August 16, 2026, 3:44 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
In the fitness world, it’s hard to imagine desserts, quark and yogurt, syrup, and sauces without it: sweetener. Our author Nina Ponath tested what happens when you cut it out for two weeks in a self-experiment.
“Hello, my name is Nina, and I’m addicted to sweetener.” A few years ago, I could have introduced myself like this in a support group. Back then, I was very much on the “sweet side” of life: liquid sweetener in my quark, sweetener in my oatmeal, sweetener tablets in my coffee, and to top it all off, my workplace had this calorie-free colorful syrup that I initially used occasionally, but later poured generously into almost every glass of water.
Too Much Sweetener
After a while, I developed facial redness and relatively impure skin, which I attributed to the syrup. When I stopped using it, my skin actually improved, and I began to reduce sweetener overall. “Does every meal really need to be sweet?” This question helped me gradually banish sweetener from my staples–oatmeal, quark, yogurt. However, I couldn’t completely kick the habit.
My coffee still needs to be sweetened. Every morning, a sweetener tablet goes into my coffee along with some oat milk, which would probably make any barista gasp in horror. On vacation in Denmark, I secretly look forward to those absurdly artificial syrup drinks for diluting, and yes, light soft drinks still end up in my shopping cart more often than I’d like.
Does Life Without Sweetener Taste Bland?
The concern is unfounded, if only because sweeteners are now found almost everywhere. Protein bars. Protein shakes. Light drinks. Low-fat fruit yogurt. You have to look closely if you want to avoid them completely. And that’s exactly what I wanted to try.
“Sweetener Is Worse Than Sugar!”
A friend who is a nutritionist gave me the final push when she saw me taking big gulps of my light drink. “Sweetener is worse than sugar,” she insisted.
Of course, I know that the risks of sweeteners are hotly debated. Some studies consider sweeteners harmless, while others point to potential downsides. My friend is convinced that economic interests play a significant role, so much remains unknown. Whether that’s true, I can’t say. What I wonder more is whether a food developed solely to make something taste sweet without sugar is something the body needs. Probably not, so I decided to conduct a self-experiment. I wanted to find out how I would feel without sweetener.
Two Weeks Completely Without Sweetener: My Self-Experiment
1. Day: Coffee Without Sweetener? No Problem.
My day usually starts with a very sweet coffee (I often use two sweetener tablets). Today, I have to skip the tablets. The coffee tastes more intense and, frankly, quite bitter, so I add a bit more milk. The positive effect: While I usually have a second cup, I remain content and drink the coffee more mindfully. The rest of the day, I hardly noticed a difference. I’m not as addicted as I thought–until evening.
Normally, I end the day with something sweet–usually quark with some nuts and, I admit, liquid sweetener. There’s also that delicious low-calorie ice cream in the freezer that tastes like “Salted Caramel.” It doesn’t help, I tell myself, and instead reach for a large piece of dark chocolate and my quark–a combo that quickly satisfies me. Even more than my usual sweetener mix, I must admit, because I often go for a second or third helping. Is it because of the sweetener? I have no idea. Maybe it’s just because I’m aware that I’m eating real sugar and don’t want to eat too much of it.
2. to 4. Day: Everything Is Fine!
The rest of the week, my craving for sweetener stabilizes. Mornings remain bitter, or rather, the coffee does, and evenings feature dark chocolate with real sugar. It’s actually easier for me to moderate my dessert intake when I don’t sweeten things artificially.
5. Day: I Miss… Diet Cola
In Hamburg, it’s over 30 degrees, and I immediately crave an ice-cold diet cola. An old childhood memory is to blame: Because my dad always ordered diet cola during summer vacations, diet cola or other light drinks have been inseparably linked to summer vibes for me since I was a kid. Regular cola doesn’t appeal to me at all. I want exactly the taste I’m used to, or none at all.
6. Day: Honey Is Suddenly My Best Friend.
Today, I reach for honey more often. I notice this when I mix a large spoonful into my yogurt. Apparently, my brain is looking for an acceptable way to get its “sweet” fix. The question is, what is the best alternative: calorie-free sweetener, whose long-term effects on the body are unknown, sugar, which harms teeth and blood sugar, or honey, for which bees are exploited? Don’t we always have to accept some health risks or ethical dilemmas when we eat? The honey jar remains at the same level for now.
Week 1: The Craving Lessens
By the end of the week, my craving for sweets has diminished. I no longer feel the constant need to eat “something sweet” after every meal. In fact, there are studies that suggest intensely sweet-tasting foods can maintain a preference for sweet flavors.1 Maybe that’s what’s happening to me right now.
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Week 2: Vacation in Austria – “and Lead Me Not Into Temptation”
In the second week of my experiment, I go on vacation to Austria, and who would have thought: Ironically, it’s easier to abstain during vacation! The breakfast buffet offers bread, cheese, cold cuts, plain yogurt, fruit, eggs, fruit salad–in short, foods my grandparents would have recognized as “food” at any time. Next to the sugar packets at the coffee machine are a few wrapped sweetener tablets that receive little attention. Not from me either.
The Biggest Challenges
However, the vacation isn’t entirely without challenges. Especially the car ride, because at every gas station, half of the drink shelf is filled with zero or light products. I caught myself reaching for them automatically several times. I also suddenly have to read ingredient lists. Surprisingly many products contain sweeteners, even though I hadn’t categorized them as “light products.”
What Has Changed?
After two weeks, I draw a surprisingly positive conclusion. My craving for sweets has significantly calmed down, and I no longer constantly crave sweet flavors. Even dark chocolate satisfies me in smaller amounts. My skin is refreshed and clear, although, to be fair, that could also be due to the vacation, hiking in nature, and good sleep. That doesn’t mean I’ll give up my beloved syrup on future vacations in Denmark, because “vacation is vacation,” and as I noted with my childhood memory of diet cola and summer vacation: My appetite for sweeteners is closely tied to routines and habits. So it’s quite possible that a sweetener tablet will find its way into my coffee again someday. The experiment showed me that I don’t need sweetener, but I do appreciate it when life tastes a little sweeter.