Children Consuming Common Sweeteners May Face Higher Early Puberty Risk

Common sweeteners found in foods and drinks may significantly increase the risk of early puberty in children, new research shows.

The findings come from a large-scale study that was presented on today at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,400 adolescents and found a strong link between sweetener consumption and central precocious puberty, a condition where puberty begins unusually early—typically before age 8 in girls and 9 in boys.

Central precocious puberty is becoming more common worldwide and can have lasting health consequences, including emotional challenges, shorter adult height and an increased risk of reproductive and metabolic disorders later in life.

The increased risk from sweeteners was also notably elevated among teens with specific genetic markers associated with early puberty onset.

"This study is one of the first to connect modern dietary habits—specifically sweetener intake—with both genetic factors and early puberty development in a large, real-world cohort," said Yang-Ching Chen, M.D., Ph.D., of Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital and Taipei Medical University in Taipei, Taiwan.

The study, part of the ongoing Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study (TPLS) launched in 2018, analyzed data on 1,407 adolescents, of whom 481 were diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP).

"We discovered a gene-sweetener interaction effect on CPP in the Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study, which does not guarantee the generalizability to other ethnicities in the world," Chen told Newsweek.

Researchers assessed dietary intake using questionnaires and urine testing and measured genetic risk using polygenic risk scores based on 19 genes related to early puberty.

The study revealed gender-specific effects of common sweeteners, which include aspartame, sucralose, glycyrrhizin (a compound found in licorice) and added sugars.

In girls, consumption of glycyrrhizin, sucralose and added sugars was linked to a higher risk of central precocious puberty.

In boys, sucralose stood out as the most significant sweetener associated with early puberty onset.

Chen told Newsweek that diet drinks, such as Coke Zero "are the major sources of non-nutritive sweeteners, especially artificial sweeteners aspartame [and] ace-K [acesulfame potassium]."

Researchers also found a dose-response relationship: the more sweeteners consumed, the higher the risk.

The findings build on Chen's earlier work, which showed that sweeteners can disrupt hormonal regulation and gut microbiota balance.

For instance, ace-K was previously shown to activate brain cell receptors involved in "sweet taste" pathways, increasing the release of puberty-related hormones and stress molecules.

Glycyrrhizin was also found to alter gut bacteria and suppress key genes that regulate puberty timing.

"This suggests that what children eat and drink, especially products with sweeteners, may have a surprising and powerful impact on their development," Chen said.

In response to the findings, Laurent Oger, director general at the International Sweeteners Association (ISA), told Newsweek: "The claim that certain sweeteners may increase the risk of early puberty is based on non-peer-reviewed epidemiological data, with limited information regarding the study's methodology.

"It is widely accepted by the scientific community that observational studies like this study by Chen et al. cannot establish causality. Unmeasured confounders, reverse causation and dietary recall bias from the self-reported sweetener intake method may have influenced the reported associations.

"Of note, previous research by the same group reported opposite results, identifying a link between some of these sweeteners and delayed puberty risk, which raises questions about the validity and interpretation of both studies.

"All approved low/no calorie sweeteners undergo a thorough safety evaluation before being authorised for use and food safety bodies around have consistently confirmed their safety based on such comprehensive assessments."

Chen emphasized that monitoring sweetener intake and considering a child's genetic predisposition may be critical in preventing early puberty and its associated long-term health risks.

"These results are directly relevant to families, pediatricians, and public health authorities," Chen said. "They suggest that screening for genetic risk and moderating sweetener intake could help prevent early puberty and its long-term health consequences."

Update 07/16/25, 11:18 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with exclusive comments from Yang-Ching Chen and Laurent Oger.

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