Introduction: There is significant concern over the health implications of increased consumption of sugars added to foods and beverages. Understanding the increase in sugar intake, as well as consideration of potential substitutes will require research in multiple domains. Research on hedonic ratings of sucrose suggests that individuals can be classified into two distinct liking profiles: sweet likers and sweet non-likers. However, no known studies have investigated liking for the natural, nonnutritive sweetener, stevia. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between liking of stevia and sucrose as a function of beverage background.
Methods: Forty young adults, 20 high concentration and 20 moderate concentration stevia likers, gave intensity and pleasantness ratings for stevia blend and sucrose taste solutions that varied in concentration and background.
Results: The results revealed a significant relationship between stevia blend liking and sucrose liking. The majority of stevia high concentration likers were high concentration sucrose likers. Pleasantness ratings also significantly varied as a function of background: the discrepancy in pleasantness ratings between stevia blend high concentration likers and moderate concentration likers observed in distilled water was attenuated in a citric beverage background.
Conclusions: The majority of high concentration stevia likers were sucrose likers; however, pleasantness ratings also significantly varied as a function of stimulus background.
Implications: Limiting sucrose in the modern diet is an important research area for diabetes and other health issues. The results suggest that perception of pleasantness and sweetness at varying sweetener concentrations is not fully generalizable from one beverage background to another.
Keywords: liking; stevia; sucrose; sweet taste; taste.