(NewsNation) —The World Health Organization has some not-so-sweet news for those using sugar substitutes for weight loss.
New guidance from the WHO doesn’t recommend using artificial sweeteners to control body weight, or reduce the risk of disease.
A “systematic review” of available evidence found that non-sugar sweeteners didn’t have a long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children, the WHO said Monday. In total, 283 studies were
included in the review.
Results of the review suggested “there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults,” according to the WHO.
Included in the WHO’s guidance are “synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners” that are not classified as sugars. These can be found in manufactured foods and beverages, or sold on their own.
Examples of these sweeteners are:
- Acesulfame K
- Aspartame
- Advantage
- Cyclamates
- Neotame
- Saccharin
- Sucralose
- Stevia
- Stevia derivatives
“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,” Francesco Branca, the WHO’s Director for Nutrition and Food Safety, said in a statement. “(Non-sugar sweeteners) 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.”
This recommendation does not apply to those with pre-existing diabetes. It also does not include personal care and hygiene products containing these sweeteners.
The WHO noted in a news release that the link between no-sugar sweeteners and disease outcomes could be affected by some aspects of study participants’ “baseline characteristics” and so, right now, their recommendation is considered “conditional.”
With this being the case, “policy decisions based on this recommendation may require substantive discussion in specific country contexts, linked for example to the extent of consumption in different age groups,” the WHO wrote.
According to the New York Times, the WHO’s guidelines do not directly affect any individual country’s policy. Although the Food and Drug Administration could take this guidance into account, a registered dietitian told The Times that it is not under any obligation to do so.
When it comes to sugar itself, 2015 guidelines from the WHO state both adults and children should only have 10% of their total energy intake from sugar. Reducing that to below 5%, or roughly 25 grams, will bring even more health benefits, the health agency said.
