Exploring the Relationship Between Nonnutritive Sweeteners and Nutrient Intake: Findings from the ELSA-Brasil Baseline Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examines the association between the regular consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) and dietary intake among non-diabetic participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

METHODS

The sample included 9226 individuals aged 35-74 years, with data collected during ELSA-Brasil's baseline. Regular NNS consumption, defined as using NNS-sweetened products at least once daily.

RESULTS

regular NNS use was prevalent in 25.7% of the participants, with higher usage among women, older age groups, higher BMI categories, higher education, and income levels. Multivariate analysis adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors indicated that NNS use was significantly associated with reduced daily energy (-74.29 kcal), total carbohydrate (-23.68 g), and simple carbohydrate (-11.24 g) intake, while positively associated with increased protein (7.38 g) consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, these findings indicate that while there may be some carbohydrate/protein compensation, regular use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) is associated with fewer calories and carbohydrates, particularly sugars. This suggests that NNSs could be a useful tool for reducing overall caloric and sugar intake in the diet.