diets with mostly sweet, less sweet, or a mix of foods.
在本项研究中,大约60人的三个志愿者小组(共180名参与者)分别被给予以高甜度、低甜度或混合食物为主的饮食。
This was done by delivering food and drink packages every two weeks for six months, providing about half of each participant’s daily food items.
研究人员每两周向参与者配送食物和饮品包,持续六个月,提供其每日饮食的一半左右。
The study participants received daily menus for guidance but could eat as much or as little of the provided foods as they wanted.
参与者每天都会收到菜单作为参考,但可以自行决定所提供食物的食用量。
Measuring Sweetness and Nutritional Control
测量甜度与营养控制
The researchers categorized foods based on their sweetness using data from their previous study that measured taste intensity in about 500 commonly eaten Dutch foods.
研究人员利用先前研究中测量的约500种荷兰常见食物的味觉强度数据,将食物按甜度分类。
Sweet products included items like jam, milk chocolate, sweetened dairy, and sugar-sweetened drinks.
甜食类包括果酱、牛奶巧克力、加糖乳制品和含糖饮料等。
Non-sweet items included foods like ham, cheese, peanut butter, hummus, salted popcorn, and sparkling water.
非甜食类包括火腿、奶酪、花生酱、鹰嘴豆泥、咸爆米花和苏打水等。
Each person’s preference for sweet taste was tested before the intervention diet began, two times during the diet, directly after the diet ended, and one and four months after people were no longer following the assigned diet.
每位参与者的甜味偏好分别在干预饮食开始前、干预过程中两次、干预结束后立即、以及停止饮食干预的一个月和四个月后接受测试。
The investigators also looked at total energy and macronutrient intake, dietary intakes during the trial, and physiological measures like body weight, body composition, and blood markers for the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, such as glucose, insulin, and cholesterol.
研究人员还评估了总能量及三大营养素摄入量、试验期间的膳食摄入情况,以及体重、身体组成和与糖尿病及心血管疾病风险相关的血液指标(如血糖、胰岛素和胆固醇)等生理数据。
To make sure that there were no confounding factors, the carbohydrates, fat, and protein composition of the foods and drinks provided to each group were matched.
为了避免混杂因素,研究人员确保各组提供的食物和饮品在碳水化合物、脂肪和蛋白质含量上保持一致。
They also randomized people with similar sex, age, and body weight to avoid large differences among the groups.
同时,将性别、年龄和体重相似的参与者随机分配,以避免各组之间存在明显差异。
The researchers found that lower exposure to sweet-tasting foods did not lead to shifts in sweet taste preferences, changes in sweet taste perception, changes in food choice, or energy intake.
研究人员发现,减少摄入甜食并未导致甜味偏好变化、甜味感知改变、食物选择变化或能量摄入的改变。
Likewise, the group eating more sweet-tasting foods did not experience an increased preference for sweet foods.
同样,摄入更多甜食的组也未表现出对甜食偏好的增强。
They also found no association between the amount of sweet foods consumed with changes in body weight or biomarkers for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
他们还发现,摄入甜食的量与体重变化或糖尿病、心血管疾病的生物标志物之间无关联。
After the intervention, the participants naturally returned to baseline levels of sweet food intake at the 1- and 4-month follow-ups.
在干预结束后的1个月和4个月随访中,参与者自然回归到了干预前的甜食摄入水平。
Implications for Diet and Health
对饮食与健康的启示
“This is one of the first studies to measure and adjust sweetness across the whole diet within a realistic range of what people actually consume,” said de Graaf.
德·格拉夫表示:“这是首次在实际可行的范围内,对整个饮食中甜度进行测量和调控的研究之一。”
“This matters because some people avoid sweet-tasting foods, believing that regular exposure will increase their preference for sweetness — but our results show that’s not the case.”
“这一发现非常重要,因为有些人会避免摄入甜食,担心经常接触会增强对甜味的偏好,但我们的研究结果显示,事实并非如此。”
Next, the researchers would like to repeat the study with children, a group that may still be flexible in forming their taste preferences and eating habits.
接下来,研究人员希望在儿童群体中重复这项研究,因为他们在味觉偏好和饮食习惯的形成上仍具有可塑性。
精选词汇
【craving】/ˈkreɪvɪŋ/ n. a strong desire for something 强烈的渴望
例句:Reducing sugar intake doesn’t always reduce cravings for sweet foods.
减少糖分摄入并不总能降低对甜食的渴望。
【randomized】/ˈrændəˌmaɪzd/ adj. assigned by chance or without a set pattern 随机的
例句:The trial used a randomized design to avoid bias.
该试验采用了随机设计以避免偏倚。
【controlled trial】/kənˈtroʊld traɪəl/ n. a scientific experiment where one variable is tested in a controlled environment 对照试验
例句:Controlled trials are essential for drawing reliable conclusions.
对照试验对于得出可靠结论至关重要。
【preference】/ˈprefrəns/ n. a greater liking for one alternative over others 偏好;喜好
例句:Participants’ sweetness preferences remained stable after the study.
