Artificial sweeteners, ubiquitous sugar substitutes, do not aid weight loss and may pose long-term health risks, the World Health Organization has warned.
The results of a systematic review of the available evidence “suggest that the use of these sugar-free sweeteners does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children,” a WHO statement said on Monday.
Increased risk of diabetes
It adds that these artificial sweeteners may “have potential adverse effects ‘linked to long-term use,’ such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in adults.
Replacing sugars with these sweeteners “does not help with long-term weight control. People should consider other ways to reduce their intake of free sugars, such as eating foods that contain natural sugars, such as fruit, or sugar-free foods and beverages.” , said. Francesco Branca, WHO director of nutrition and food safety.
Sugar-free sweeteners “are not essential nutrients and have no nutritional value. People should completely reduce sweetness from the diet, starting early in life, to improve their health,” he continued.
Aspartame, stevia…
The most widely used sweeteners are acesulfame potassium, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and its derivatives, explains the WHO, stressing that this recommendation is valid for use in consumer products. and in those that are sold separately to “sweeten” food.
The recommendation is valid “for everyone, except for people with pre-existing diabetes,” the WHO further specifies.
The WHO emphasizes, however, that these are conditional recommendations due to the diversity of participants in the studies on which its conclusions were based, as well as the very high complexity of the consumption habits of sugar-free sweeteners.
Some nutrition experts have pointed out the limits of this work, which is largely based on observational studies that do not allow a direct link between sweeteners and weight control.
Evolution of the Nutri-Score
For Professor Nita Forouhi, from the University of Cambridge, “the use of sweeteners can be part of short-term weight control.” “The key to remember is that for long-term weight control and for chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, sweeteners are not recommended,” she told the Science Media Center.
L’OMS ne pas en compte l’impact du remplacement de boissons sucrées par des boissons contenant des édulcorants, a pointé Tom Sanders, professor emérite au King’s College de Londres, s’inquiétant d’un risque de confusion dans l’esprit de the population.
The calculation method of the Nutri-Score, the nutritional labeling imposed in France and other European countries, will change from the end of 2023, for example, to recommend fewer drinks containing sweeteners.
Source: BFM TV
