Metabolic Effects of Non-nutritive Sweeteners

We have recently found that sucralose, the most commonly used non-nutritive sweetener (NNS),
affects the glycemic response to an OGTT and potentiates glucose-stimulated insulin
secretion in obese people who are not regular consumers of NNS. However, studies conducted
in healthy lean adults, none of which control for previous use of NNS, show that sucralose
does not affect glycemic or hormonal responses to the ingestion of glucose or other
carbohydrates. Therefore, we do not know a) whether sucralose effects are limited to obese
subjects, or are generalizable to lean people when controlling for prior history of NNS
consumption, and b) mechanism(s) responsible for the acute effect of sucralose on glucose
metabolism as we measured in obese subjects. The aim of this study is to determine the
effects of an acute intake of sucralose on the metabolic response to an oral glucose
tolerance test in lean and obese people.

Inclusion Criteria:

- BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥ 18 kg/m2 and BMI<25 kg/m2

- "insulin sensitive": based on the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance
(HOMA-IR) <3

Exclusion Criteria:

- BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and BMI<30 kg/m2

- HOMA-IR>3

- Current smoker or quit smoking less than 6 months ago

- pregnancy or breastfeeding

- subjects who have malabsorptive syndromes, phenylketonuira, inflammatory intestinal
disease, liver or kidney diseases, diabetes

- subjects who are taking any medication that might affect metabolism

- anemia

- regular use of non-nutritive sweeteners