Cutting Down On Sugar To Lose Weight? Avoid Artificial Sweeteners Too, WHO Says

Non-sugar sweeteners are gaining popularity as low-calorie alternatives to sugar. But the World Health Organization says artificial sweeteners may not help in the long run if you’re trying to lose weight.

The WHO team reviewed a total of 283 studies and determined that use of non-sugar sweeteners had only a small effect on weight loss and calorie intake. They also found no changes in intermediate markers of diabetes, such as glucose and insulin.

“Replacing free sugars with NSS (non-sugar sweeteners) will not help with weight control in the long run. People need to consider other ways to reduce their free sugar intake, such as consuming foods that contain natural sugars, such as fruit or non-sugar sugar-sweetened foods and drinks,” explain Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety.

Common artificial sweeteners include acesulfame K, aspartame, edwardame, cyclamate, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives.

The guidelines do not apply to people with pre-existing diabetes because the review did not assess the effects of sugar substitutes in people with diabetes.

In its latest guidelines, the World Health Organization warns of adverse effects of long-term use of artificial sweeteners, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.

“NSS is not an essential dietary factor and has no nutritional value. People should completely reduce sweetness in their diets starting early in life to improve their health,” Branca added.

However, the advice does not apply to the use of artificial sweeteners in toothpaste, skin creams and medicines.

In its 2015 guidelines, the UN agency recommends that children and adults consume less than 10 percent of their total energy intake per day from free sugars. Sugar-free sweeteners are gaining popularity as a result.

“Based on a comprehensive review of the latest scientific literature, this new guidance emphasizes that the use of artificial sweeteners is not a good strategy to achieve weight loss by reducing dietary energy intake,” said Ian Johnson, Quadram Fellow Emeritus, Nutrition Researcher, Institute for Biological Sciences, Located in Norwich, UK, Tell CNN.

The guidelines should not be interpreted as a sign that sugar intake is not related to weight control, and instead people should focus on using “raw or lightly processed fruit as a source of sweetness,” the researchers said.

Published by Medicaldaily.com