Gradual increases in sugar concentration enhance total perceived sweetness in individuals prone to sweetness habituation

TL;DR

Gradually increasing sugar concentration during consumption can enhance overall sweetness perception in people who experience sweetness habituation.

Contribution

A novel method to counter sweetness habituation by gradually increasing sugar concentration during consumption.

Findings

Increasing sugar concentration improved total perceived sweetness in individuals prone to habituation.

The Area Under the Curve (AUC) showed higher sweetness perception in the increasing concentration condition.

Constant and decreasing concentration conditions did not show similar improvements in sweetness perception.

Abstract

Excessive sugar consumption has become a major health concern, contributing to obesity and diabetes. To address this issue without increasing sugar intake, various strategies to enhance sweetness have been explored. However, conventional methods, which rely on repetitive stimuli or patterns, fail to counteract the decline in perceived sweetness caused by habituation during continuous consumption.

We hypothesized that gradually increasing sugar concentration during consumption could mitigate habituation and enhance overall sweetness perception. To test this hypothesis, we developed a system capable of delivering sucrose solutions with gradually changing concentrations. In the experiment, participants consumed a 15-second continuous flow of sucrose solution with an average concentration of 4.7%. The sugar concentration either increased from 3.8% to 5.6%, decreased from 5.6% to 3.8%, or remained constant. Participants were instructed to swallow at 3-second intervals for a total of five times, rating sweetness after each swallow. The total perceived sweetness, measured as the Area Under the Curve (AUC), was compared across conditions.

In groups showing habituation under constant concentration, the increasing concentration condition improved total perceived sweetness.

These findings suggest that increasing sugar concentration patterns can alleviate habituation and enhance sweetness perception, particularly in individuals prone to sweetness habituation.

Figures