WHO issues warning against use of artificial sweeteners | World News

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Tuesday against artificial sweeteners or non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which are widely used in products to replace sugar “to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)”.

Releasing a guideline, the WHO said that the recommendation was based on “the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children”.

The WHO further said that the results of the review had suggested that the use of such sugar alternative had undesirable effects like increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.

WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety Francesco Branca said in a statement released by the WHO, “Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages. NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.”

The warning was issued against all artificial and naturally procured or modified non-nutritive sweeteners which have not been classified as sugar but are found in several manufactured foods and beverages or are sold independently to be added by consumers.

The WHO further said, “The recommendation does not apply to personal care and hygiene products containing NSS, such as toothpaste, skin cream, and medications, or to low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols), which are sugars or sugar derivatives containing calories and are therefore not considered NSS.”

The health institution also said the guideline is to be seen a part of the pre-existing and forthcoming guidelines on maintaining healthy diets which aim to establish long-term healthy eating habits, improve the quality of a diet and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases across the globe.