(CNN) — Don’t use sugar substitutes if you’re trying to lose weight, according to new guidance from the World Health Organization.
A systematic review of the available evidence suggests that the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) “provides no long-term benefits in reducing body fat in adults or children,” the International Health Organization said. said.
review It also suggested that long-term use of sugar substitutes could have “potential undesirable effects” such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight management in the long term. We need to look at other ways to reduce sugar intake,” said Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety. in a news release.
“NSS is not an essential dietary factor and has no nutritional value. People should completely reduce the sweetness of their diets early in life to improve their health,” Branca said.
The group said its recommendations apply to everyone except people with pre-existing diabetes.
“The new guidelines are based on a thorough evaluation of the latest scientific literature and emphasize that the use of artificial sweeteners is not a good strategy for reducing dietary energy intake to achieve weight loss. ,” said nutrition researcher Ian Johnson, Distinguished Fellow. Quadram Institute Bioscience (formerly the Food Research Institute), Norwich, UK.
“However, this should not be interpreted as indicating that sugar intake is unrelated to weight management,” Johnson said in a statement.
Instead, try to reduce your use of sugar-sweetened drinks and use “raw or lightly processed fruit as a source of sweetness,” Johnson added.
Dr. Keith Ayoub, scientific adviser to the Calorie Control Council, an international body representing the low-calorie food and beverage industry, told CNN in an email that the WHO “focuses solely on preventing unhealthy weight gain and non-communicable diseases.” At the very least, the claim to put
“Low- and zero-calorie sweeteners are important tools to help consumers manage their weight and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Management Council. rice field.
A total of 283 studies were included in the review. Both randomized controlled trials and observational studies, which are considered the gold standard of research, are included in the review. Observational studies can only show associations, not direct cause and effect.
“This suggests that policy decisions based on this recommendation may require substantive debate in specific countries, for example the extent of consumption in different age groups,” the WHO said. news release said.
According to the report, randomized trials found that non-sugar sweetener use had a “lower” effect on reducing body weight and caloric intake compared to sugar, with no changes in intermediate markers of diabetes such as glucose and insulin. It turned out that there was not.
Observational studies also found low effects on body weight and adipose tissue, but no change in caloric intake. However, these studies found a low increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and death from heart disease, the report notes. It was also found that the risk of bladder cancer was very low and died early from any cause.
The WHO said that the identified associations between sweeteners and disease outcomes could be confounded by complex patterns of sweetener use and characteristics of study participants, so this recommendation is “conditional.” said.
In an emailed statement, the industry group International Sweeteners Association said, “It is a disgrace to deny the public health benefits of low- or zero-calorie sweeteners, and the WHO’s conclusions are largely based on observational studies. It is disappointing that it is based on the low-certainty evidence of High risk of reverse causation. ”
According to WHO, the recommendation includes low-calorie or non-chemically modified, low-calorie or Contains zero-calorie synthetic sweeteners and natural extracts.
Many people consider stevia products to be more “natural” because they are derived from the stevia plant. Some natural and artificial sweeteners add bulk sugar to their products to cut the sweetness and increase the product’s bulk for baking.
a Recent research Researchers at the US-based Cleveland Clinic found that erythritol, which is used to bulk and sweeten stevia, monk fruit, and reduced keto-sugar products, blood clots, stroke, heart attack, premature death.
Studies have found that people who already have heart disease risk factors, such as diabetes, are twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they have the highest levels of erythritol in their blood.
Non-sugar sweeteners are widely used as ingredients in prepackaged foods and beverages and are sometimes added directly to food and beverages by consumers.
WHO published guidelines on sugar intake in 2015, It recommends reducing daily free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy intake for adults and children. The recommendation has sparked interest in sugar substitutes, the review says.
Even if you’re a true sugar addict, the good news is that you can keep your sweet tooth in check, registered dietitian Lisa Dreyer told the magazine. CNN article. She offers the following steps:
Train your taste buds. Gradually reducing your use of sugar, including artificial sweeteners, and incorporating foods rich in protein and fiber into your diet may help reduce sugar cravings, Dreyer said.
“Consuming protein and fiber with carbohydrate-containing foods slows the rise in blood sugar, which keeps us satisfied and also helps us eat less sugar,” she said. rice field. last interview.
Choose foods with no added sugar and avoid all sugary drinks. For example, choose unsweetened whole grain cereals and Greek yogurt. Sugary drinks to cross from your shopping list include sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit punch. Choose water instead.
“If you like sweet sodas, add a dash of cranberry or orange juice to your seltzer, or try flavored seltzer. You can also try teas,” Dreyer said.
Drink coffee or tea with no sugar or reduced sugar. Be careful in coffee shops, suggested Dreyer. These lattes and flavored coffees often contain as much or more sugar than canned soda.
Enjoy fruit for dessert. Try cinnamon-baked apples, berries, and grilled peaches for cookies, cakes, ice cream, pastries, and other sweet treats, Dreyer said.
Be careful with stealth sugar. Added sugars are often found in foods that aren’t considered “sweet,” such as sauces, breads, condiments and salad dressings, Dreyer said.
“Pre-packaged sauces like ketchup, barbecue sauce, and tomato sauce tend to be the biggest culprits of hidden added sugar in meals,” says senior pediatric nutritionist at Texas Children’s Hospital and a national academy. spokesperson Christie King said. About nutrition and diet, he told Dreyer in a previous interview.
Check the Nutrition Facts label. All food and beverages must list the amount and type of sugar on the label.
Added sugars include “agave, brown sugar, corn sweeteners, corn syrup, glucose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, concentrated fruit juices, fruit nectar, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose.” is sometimes called by another name. , malt syrup, maltose, molasses, maple syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, trehalose, turbinado sugar,” Dreyer said.
The higher these added sugars are on the ingredient list, the more sugar is added to the product, she said.
