What is the Sweetest Tasting Thing in the World?

December 17, 2025 •

4 min read

Lugduname, a synthetic substance, has been estimated to be between 220,000 and 300,000 times sweeter than sucrose. This astonishing potency answers the question: what is the sweetest tasting thing, though its use is currently limited to research due to safety concerns.

Quick Summary

The world's sweetest compounds are often potent synthetics like Lugduname, vastly outperforming natural sugars and proteins. This is due to their chemical structure, which interacts more intensely with human sweet taste receptors.

Key Points

Lugduname is the sweetest thing: The synthetic compound Lugduname is estimated to be up to 300,000 times sweeter than sucrose, though it is not approved for food use.
Sweetness is measured relatively: The sucrose scale defines sucrose (table sugar) as 1.0, with other substances measured relative to that standard.
Extremely sweet proteins exist: Natural proteins like thaumatin and monellin, found in West African fruits, can be thousands of times sweeter than sugar and are low-calorie.
Artificial sweeteners offer intense sweetness: Approved synthetics such as Neotame and sucralose provide intense, low-calorie sweetness, with Neotame being over 7,000 times sweeter than sugar.
Taste receptors explain the phenomenon: The sensation of sweetness is triggered by how different molecules bind to the T1R2/T1R3 taste receptors, with more potent binders creating a stronger perception of sweetness.
Individual perception varies: Genetic variations can cause people to experience sweeteners differently, which is why some find a bitter aftertaste in substances like stevia.

Defining Sweetness and the Sucrose Scale

For most people, the taste of sweetness is synonymous with table sugar, or sucrose. But how do scientists compare and measure the intensity of other sweet substances? The answer lies in the sweetness scale, which uses sucrose as a benchmark, assigning it a relative sweetness value of 1.0. To determine the potency of another compound, taste panels compare its solution to sucrose solutions of varying concentrations. If a 1% solution of a substance tastes as sweet as a 10% sucrose solution, it is considered 10 times sweeter than sugar. This relative scale allows us to rank compounds from common sugars to exotic natural proteins and ultra-potent synthetic chemicals.

The Sweetest Natural Substances

While most natural sugars like fructose and glucose are relatively mild on the scale, some naturally occurring compounds are surprisingly potent.

Thaumatin

Found in the katemfe fruit of West Africa, thaumatin is a sweet protein that is 2,000 to 10,000 times sweeter than sucrose, depending on its purity. Unlike sugar, its sweet taste builds slowly but lingers for a long time, sometimes with a licorice-like aftertaste. Its low calorie count makes it a popular flavour enhancer in various food products.

Monellin

Another sweet protein, monellin, is extracted from the West African serendipity berry and is about 800 to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar. Similar to thaumatin, it is a protein, meaning it is metabolized like other proteins in the body and does not affect blood sugar levels.

Steviol Glycosides (Stevia)

Derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, steviol glycosides are a family of compounds that can be 40 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Different glycosides within the leaf offer varying taste profiles, with some having a bitter or metallic aftertaste. Processed stevia products often use specific glycosides, like Rebaudioside M, to provide a cleaner, more sugar-like flavour.

The Sweetest Synthetic Compounds

In the realm of lab-created substances, sweetness can reach astronomical levels. The discovery of these potent compounds was often the result of chemical research, exploring molecular structures that could interact strongly with human sweet taste receptors.

Neotame

This is a non-caloric artificial sweetener derived from aspartame, though significantly more potent. Neotame is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose, depending on the application. Its high stability in a range of temperatures and pH levels makes it versatile for many food and beverage products.

Sucralose

Marketed as Splenda, sucralose is a chlorinated sugar molecule that is approximately 600 times sweeter than sucrose. Its stability and clean sweet taste make it widely used in everything from beverages to baked goods.

Lugduname

Among the guanidine sweeteners, Lugduname is estimated to be the most potent sweetening agent known, with a sweetness intensity between 220,000 and 300,000 times that of table sugar. It was developed in 1996 by researchers at the University of Lyon, France. However, due to its lack of toxicological evaluation and regulatory approval, its use is currently restricted to research. It demonstrates the extreme potency achievable through synthetic chemistry targeting the sweet taste receptor.

Comparison of Sweeteners

This table highlights the incredible diversity in sweetness levels, from common sugars to the most potent synthetics, all relative to sucrose (1.0).


