Stevia, monk fruit and aspartame drinks compared with sucrose
What it found
In 30 healthy men, drinks sweetened with stevia, monk fruit or aspartame had little effect on total daily energy intake, blood glucose or insulin compared with a sucrose-sweetened drink.
Blood sugar and insulin rose sharply in the first hour after the sucrose drink, but after lunch they rose more with the sweetener drinks.
What they found
Studies in people
Lunch intake
Lunch eaten freely was significantly higher for the non-nutritive sweetener treatments compared with sucrose.
Daily energy intake
The energy saved by replacing sucrose with non-nutritive sweeteners was fully made up at later meals, so total daily energy intake did not differ between the treatments.
Blood sugar and insulin
The sucrose-sweetened beverage caused large spikes in blood glucose and insulin within the first hour, while these responses were higher for all three non-nutritive sweetener beverages after the test lunch. Over 3 hours, there were no differences in total area under the curve for glucose or insulin between the four drinks.
What the authors conclude
“The consumption of calorie-free beverages sweetened with artificial and natural NNS have minimal influences on total daily energy intake, postprandial glucose and insulin compared with a sucrose-sweetened beverage.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that calorie-free beverages sweetened with artificial and natural non-nutritive sweeteners have minimal influences on total daily energy intake, postprandial glucose and insulin compared with a sucrose-sweetened beverage.
How it was done
Replacing sweeteners with non-nutritive sweeteners may help with blood sugar control and body weight management. Few studies have looked at energy compensation, blood glucose and insulin responses to artificial and natural non-nutritive sweeteners.
Thirty healthy male subjects took part in a randomised, crossover study with four treatments: aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages. On each test day they ate a standardised breakfast, had the test beverage mid-morning as a preload, and an unrestricted lunch an hour later. Blood glucose and insulin were measured every 15 minutes for the first hour and every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours; participants then completed a food diary for the rest of the day.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The study lasted only one day per drink, so it cannot show what happens with longer-term use.
- It included only 30 healthy men, so the results may not apply to women, children or people with health conditions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore; National University of Singapore, Singapore
The paper
- Title
- Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, Forde CG (2017). Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake. International journal of obesity (2005). doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.225PubMed 27956737DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error