Aspartame increases hunger

This study was published in Physiology and Behavior 1990 Mar;47(3):555-9

 

Study title and authors:

Oral stimulation with aspartame increases hunger.

Tordoff MG, Alleva AM.

Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2359769

This study whether aspartame increases hunger. The study included groups of 10 male and 10 female subjects who chewed a gum containing one of four concentrations of aspartame (0.05%, 0.3%, 0.5%, or 1.0%) or unsweetened gum for 15 minutes, or were given nothing.

The study found:
(a) Relative to groups given nothing or unsweetened gum to chew, groups given the aspartame sweetened gum had increased hunger.
(b) The highest aspartame concentrations had a time-dependent, two-phase effect on appetite, producing a transient decrease followed by a sustained increase in hunger.

The results of the study show that aspartame increases hunger.