SWEETENERS AND CIGARETTE CRAVING - GLUCOSE, ASPARTAME, SORBITOL

Objective: To determine whether reported cigarette craving can be reli eved with glucose versus other sweeteners. Methods: In Study I (a dose -response, partial crossover design), glucose was compared to the non- nutritive sweetener aspartame on degree of urges to smoke over a brief (3 hour) withdrawal period, Study II compared glucose to sorbitol in a smoking cessation clinic where smokers also received nicotine gum an d behavioral intervention, Results: In Study I, cigarette craving incr eased significantly over time for all subjects (p<.001) but was unaffe cted by either sweetener. However, in Study II, sorbitol significantly decreased craving while glucose increased it (p<.05), Conclusion: The inconsistent pattern of findings suggests any effect of sweet food co nsumption on craving for cigarettes is likely to be moderated by many variables.