Consumingjusttwosugarydrinksadaycandullthetastebudsandleadtocravingsforhigh-caloriefood,astudyclaims.
Theresearchsuggeststhatwithinamonththosewhodrinksugarybeveragesareleftwithadulledsensitivitytosweettastes.Thisleadstoanincreasedpreferenceforhigh-calorieandsugar-ladenfoods,creatinga"viciouscycle"asconsumerslookfortheirnexttreat.
Thosewhodonothaveasweettoothareparticularlyatriskofdevelopingoneafterdrinkingsugarybeverages,eveniftheyareslimandactive.
ExpertswhocarriedouttheresearchattheuniversitiesofBristolandBangorexpressedsurpriseathowquicklytastescouldbedulledbyexposuretosweetdrinks.LucyDonaldson,oftheUniversityofBristol,said:"Wehaveknownforsometimethatthewayweperceivedifferenttastescanchangeunderdifferentcircumstances.Findingthattwosweetdrinksadayoverashorttimecandramaticallychangetastewasarealsurprise."
Inthetrialleanandobesepeopleratedtheirperceptionandenjoymentofsweetandsaltytastes.Theobeseparticipantstendedtorateidenticaldrinksaslesssweetthantheleanonesdid.
Theexpertsthenrecruitedonlyleanpeoplewhodidnotusuallyconsumesugarydrinks.Theirsensitivitytosweetdrinkswastestedandtheywereaskedtoconsumeasugarydrinktwiceaday.Amonthlater,whentheywerere-tested,theirsensitivitytosweettastesandconsciousenjoymentofthemhaddulled.
DrHans-PeterKubis,oftheUniversityofBangor,saidthedullingoftastebudscanleadtoa"viciouscycle"asconsumersofsugarydrinkstendtomoresweetandcalorie-ladenfoodtocompensate.
Hesaid:"Thishasseriousimplicationsforpublichealth.Thisresearchshowshowlittlesweetfoodstuffsarerequiredtoactuallychangeyourtasteperceptions,andhowpowerfulsweet-tastingproductsare.
"Weareheadingforahealthdisasterwithrisingobesitylevelsandtheincreasingincidenceoftype2diabetes.Fromourresearchitiscleartoseehowthissituationmayhavecreatedacycleofsweetfoodanddrinkconsumption.Astastesatisfactionlevelsdrop;themoresweetfoodsareconsumed,contributingtotheseproblems."
