Energy compensation following consumption of sugar-reduced products: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Consumption of sugar-reformulated products (commercially available foods and beverages that have been reduced in sugar content through reformulation) is a potential strategy for lowering sugar intake at a population level. The impact of sugar-reformulated products on body weight, energy balance (EB) dynamics and cardiovascular disease risk indicators has yet to be established. The REFORMulated foods (REFORM) study examined the impact of an 8-week sugar-reformulated product exchange on body weight, EB dynamics, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, glycemia and lipemia.


METHODS
A randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover dietary intervention study was performed with fifty healthy normal to overweight men and women (age 32.0 ± 9.8 year, BMI 23.5 ± 3.0 kg/m(2)) who were randomly assigned to consume either regular sugar or sugar-reduced foods and beverages for 8 weeks, separated by 4-week washout period. Body weight, energy intake (EI), energy expenditure and vascular markers were assessed at baseline and after both interventions.


RESULTS
We found that carbohydrate (P < 0.001), total sugars (P < 0.001) and non-milk extrinsic sugars (P < 0.001) (% EI) were lower, whereas fat (P = 0.001) and protein (P = 0.038) intakes (% EI) were higher on the sugar-reduced than the regular diet. No effects on body weight, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, fasting glycemia or lipemia were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of sugar-reduced products, as part of a blinded dietary exchange for an 8-week period, resulted in a significant reduction in sugar intake. Body weight did not change significantly, which we propose was due to energy compensation.
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AP, UK.|Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR), Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AP, UK.
Oonagh
O
Markey
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AP, UK.
Julia
J
Le Jeune
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AP, UK. j.a.lovegrove@reading.ac.uk.|Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research (ICMR), Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AP, UK. j.a.lovegrove@reading.ac.uk.
Julie A
JA
Lovegrove
D000328:Adult; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D064427:Nutritive Sweeteners / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D050177:Overweight / Q000378:metabolism*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D055815:Young Adult
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D064427:Nutritive Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners; Body weight; Dietary energy compensation; Obesity; Sugar; Sugar-reduced products