The Comparative Effect on Satiety and Subsequent Energy Intake of Ingesting Sucrose or Isomaltulose Sweetened Trifle: A Randomized Crossover Trial

The effect that blood glucose concentration has on feelings of satiety is unclear. Our aims were to assess satiety and subsequent energy intake following the ingestion of trifle sweetened with sucrose or isomaltulose whilst measuring plasma glucose concentration to confirm glycemic differences between trifles. Seventy-seven healthy adults participated in a double-blind crossover trial where trifle sweetened with sucrose or isomaltulose was consumed on separate days with a two-week washout. Blood was sampled at the baseline, 1 and 2 h postprandially, and satiety assessed using visual analogue scales (VAS). Weighed diet records were taken on test days. A statistically significant difference in blood glucose concentration between trifles was found at 60 min following consumption, with the isomaltulose trifle having a 0.69 mmol/L (95% confidence interval: −1.07, −0.31) lower concentration when compared with the sucrose trifle. Mean satiety response by area-under-the-curve (AUC) was not significantly different between trifles. Mean (SD) appetite scores for the sucrose and isomaltulose trifles were 4493 (2393) and 4527 (2590) mm·min, respectively, with a between trifle difference of −9 (95% CI: −589, 572) mm·min. Mean (SD) energy intake for the remainder of the day following trifle consumption was 3894 kJ (1950 kJ) and 3530 kJ (1926 kJ) after the sucrose and isomaltulose trifles, respectively, and was not significantly different (p = 0.133). The differing glycemic response to trifle was not related to satiety or to subsequent energy intake.