If you’re looking to get in shape by summer, it may be better to pass on artificial sweeteners, as new guidance from the World Health Organization says the sugar substitutes don’t appear to offer any benefit for weight loss.
The agency shared on Monday that it conducted a systematic review of the available evidence, finding that the use of artificial sweeteners did “not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”
In fact, the guidance from the WHO says that there may be “potential undesirable effects” from using substitute sweeteners on a long-term basis.
These “undesirable effects” include an “increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.”
When it comes to what artificial sweeteners the WHO advises people to stay away from, the agency says “all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars” found in manufactured food and beverages or sold to be added to food and beverages, are included in the new guidance.
Common variations of the non-sugar additives include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.
Francesco Branca, the director for nutrition and food safety for the WHO, shared in a press release that replacing sugar with a non-sugar substitute “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,” Branca said in the press release. “[Artificial 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.”
The review from the health organization says that its new recommendations apply to all people except those with pre-existing diabetes.
Related
Related
