Gymnemic acids (GA) suppress sweet taste and reduce consumption of high-sugar foods (HSF) which has been attributed to the reduction in pleasure. Herein we tested whether GA reduces the desire to eat HSF, before any HSF is tasted post GA dosing, which would implicate another mechanism of action not previously examined. In this double-blind experiment, 67 adults selected a favourite candy, consumed one standardized serving, rated candy pleasantness along with desire for more candy, and were randomly assigned to consume a GA or placebo lozenge. They subsequently completed candy desire ratings and were offered additional candy servings, one at a time. If an offering was accepted, it was consumed, pleasantness and desire ratings were reported, and another serving was offered. The GA lozenge versus the placebo produced a 31% reduction in participants who chose to eat the first candy offering after GA dosing and produced a 44% reduction in total candy intake. GA versus placebo participants who ate at least one optional serving reported reduced candy pleasantness, though reductions in reported desire did not reach significance. The GA lozenge reduced candy consumption and desire for candy, providing novel evidence that blockade of sweet taste receptors reduces desire for sweet food, even before the food is tasted after GA dosing.

Reduction in sugar intake can have a positive effect on body weight and increased intake a negative impact. Gymnemic acids (GA) are antagonists at tongue glucose receptors thus blunting sweet taste. In a previous study GA were formulated in a lozenge, and administered to healthy subjects. Results showed that the lozenge, containing GA, significantly reduced endpoints of intake and pleasantness for high sugar foods (HSF), but desire for HSF was not significantly reduced. The present trial re-examined the lack of significance in desire in the previous study, with greater number of subjects, additional inclusion criteria and used a cross over design to assess carryover effects. Percent of subjects who choose to eat the first candy offering subsequent to the GA lozenge dosing, total candy consumption, pleasantness and desire ratings were assessed. Desire rating for a second candy offering immediately after the GA lozenge, but before tasting a second candy, was significantly reduced by comparison to placebo. Additionally, study design improvements broaden the demographic applicability of this lozenge GA approach. No order effects were observed during the crossover. Subjects given the GA lozenges also ate less candy, less often and their perceived pleasantness for their preferred candy was reduced. The GA lozenges significantly reduced desire for and consumption of HSF relative to a placebo. This study provides further support regarding the role of GA in carbohydrate intake reduction, and broadens their potential applications as aids in supporting a healthy weight.

* Sweet Defeat was formerly marketed as Crave Crush.

A gymnemic acids lozenge that blocks sweet taste receptors reduced the decision to consume candy in humans even before the candy was tasted after the gymnemic acids dose, suggesting that blocking sweet taste receptors reduces valuation of sweet foods. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test whether the gymnemic acids lozenge reduces reward region response to both intake and anticipated intake of high-sugar food, as well as ad lib candy intake relative to a placebo lozenge. Here we show for the first time that a gymnemic acids lozenge versus placebo lozenge significantly reduced activation in the striatum and orbitofrontal cortex in response to anticipated tastes of high-sugar milkshake, and significantly reduced dorsolateral prefrontal cortex response to tastes of milkshake. We also replicated evidence that a gymnemic acids lozenge versus placebo lozenge significantly reduced ad lib candy intake. Results also provide novel evidence that an initial taste of a high-sugar food increases reward region (i.e., caudate) response to anticipated intake of more of the high-sugar food. Results suggest that blocking sweet taste receptors not only reduces reward region response to intake of high-sugar foods, but also reduces anticipated reward from high-sugar foods, potentially via a feedback loop regarding the availability of sweet taste receptors to convey perceptual input regarding sweet tastes. Collectively, results imply that the gymnemic acids lozenge might prove useful in decreasing high-sugar food intake.