Don’t use sugar substitutes for weight loss, warns WHO. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised against the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) in order to avoid unhealthy weight gain and lower the risk of noncommunicable diseases. The recommendation is included in the WHO’s new NSS guideline.
In packaged foods and beverages, non-sugar sweeteners such as aspartame, neotame, saccharin, stevia, sucralose, and cyclamates are used. These sweeteners are frequently sold separately as sugar substitutes. They are thought to be low in calories and can aid in weight management.
Non-sugar sweeteners, however, do not provide any long-term benefits in weight control for adults or children, according to WHO guidelines. Instead, such NSS can cause “unwanted effects,” such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in adults.
“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 intakes, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages,” said Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety.
The director added that NSS are not “essential dietary factors” and also do not have any nutritional value. He urged people to make their diet less sweet starting early in life to remain unhealthy.
Stop using sugar substitutes for weight loss, warns WHO. According to the WHO, the recommendation applies to everyone except those who already have diabetes. NSS can also be found in personal care and hygiene products such as medications and skin creams, according to the health agency.
The recommendation also does not apply to low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols, which are calorie-containing sugars or sugar derivatives that do not fall under NSS.
According to WHO, its guideline is part of a “suite of exciting and forthcoming guidelines on healthy diets that aim to establish lifelong healthy eating habits, improve dietary quality and decrease the risk of NCDs worldwide”.
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