According to a new study published in the journal Appetite, an extract of the perennial woody vine in mint form reduced sugar cravings, sweet food desire and consumption among adults that identified as having a sweet tooth.
“Sugar intake is rising globally due to shifting dietary patterns, such as the increased availability of highly processed foods,” wrote researchers from Massey University (New Zealand), Griffith University (Australia) and Stanford University (United States). “Increased dietary sugar intake has been linked to obesity, diabetes, increased blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and poor oral health.”
While there are other tactics including reducing the amount of sugar in food products and replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners/non-nutritive sweeteners, the study noted that these may be accompanied by unwanted tastes and textures, gastrointestinal distress and microbiome profiles associated with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Enter ‘the sugar destroyer’
Gymnema sylvestre (GS), also known as gurmar “the sugar destroyer” in Hindi, is a plant native to Asia with anti-sweet properties that has been used in traditional Ayurveda practice to treat sugar-related illnesses such as diabetes. It has also been used to control overweight and obesity, reduce inflammation and treat dental cavities.
“The active compounds in GS are gymnemic acids (GA) which act on the absorptive surface of the intestine and the taste buds in the mouth cavity,” the researchers explained. “Gastrointestinal tissue that absorbs sugar has a structure comparable to the taste buds, enabling detection of sugar in the mouth.”
Gurmar specifically acts on these sweet taste receptors, where inside the taste receptor cell, two proteins combine to bind to sugars and other sweeteners. The sweet taste suppression is reversible and lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.
In the current study, researchers used the Sweetkick-branded mints provided by Los Angeles-based Nu Brands Inc., although the company had no further role in the study. Each mint contained 4 mg of Gymnema sylvestre, equivalent to 75% gymnemic acids.
Past studies support the effectiveness of other gymnemic acid-containing mints and lozenges in reducing enjoyment, craving and intake of confectionary foods.
Suppressing sweet taste response
The randomized crossover trial recruited 32 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 60 who self-identified as high sweet food consumers.
After baseline sensory testing for sweet taste perception, participants were assigned to one of two 14-day GS mint intervention groups—using either a systematic (at three specified times a day; SYS) or ad libitum (up to six mints a day at times of their choosing; AD-LIB) regimen. In the placebo (PLAC) group, participants received an isocaloric placebo.
During four visits, 14 days apart across the three testing periods, the researchers collected data from food frequency, beverage and cravings questionnaires, anthropometric measures and sensory testing.
“The AD-LIB condition reduced daily sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) intake by 42% relative to PLAC and reduced overall sugar cravings by 28% relative to PLAC,” the researchers reported. “Both AD-LIB and SYS reduced pleasantness ratings and desire for more chocolate. Using GS with an ad libitum regimen reduced sugar cravings and changed sweet food desire and consumption in people identifying as having a sweet tooth.”
They noted that ad libitum intake, during cravings or prior to consuming sweet tooth items, is a more practical and real-world approach. There were also no significant effects observed in either mint group on body composition, although the researchers suggested that a longer ad libitum intervention is likely to reduce body mass and/or fat mass.
Study limitations reported included the lack of monitoring of mint consumption and a baseline standard for sweet tooth. Participants were also informed that they were participating in a sugar reduction study.
For further study, the researchers called for investigation of the effects in people with impaired glucose tolerance, brain responsivity to Gymnema sylvestre, outcomes when combined with strict dietary regimes, larger sample sizes, a longer ad libitum regimen, body weight changes and potential alterations in metabolic health.
Source: Appetite. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107871. “Gymnema sylvestre intervention to reduce sugar intake in people self-identifying with a sweet tooth.” Authors: Hsiao WH et al.
