Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers

Anne Christin Meyer-Gerspach; Jed O. Wingrove; Christoph Beglinger; Jens F. Rehfeld; Carel W. Le Roux; Ralph Peterli; Patrick Dupont; Owen O'Daly; Lukas Van Oudenhove; Bettina K. Wölnerhanssen

doi:10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787

Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers

Anne Christin Meyer-Gerspach^*, Jed O. Wingrove, Christoph Beglinger, Jens F. Rehfeld, Carel W. Le Roux, Ralph Peterli, Patrick Dupont, Owen O'Daly, Lukas Van Oudenhove, Bettina K. Wölnerhanssen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: There is a growing consensus that sugar consumption should be reduced and the naturally occurring, low-calorie sweeteners xylitol and erythritol are gaining popularity as substitutes, but their effect on brain circuitry regulating appetite is unknown. Aim: The study’s objective was to examine the effects of the two sweeteners on cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and resting functional connectivity in brain networks involved in appetite regulation, and test whether these effects are related to gut hormone release. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Twenty volunteers received intragastric (ig) loads of 50g xylitol, 75g erythritol, 75g glucose dissolved in 300mL tap water or 300mL tap water. Resting perfusion and blood oxygenation level-dependent data were acquired to assess rCBF and functional connectivity. Blood samples were collected for determination of CCK, PYY, insulin and glucose. Results: We found: (i) xylitol, but not erythritol, increased rCBF in the hypothalamus, whereas glucose had the opposite effect; (ii) graph analysis of resting functional connectivity revealed a complex pattern of similarities and differences in brain network properties following xylitol, erythritol, and glucose; (iii) erythritol and xylitol induced a rise in CCK and PYY, (iv) erythritol had no and xylitol only minimal effects on glucose and insulin. Conclusion: Xylitol and erythritol have a unique combination of properties: no calories, virtually no effect on glucose and insulin while promoting the release of gut hormones, and impacting appetite-regulating neurocircuitry consisting of both similarities and differences with glucose.

Original language	English
Journal	NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2021

Keywords

cholecystokinin
erythritol
fMRI
low-calorie sweetener
peptide tyrosine tyrosine
resting cerebral blood flow
resting-state functional connectivity
Xylitol

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10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787

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Meyer-Gerspach, A. C., Wingrove, J. O., Beglinger, C., Rehfeld, J. F., Le Roux, C. W., Peterli, R., Dupont, P., O'Daly, O., Van Oudenhove, L., & Wölnerhanssen, B. K. (Accepted/In press). Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers. NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787

@article{01e01886342647f5ac158a022f1ffd4d,

title = "Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers",

abstract = "Background: There is a growing consensus that sugar consumption should be reduced and the naturally occurring, low-calorie sweeteners xylitol and erythritol are gaining popularity as substitutes, but their effect on brain circuitry regulating appetite is unknown. Aim: The study{\textquoteright}s objective was to examine the effects of the two sweeteners on cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and resting functional connectivity in brain networks involved in appetite regulation, and test whether these effects are related to gut hormone release. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Twenty volunteers received intragastric (ig) loads of 50g xylitol, 75g erythritol, 75g glucose dissolved in 300mL tap water or 300mL tap water. Resting perfusion and blood oxygenation level-dependent data were acquired to assess rCBF and functional connectivity. Blood samples were collected for determination of CCK, PYY, insulin and glucose. Results: We found: (i) xylitol, but not erythritol, increased rCBF in the hypothalamus, whereas glucose had the opposite effect; (ii) graph analysis of resting functional connectivity revealed a complex pattern of similarities and differences in brain network properties following xylitol, erythritol, and glucose; (iii) erythritol and xylitol induced a rise in CCK and PYY, (iv) erythritol had no and xylitol only minimal effects on glucose and insulin. Conclusion: Xylitol and erythritol have a unique combination of properties: no calories, virtually no effect on glucose and insulin while promoting the release of gut hormones, and impacting appetite-regulating neurocircuitry consisting of both similarities and differences with glucose.",

keywords = "cholecystokinin, erythritol, fMRI, low-calorie sweetener, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, resting cerebral blood flow, resting-state functional connectivity, Xylitol",

author = "Meyer-Gerspach, {Anne Christin} and Wingrove, {Jed O.} and Christoph Beglinger and Rehfeld, {Jens F.} and {Le Roux}, {Carel W.} and Ralph Peterli and Patrick Dupont and Owen O'Daly and {Van Oudenhove}, Lukas and W{\"o}lnerhanssen, {Bettina K.}",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787",

language = "English",

journal = "NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE",

issn = "1028-415X",

publisher = "Maney Publishing",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers

