Eating sugary foods does not boost your sweet tooth

It’s a common belief that the more sweets you eat, the more you’ll crave them. But recent research suggests that’s not necessarily true. A new study shows that eating more sugary foods doesn’t make you like sweetness any more – or any less – than you already do.

Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands investigated whether changing the amount of sweet foods in your diet could shift your preference for sweetness.

Over six months, participants were assigned diets with different levels of sweet-tasting foods. Surprisingly, no matter how much sugar they consumed, their preference for sweetness stayed exactly the same.

Sweet foods and calorie intake

Dr. Kees de Graaf is an emeritus professor in sensory science and eating behavior at Wageningen University.

“We also found that diets with lower or higher dietary sweetness were not associated with changes in energy consumption or body weight,” said Dr. de Graaf.

“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.”

A new approach to studying sweetness

Most earlier research looked only at short-term effects – sometimes lasting just a day. “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 Dr. de Graaf.

“Without consistent data on the longer-term effects, the basic question of whether or not sweetness preferences are modifiable has been unanswered.”

To fill that gap, the Wageningen team designed a longer, more rigorous trial. They used a validated method for measuring sweet taste preferences, focusing on specially developed foods and drinks that were not part of the main diet.

Importantly, the study followed a preregistered, ethics-approved protocol, with strict adherence throughout.

What the study looked like

The study involved about 180 volunteers who were divided into three groups. Each group received diets that were mostly sweet, less sweet, or a balanced mix of both.

Every two weeks, participants got packages of food and drinks designed to make up about half of their daily meals. They also received daily menu plans for guidance but could decide how much or how little to eat.

The researchers carefully categorized foods based on their sweetness, using a database from a previous study of 500 commonly eaten Dutch foods.

Sweet products included jam, milk chocolate, sweetened dairy, and sugar-sweetened drinks. Non-sweet items included ham, cheese, peanut butter, hummus, salted popcorn, and sparkling water.

How preferences were measured

Each participant’s preference for sweet tastes was measured at several points: before the study started, twice during the diet, immediately after the diet ended, and again one and four months later.

The researchers also collected data on participants’ total energy and nutrient intake, body weight, body composition, and blood markers related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, such as glucose, insulin, and cholesterol levels.

To avoid bias, the foods and drinks provided to each group were matched in terms of carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Participants were also randomized based on similar ages, genders, and body weights.

More sweets, less sweets – same cravings

Over six months, the group eating less sweet foods didn’t show a decreased preference for sweet tastes. The group eating more sweet foods didn’t develop a stronger craving either. It seems that preferences for sweetness cannot be unlearned.

Eating different amounts of sweet foods had no impact on body weight, energy intake, or biomarkers for disease risk. When the study ended, participants’ eating habits naturally returned to baseline within one to four months.

“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 Dr. de Graaf.

“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.”

Shaping healthy eating patterns

While this study focused on adults, the researchers are interested in seeing if the results hold for children.

Taste preferences and eating habits may still be more flexible at younger ages, and understanding that could help shape healthier eating patterns early in life.

The research was presented by doctoral fellow Eva Čad at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held in Orlando.

The findings are detailed in a press release by the Wageningen University.

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