Sweet Consumption and Subsequent Sweet Food Preferences and Intakes

NCT05672017 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: AppletonRSFC2022
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 104
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will assess the effects of repeated sweet versus non-sweet food consumption on subsequent sweet and non-sweet food preferences and intakes.

Conditions

Dietary Behaviour

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Sweet Food Preferences

  Preferences for various sweet foods/fluids, assessed using a taste test, where participants sample several sweet and non-sweet foods and rate them for pleasantness on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale, from 0 to 100mm. Higher scores signify stronger preferences

  Week 1

• Sweet Food Choices

  Selection of sweet foods/fluids at a given meal, assessed where participants can consume freely from a meal composed of sweet and non-sweet foods, and proportion of sweet foods consumed is measured as a percentage of weight consumed

  Week 1

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Hunger and Thirst

  Week 1

• Sweet Food Perceptions

  Week 1

• MRI Static Brain Scan (Subset of Participants Only)

  Baseline to week 1

• fMRI Composite Functional Brain Scan (Subset of Participants Only)

  Baseline to week 1

Study Arms (3)

Dietary Instructions: Increase sweet food consumption

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants are asked to increase their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet. Participants will be provided with clear instructions, where sweet foods will be highlighted and additional means of increasing sweet food consumption will be offered.

Behavioral: Dietary Instructions

Dietary Instructions: Decrease sweet food consumption

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants are asked to decrease their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet. Participants will be provided with clear instructions, where sweet foods will be highlighted and means of decreasing sweet food consumption will be offered.

Behavioral: Dietary Instructions

Dietary Instructions: Usual Diet

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants are asked to retain their consumption of sweet foods throughout their diet.

Behavioral: Dietary Instructions

Interventions

Dietary Instructions BEHAVIORAL

Dietary Instructions

Dietary Instructions: Decrease sweet food consumption; Dietary Instructions: Increase sweet food consumption; Dietary Instructions: Usual Diet

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• aged 18-65 years;
• habitually consume breakfast;
• able to provide consent and complete all study materials;
• able to attend Bournemouth University for testing.

You may not qualify if:

• individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
• underweight (BMI \<18.5);
• have pre-existing clinical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, eating disorders, Crohn's disease and other illness's leading to participants receiving external nutritional advice and dietary restrictions;
• have pre-existing medical conditions affecting swallow ability, taste and smell perception;
• currently or within 3 months of starting the study are following a specific dietary programme (e.g.: Slimming World);
• current smokers or have smoked within 3 months of the study start date.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bournemouth University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth, US and Canada Only, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• This project is associated with Clinical Trails Registration: NCT03427658

  BACKGROUND

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr Katherine Appleton
• Organization: Bournemouth University

k.appleton@bournemouth.ac.uk

01202965985

Study Officials

• Katherine M Appleton

  Bournemouth University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Investigators, outcome assessors and analysts will be masked. It is not possible to mask participants.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2023
• First Posted: January 5, 2023
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2024
• Last Updated: June 26, 2025
• Results First Posted: June 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: On study completion
• Access Criteria: On reasonable request

Locations

GB (1)