Sweetener	Type	Relative Sweetness (Sucrose = 1.0)	Notes
Sucrose	Disaccharide	1.00 (reference)	Table sugar standard
Fructose	Monosaccharide	1.17 – 1.75	Fruit sugar, notably sweeter than glucose
Steviol Glycosides	Glycoside	40 – 300	Natural, plant-derived; taste can vary
Sucralose	Artificial	~600	Widely used synthetic sugar-based sweetener
Monellin	Protein	800 – 2,000	Natural protein sweetener from a tropical fruit
Thaumatin	Protein	2,000 – 10,000	Natural protein with a slow onset and lingering taste
Neotame	Artificial	7,000 – 13,000	Derived from aspartame, highly stable
Lugduname	Artificial	220,000 – 300,000	Most potent known, currently for research only

The Science of Sweet Taste

The perception of sweetness is a complex biological process involving taste receptors on the tongue. Humans perceive sweetness through the T1R2/T1R3 heterodimeric receptor. Different sweet-tasting molecules, whether natural like sugar or synthetic like Lugduname, bind to different sites on this receptor to trigger the sweet sensation. The diversity of these binding sites is what allows such a wide variety of chemical structures to produce a sweet taste. The intensity of sweetness is related to how strongly the molecule binds to and activates the receptor.

Sweetness Beyond the Tongue Interestingly, sweet taste receptors are not exclusive to the mouth. They have also been found in other parts of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and brain. In the gut, for example, these receptors help regulate glucose absorption and the secretion of hormones like GLP-1, which influences insulin release. This network of receptors is critical for nutrient sensing and regulating metabolism. Differences in individual receptor sensitivity and genetic variations can also account for why people perceive sweetness differently.

The Pursuit of the Perfect Sweetener

The search for the "perfect" sweetener is ongoing. For the food industry, this means finding a substance with high potency, good stability, and a clean taste profile without the unwanted aftertaste often associated with high-intensity sweeteners. Natural sweeteners derived from plants, like stevia, are gaining popularity due to their perceived health benefits. However, artificial sweeteners, which are often thousands of times sweeter than sugar, offer a calorie-free option that can be highly cost-effective. The ideal sweetener balances all these factors while ensuring long-term safety for consumers.

Conclusion

While table sugar is a daily staple, it is far from being the sweetest substance known. Synthetic compounds like Lugduname and Neotame hold the records for extreme sweetness intensity, followed closely by potent natural proteins such as thaumatin. The mechanism behind this incredible range of sweetness lies in the activation of the T1R2/T1R3 taste receptors, a process that is still being fully explored by scientists. The ongoing quest for new sweeteners seeks to combine the best aspects of natural and artificial options, promising future innovations in food and beverage products for health-conscious consumers. For more on the physiological mechanisms behind taste, see the analysis published by the National Institutes of Health. Mechanisms for Sweetness - PMC - PubMed Central

Frequently Asked Questions

The substance widely considered the sweetest, Lugduname, is not approved for consumption due to incomplete toxicological evaluations. Other intensely sweet substances, both natural and artificial, are generally considered safe by regulatory bodies for consumption within specified limits.

Natural high-intensity sweeteners, like thaumatin and stevia, are derived from plant sources. Artificial ones, such as Neotame and sucralose, are created synthetically. Artificial sweeteners often achieve much higher sweetness potencies than their natural counterparts.

The unpleasant aftertaste of some sweeteners, like stevia, is caused by certain compounds activating bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet receptors. The specific compounds and their interaction with the receptors determine the aftertaste profile.

Sweetness is measured relative to sucrose (table sugar), which serves as a reference point (1.0). The relative sweetness is determined by comparing the substance's perceived sweetness to that of a sucrose solution in taste panels.

The perception of aftertaste can be very subjective. Some refined stevia compounds like Rebaudioside M are noted for having a cleaner taste than others. Neotame is also known for its clean, sugar-like taste.

Sweet taste is detected by the T1R2/T1R3 G protein-coupled taste receptors. Different sweet compounds bind to various sites on this receptor complex, triggering a signal that the brain interprets as sweet.

Yes, our perception of sweetness can change. Regular consumption of highly sweet substances can affect your tolerance for sweetness, potentially 'resetting' your perception and causing you to crave sweeter foods.

Artificial sweeteners are used to provide sweetness without calories, which is beneficial for weight management and for individuals with diabetes. Regulatory agencies carefully review their safety, though some controversy exists, and they are generally deemed safe within recommended limits.