The US has the dubious distinction of being the fattest nation among 33 countries with advanced economies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international think tank—which means that millions of Americans are at risk for serious weight-related medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes and stroke. Encouraging news from a recent small study: For those fighting the battle of the bulge, their choice of sweetener may, ironically, help tip the scales in their favor. For details, I contacted study coauthor D. Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, an associate professor of human nutrition at the University of Wyoming.
In the study, healthy women of normal weight were randomly assigned to receive 450-calorie breakfasts consisting of tea and a baked good. On one occasion, the breakfast was sweetened with sugar… on a separate occasion, it was sweetened with honey. Then, every 30 minutes for four hours after the meal, researchers measured participants’ blood levels of hormones that affect appetite. Results: After the women consumed the honey-sweetened breakfast, they showed higher levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone peptide YY than they did after consuming the sugar-sweetened version. Eating the honey-sweetened breakfast also led to a delayed response of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin (which normally falls immediately after a meal and begins to rise again as the next meal approaches), an effect that may result in delaying the next meal.
Implication: Honey’s more favorable effects in terms of satisfying the appetite might help people control their weight more easily. Of course, this study should not be taken as license to overindulge in honey-sweetened treats. But, as Dr. Larson-Meyer suggested, you could try substituting honey for sugar in your tea, coffee or homemade baked goods.