参与者的甜味偏好在研究结束后保持稳定。
【regardless】/rɪˈɡɑːrdləs/ adv. without being affected by something 无论;不管
例句:Sweetness preference did not change regardless of sugar intake.
无论摄入多少糖分,甜味偏好都没有改变。
【consumption】/kənˈsʌmpʃən/ n. the act of using, eating, or drinking something 摄入;消费
例句:The study monitored participants’ energy consumption.
研究监测了参与者的能量摄入情况。
【emeritus】/ɪˈmerɪtəs/ adj. retired from a professional position but retaining the title 荣誉退休的;名誉的
例句:The emeritus professor led the research with decades of experience.
这位名誉教授以数十年的经验领导了这项研究。
【validated】/ˈvælɪdeɪtɪd/ adj. confirmed as effective or reliable 经验证的
例句:The researchers used a validated tool to assess taste preference.
研究人员使用了经过验证的工具来评估味觉偏好。
【intervention】/ˌɪntərˈvenʃən/ n. the act of becoming involved in a situation to change it 干预;介入
例句:The sweet foods used for preference testing were not part of the intervention.
用于测试偏好的甜食并不属于干预内容。
【categorize】/ˈkætəɡəraɪz/ v. to place in a particular class or group 分类;归类
例句:Researchers categorized the foods based on their measured sweetness.
研究人员根据测量的甜度将食物分类。
【sweetness】/ˈswiːtnəs/ n. the quality of tasting sweet 甜度;甜味
例句:A decrease in dietary sweetness did not alter taste preference.
饮食中甜度的降低并未改变味觉偏好。
【perception】/pəˈsepʃən/ n. the way something is understood or interpreted 感知;理解
例句:There was no significant change in the participants’ perception of sweet taste.
参与者对甜味的感知没有显著变化。
【physiological】/ˌfɪziəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ adj. relating to the normal functions of living organisms 生理的
例句:The study measured physiological indicators such as insulin and cholesterol levels.
该研究测量了胰岛素和胆固醇等生理指标。
【biomarker】/ˈbaɪəʊˌmɑːkər/ n. a measurable substance indicating a biological state or condition 生物标志物
例句:Biomarkers were used to assess the risk of diabetes.
使用生物标志物来评估糖尿病风险。
【macronutrient】/ˌmæk.rəʊˈnjuː.tri.ənt/ n. a type of food required in large amounts in the diet (e.g. protein, fat, carbohydrate) 大量营养素
例句:The composition of macronutrients was balanced across the diet groups.
各饮食组的大量营养素成分保持平衡。
【randomize】/ˈrændəmaɪz/ v. to arrange or select without specific pattern or plan 随机分配
例句:Participants were randomized to ensure comparability between groups.
参与者被随机分配以确保各组的可比性。
【exposure】/ɪkˈspəʊʒər/ n. the state of being subjected to something 曝露;接触
例句:Long-term exposure to sweet foods did not increase sweet preferences.
长期接触甜食并未增强对甜味的偏好。
【baseline】/ˈbeɪslaɪn/ n. a starting point used for comparisons 基线;起点
例句:Participants returned to baseline levels of sweet intake after the intervention.
参与者在干预结束后恢复到甜食摄入的基线水平。
【composition】/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/ n. the way in which something is made up 构成;组成
例句:The body composition of participants was measured before and after the trial.
研究前后对参与者的身体组成进行了测量。
【associate】/əˈsəʊʃieɪt/ v. to connect something with something else 联系;关联
例句:No association was found between sweet intake and body weight.
未发现甜食摄入量与体重之间的关联。
【cardiovascular】/ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələr/ adj. relating to the heart and blood vessels 心血管的
例句:Cholesterol levels are important indicators of cardiovascular health.
胆固醇水平是心血管健康的重要指标。
【intensity】/ɪnˈtensəti/ n. the strength or force of something 强度;密度
例句:Sweetness intensity was measured across hundreds of common foods.
在数百种常见食物中测量了甜度强度。
【flexible】/ˈfleksəbl/ adj. capable of changing or being changed 可变通的;灵活的
例句:Children may be more flexible in developing taste preferences.
儿童在形成味觉偏好方面可能更具灵活性。
【realistic】/ˌrɪəˈlɪstɪk/ adj. based on practical ideas or what is actually possible 现实的;切合实际的
例句:The study applied a realistic range of sweetness levels.
该研究采用了切合实际的甜度范围。
【preference】/ˈprefərəns/ n. a greater liking for one alternative over others 偏好;喜好
例句:The study tracked changes in participants’ food preferences.
该研究追踪了参与者饮食偏好的变化。
【guidance】/ˈɡaɪdəns/ n. advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty 指导;引导
例句:Participants were given daily menus for guidance.
研究对象每天都收到菜单作为饮食指导。
【consume】/kənˈsjuːm/ v. to eat or drink something 消耗;吃喝
例句:Participants could choose how much of the provided food to consume.
参与者可以自由决定摄入多少提供的食物。
【likewise】/ˈlaɪkwaɪz/ adv. similarly 同样地
例句:Likewise, those on the sweet diet did not develop stronger preferences.
同样,摄入甜食的人群并未形成更强烈的偏好。