Sweeteners found in many common foods and drinks may play a role in the timing of puberty, according to a new study presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2025 annual meeting.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,400 teens as part of the Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study. They looked at sweetener intake through food questionnaires and urine samples, then compared those results with genetic testing and medical evaluations. Children who consumed more aspartame, sucralose, glycyrrhizin (a sweetener found in licorice) and added sugars were more likely to be diagnosed with central precocious puberty, a condition in which puberty starts unusually early.
“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.
Researchers found that the more sweeteners children consumed, the higher their risk. Among girls, higher intake of glycyrrhizin, sucralose and added sugars was associated with early puberty. For boys, sucralose showed the strongest link.
Previous work by the same research team suggests these sweeteners may affect hormone levels and gut bacteria in ways that influence puberty timing. For example, the sweetener acesulfame potassium was shown to trigger the release of puberty-related hormones in brain cells, while glycyrrhizin altered gut bacteria and reduced the activity of certain genes linked to puberty onset.
“This suggests that what children eat and drink, especially products with sweeteners, may have a surprising and powerful impact on their development,” Chen said.
The researchers say these findings could help inform future dietary guidelines and screening tools for families and health care providers. While more research is needed, reducing sweetener intake during childhood may help support healthy development, particularly for kids with a family history of early puberty.
This research was part of the Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study. Additional funding details were not provided in the news release.