Sugar cravings prove stronger than health concerns

Researchers from HSE University–Perm used EEG to study how sugar cravings and interest in healthy eating affect the evaluation of Cola-flavoured beverages. During the tasting, participants assessed the taste of each beverage and named the maximum amount they would be willing to pay for it. The results showed that the more interested a person was in their health, the harder and more cognitively taxing it was for them to decide whether they were willing to pay, and the smaller the amount they were ultimately willing to spend. The study was published in the British Food Journal.

When choosing food, people often try to strike a balance between taste and health benefits. However, this becomes especially difficult when it comes to sweet treats, which are usually consumed for pleasure. Researchers at the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy at HSE University–Perm have explored how this internal conflict affects the willingness to pay for Cola-flavoured drinks defined as the maximum amount a person is prepared to spend on the product.

The experiment involved 40 people aged 18 to 59. First, the participants completed a questionnaire to assess their cravings for sweets and their attention to healthy eating. Then the tasting took place. The participants tried six types of Cola-flavoured beverages. After tasting each drink, they reported how much they liked the taste and the maximum amount they would be willing to pay for a 330-millilitre can of soda. The purchase was hypothetical—no real money was exchanged. In the first stage, the drinks were served in identical clear glasses, and the participants were unaware of which beverage they were tasting. In the second stage, the packaging was revealed, and participants could see the brand and information about the sugar content. Throughout the experiment, the researchers recorded the electrical activity of the brain using electroencephalography (EEG).

The results showed that people with stronger cravings for sweets were willing to pay more for Cola-flavoured drinks during the blind tasting. At the same time, they rated the taste of the beverages in much the same way as participants without such cravings. The picture changed when the participants were shown the packaging and informed about the sugar content. Those with stronger cravings not only remained willing to pay more but also rated the taste higher. The researchers attribute this to the fact that the craving for sweets intensifies upon seeing a familiar brand, as the person can better envisage the taste of a particular product. This, in turn, boosted their willingness to pay.

Interest in healthy eating was indirectly reflected only in the EEG data during the blind tasting. Participants with greater health concerns showed elevated beta-range activity in the prefrontal cortex when deciding on their willingness to pay, which had a negative impact on the amount they were willing to spend. This connection disappeared once the participants saw the packaging and the information about the drink’s composition.

Demographic characteristics also influenced willingness to pay. On average, younger participants and females were willing to pay more, while during the open tasting, people with higher incomes were willing to spend more. Education, the habit of consuming Cola-flavoured drinks, and the presence of sugar did not play a statistically significant role. 

‘The study shows that the internal conflict between taste and health benefits appears to arise not at the moment of tasting but later, when a person decides how much they are willing to pay for the drink. And in this conflict, the craving for sweets proves stronger than health concerns,’ said Daria Semyonova, one of the study’s authors and Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy at HSE University–Perm.