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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Follow me @jorntrommelen for more evidence-based threads on exercise & nutrition.

If you think others would benefit too, please like & repost the first tweet linked below.
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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Can sweeteners help maintain weight loss?

Large RCT investigating the impact of sweeteners on:
- weight loss
- cardiometabolic health
- gut health

Let’s break it down!

1/x

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Conclusion:
Sweeteners can support long-term weight loss maintenance and may beneficially impact gut health.

Link to study:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

11/11

Effect of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers on weight management and gut microbiota composition in individuals with overweight or obesity: the SWEET study

Consumption of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SEs) is a popular strategy to reduce sugar intake, but the role of S&SEs in body weight regulation and gut microbiota composition remains debated. Here, we show that S&SEs in a healthy diet ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

A limitation is that, because commercial products were used, blinding of subjects was not possible.

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Strengths of this study include its long study duration (12 months), large multi-national sample size (379 participants), inclusion of multiple sweeteners and commercial products, and the replacement of sugar with sweeteners within a generally healthy diet.

9/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Interpretation:
This large-scale trial indicates that replacing sugar with sweeteners helps maintain weight loss.

Moreover, the use of sweeteners did not adversely affect cardiometabolic health and improved the gut microbiome.

8/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Key findings after the 12 months:
• The sweeteners group maintained greater weight loss (1.6±0.7 kg).
• The sweeteners group showed beneficial changes in the gut microbiome.
• No significant differences between the groups were observed for cardiometabolic health markers

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

They were then assigned to a 10-month healthy diet phase:
• The sugar group was allowed <10% of total energy from sugar.
• The sweetener group replaced sugar with sweeteners as much as possible

6/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

This RCT examined the long-term effects of sweeteners on weight loss maintenance, cardiovascular health, and the gut microbiome.

Participants (341 adults and 38 children) with overweight or obesity first followed a two-month weight-loss diet (>5% reduction in body weight).

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Some studies have suggested that sweeteners may be ineffective for weight management or could negatively affect gut health.

The evidence is conflicting, likely due to differences in study design.

4/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Although sweeteners are generally considered safe, public concerns remain regarding their effectiveness and potential health risks

3/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Sugar is highly palatable and energy-dense, which can contribute to excess calorie intake.

A common strategy to reduce sugar consumption is to replace it with low- or no-calorie sweeteners, which provide sweetness without the associated energy.

2/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · 2d

Can sweeteners help maintain weight loss?

Large RCT investigating the impact of sweeteners on:
- weight loss
- cardiometabolic health
- gut health

Let’s break it down!

1/x

1

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

Thank you for reading all the way through!

Follow me @jorntrommelen for more evidence-based threads on exercise & nutrition.

We’d love to hear your thoughts & questions.

If you think others would benefit too, please like & repost the first tweet.
bsky.app/profile/jorn...

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

Can blood or plasma donations reduce PFAS levels?

- PFAS levels in firefighters
- PFAS levels after one year of blood/plasma donations

Let’s break it down!

1/x

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

In conclusion, whole blood and plasma donations both reduce blood PFAS levels in individuals with relatively high baseline levels. This is the first known strategy to lower PFAS levels in humans.

Link to study:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35394514/

7/7

Effect of Plasma and Blood Donations on Levels of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Firefighters in Australia: A Randomized Clinical Trial - PubMed

anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12619000204145.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

1

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

What does this mean?
Both whole blood and plasma donations reduce PFAS levels in people with high exposure. Plasma donation seems to work best, likely because PFAS concentrate more in plasma and because donations were more frequent and larger in volume.

6/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

What they found after a year:
- Whole blood donors: 10% decrease in blood PFAS
- Plasma blood donors: 25% decrease in blood PFAS
- Control group: no change

5/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

What they did:
- Whole blood donation group: 470 ml every 12 weeks
- Plasma blood donation group: 800 ml every 6 weeks
- Control group: no donations

4/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

Until recently, no strategy was known to lower PFAS levels in humans.

This study tested whether regular blood or plasma donations could impact PFAS levels in firefighters (who often have elevated levels).

3/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

PFAS (“forever chemicals”) are synthetic compounds used in products like nonstick pans and firefighting foams. They stick around in the body for years (half-life is approximately 5 years) and have been linked to adverse health effects, although the exact risk thresholds are still debated.

2/x

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Oct 1

Can blood or plasma donations reduce PFAS levels?

- PFAS levels in firefighters
- PFAS levels after one year of blood/plasma donations

Let’s break it down!

1/x

1

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

Thank you for reading all the way through!

Follow me @jorntrommelen for more evidence-based threads on exercise & nutrition.

We’d love to hear your thoughts & questions.

If you think others would benefit too, please like & repost the first tweet.
bsky.app/profile/jorn...

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

Do protein-fortified ultra-processed foods prevent overeating?

✅ Whole-room indirect calorimetry (gold standard for energy balance)
✅ Metabolic chamber living (2.5 days)
✅ High-protein vs normal protein UPF diets

Let’s break it down!

1/x

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

In conclusion, protein fortification lowers overeating with ultra-processed foods, but does not fully prevent it.

8/8

Link to study:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40082711/

Short-term effects of high-protein, lower-carbohydrate ultra-processed foods on human energy balance - PubMed

Protein-enriched ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are generally perceived as a healthy and favourable dietary choice for weight management. However, compared with low-processed foods, the consumption of U...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

1

Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

That said, these products can still be useful for specific groups such as clinical patients or athletes who struggle to hit both their caloric and protein intake.

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

So more protein helped, but didn’t fix the problem. Ultra-processed diets, high in protein or not, still promote overeating.

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Jorn Trommelen, PhD @jorntrommelen.bsky.social · Sep 18

Key finding:
The normal-protein diet led to a positive energy balance of 32%, while the high-protein diet cut this down to 18%.

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