AU - Meyer-Gerspach, Anne Christin

AU - Wingrove, Jed O.

AU - Beglinger, Christoph

AU - Rehfeld, Jens F.

AU - Le Roux, Carel W.

AU - Peterli, Ralph

AU - Dupont, Patrick

AU - O'Daly, Owen

AU - Van Oudenhove, Lukas

AU - Wölnerhanssen, Bettina K.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background: There is a growing consensus that sugar consumption should be reduced and the naturally occurring, low-calorie sweeteners xylitol and erythritol are gaining popularity as substitutes, but their effect on brain circuitry regulating appetite is unknown. Aim: The study’s objective was to examine the effects of the two sweeteners on cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and resting functional connectivity in brain networks involved in appetite regulation, and test whether these effects are related to gut hormone release. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Twenty volunteers received intragastric (ig) loads of 50g xylitol, 75g erythritol, 75g glucose dissolved in 300mL tap water or 300mL tap water. Resting perfusion and blood oxygenation level-dependent data were acquired to assess rCBF and functional connectivity. Blood samples were collected for determination of CCK, PYY, insulin and glucose. Results: We found: (i) xylitol, but not erythritol, increased rCBF in the hypothalamus, whereas glucose had the opposite effect; (ii) graph analysis of resting functional connectivity revealed a complex pattern of similarities and differences in brain network properties following xylitol, erythritol, and glucose; (iii) erythritol and xylitol induced a rise in CCK and PYY, (iv) erythritol had no and xylitol only minimal effects on glucose and insulin. Conclusion: Xylitol and erythritol have a unique combination of properties: no calories, virtually no effect on glucose and insulin while promoting the release of gut hormones, and impacting appetite-regulating neurocircuitry consisting of both similarities and differences with glucose.

AB - Background: There is a growing consensus that sugar consumption should be reduced and the naturally occurring, low-calorie sweeteners xylitol and erythritol are gaining popularity as substitutes, but their effect on brain circuitry regulating appetite is unknown. Aim: The study’s objective was to examine the effects of the two sweeteners on cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and resting functional connectivity in brain networks involved in appetite regulation, and test whether these effects are related to gut hormone release. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Twenty volunteers received intragastric (ig) loads of 50g xylitol, 75g erythritol, 75g glucose dissolved in 300mL tap water or 300mL tap water. Resting perfusion and blood oxygenation level-dependent data were acquired to assess rCBF and functional connectivity. Blood samples were collected for determination of CCK, PYY, insulin and glucose. Results: We found: (i) xylitol, but not erythritol, increased rCBF in the hypothalamus, whereas glucose had the opposite effect; (ii) graph analysis of resting functional connectivity revealed a complex pattern of similarities and differences in brain network properties following xylitol, erythritol, and glucose; (iii) erythritol and xylitol induced a rise in CCK and PYY, (iv) erythritol had no and xylitol only minimal effects on glucose and insulin. Conclusion: Xylitol and erythritol have a unique combination of properties: no calories, virtually no effect on glucose and insulin while promoting the release of gut hormones, and impacting appetite-regulating neurocircuitry consisting of both similarities and differences with glucose.

KW - cholecystokinin

KW - erythritol

KW - fMRI

KW - low-calorie sweetener

KW - peptide tyrosine tyrosine

KW - resting cerebral blood flow

KW - resting-state functional connectivity

KW - Xylitol

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112744403&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787

DO - 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1965787

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85112744403

SN - 1028-415X

JO - NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

JF - NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE

ER -

Erythritol and xylitol differentially impact brain networks involved in appetite regulation in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Keywords

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