Diet-Quality and Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Non-Nutritive Sweetener Use in the Australian Population.

Abstract in brief

• This study examined how often and from which foods non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are consumed in Australia, finding that about 18% of adults and 8.5% of children use them, mainly from soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners, and yoghurt.
• In adults, NNS consumption was linked to being female, having a higher BMI, having diabetes, and following a weight-loss diet, with consumers showing lower sugar intake but similar overall energy consumption compared to non-consumers.
• For children, there were no significant differences in sugar or energy intake between NNS consumers and non-consumers, raising concerns that people might compensate for lower sugar with other calorie sources when using NNS.