Reducing Free Sugar Intakes: A Role for Sweet Taste

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Dietary Behaviour
• Interventions: Behavioral: Dietary Advice

• Registration Number: NCT05684757
• Lead Sponsor: Bournemouth University

Brief Summary

This randomised controlled trial aims to assess the effects of three different types of dietary advice for reducing free sugar intakes, on intakes of free sugar, in a sample of the UK population.

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this randomised control trial is to assess the effects of three different types of dietary advice, for reducing total energy intakes (TEI) of free sugar. A total of 150 participants (age 18-65years) consuming diets \>5% total energy intake from dietary free sugars will be recruited from across the Dorset region. All participants will be asked to reduce their free sugar intake to \<5% TEI, and to aid with this, they will be encouraged to reduce their intakes of specific foods identified as high in free sugars. Participants will also be advised to replace these foods with other foods dependent on their taste. Participants will be randomized to replace high sugar foods with: 1) foods that are low in sugars, but high in sweet taste; 2) foods that are low in sugars, but high in other tastes; and 3) foods that are low in taste. The primary outcome will be changes in free sugar consumption from baseline to endpoint at week 12. Secondary outcomes include change in: BMI; dietary profiles; sweetness preference; sweetness liking; food choices; low calorie sweetener intakes and adherence levels at week 12.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-01-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-01-12
• Study First Posted: 2023-01-13
• Study Start: 2023-03-01
• Primary Completion: 2023-12-22
• Status Verified: 2024-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-05-16
• Last Update Posted: 2024-05-17
• Study Completion: 2024-09-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

1. aged 18-65 years;
2. able to provide consent and complete all study materials;
3. consuming >5% of TEI from free sugars;
4. residing in the South of England, and able to attend Bournemouth University for testing.

Exclusion criteria:

1. individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
2. underweight (BMI <18.5);
3. 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;
4. have pre-existing medical conditions affecting swallow ability, taste and smell perception;
5. currently following a specific dietary programme (e.g.: Slimming World);
6. current smokers or have smoked within 3 months of the study start date.

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Dietary Advice: No taste	Dietary Advice	Participants will be asked to reduce their free sugar intakes to less than 5% TEI. To aid with this, they will be asked to reduce their intakes of foods and drinks high in free sugars, and replace these with foods low in sugars, that are low in taste, eg. foods and drinks that are plain-flavoured, wholegrains. The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.
Dietary Advice: Sweet Taste	Dietary Advice	Participants will be asked to reduce their free sugar intakes to less than 5% TEI. To aid with this, they will be asked to reduce their intakes of foods and drinks high in free sugars, and replace these with foods low in sugars, that remain high in sweet taste, eg. fruit, low-calorie sweetened foods and drinks. The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.
Dietary Advice: Taste	Dietary Advice	Participants will be asked to reduce their free sugar intakes to less than 5% TEI. To aid with this, they will be asked to reduce their intakes of foods and drinks high in free sugars, and replace these with foods low in sugars, that remain high in taste, eg. nuts, foods and drinks flavoured with herbs and spices. The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Free sugar intakes	Baseline to week 12	Percentage energy intake from free sugars, assessed using diet diaries
Adherence	Baseline to week 12	Adherence to the recommendations provided, assessed using diet diaries and self-reported adherence

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Sweet food attitudes	Baseline to week 12	Attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners, and sweet-tasting foods, assessed using a questionnaire, soon to be published. Higher scores denote stronger attitudes.
Eating-based attitudes	Baseline to week 12	Attitudes towards eating, assessed using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (Karlsson J, et al. IJO 2000; 24: 1715-1725)
Waist circumference	Baseline to week 12	Waist circumference, in cm, assessed using researcher measurements
Sweet food preferences	Baseline to week 12	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. Higher scores signify stronger preferences
Barriers and facilitators to success	Week 12	An assessment of barriers and facilitators to success, assessed by self-report questionnaire
Body weight	Baseline to week 12	Body weight, in kg, assessed using researcher measurements
Sweet food perceptions	Baseline to week 12	Perceptions of the strength of sweet taste for various sweet foods/fluids, assessed using a taste test, where participants sample several sweet and non-sweet foods and rate them for strength of taste on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale. Higher scores signify stronger perceptions
Sweet food intakes	Baseline to week 12	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 in terms of weight consumed
Subjective Quality of Life	Baseline to week 12	Quality of Life, measured using the SF-36 questionnaire (Ware et al, 1996), where Quality of Life is assessed out of 100, where a higher score demonstrates better quality of life
Dietary Intakes	Baseline to week 12	Nutrient composition and taste of dietary intakes, assessed using diet diaries
Adverse events	Baseline to week 12	Adverse events, assessed by self-report
BMI	Baseline to week 12	BMI, in kg/m2, assessed using researcher measurements
Body fat percentage	Baseline to week 12	Body fat percentage, assessed using bioimpedence, as conducted by the researcher measurements

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Bournemouth University; 🇬🇧 Bournemouth, US And Canada Only, United Kingdom