Alert! Sweeteners do not help to lose weight and can increase mortality

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that sweeteners are not effective for control weight in the long term and can have unwanted effects if used for a long time, such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.

For this reason, he advised against its use and pointed out that, in general, people should reduce sweets from their diet, and should do so from an early age to enjoy better health.

“Replace free sugars (refined and natural ones present in fruithoney and others) by sweeteners does not offer any long-term benefit in terms of reducing body fat in adults or children”, assured the governing organization of public health at the global level.

Specific products that are discouraged include acesulfame K, aspartame, ahead of me, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucraloseas well as stevia and its derivatives.

“People need to consider other ways to reduce their intake of free sugars, such as eating foods that naturally contain sugars, such as fruits; or non-sweet foods and drinks”, indicated the director of nutrition and food safety of the WHO, Francesco Branca.

This recommendation applies to everyone except those with pre-existing diabetes.

Likewise, the WHO pointed out that this new recommendation includes synthetic, natural or modified sweeteners, “that are not classified as sugars found in industrial foods and beverages” or that are sold separately to be added by the consumer.

On the other hand, the organization clarified that its position in relation to sweeteners does not apply to personal care or hygiene products that may contain them, such as toothpastes, skin creams or medicines.

It also does not imply low-calorie sugars or sugar alcohols, since these are derivatives of sugar and contain calories, so they are not considered sweeteners.

This set of recommendations is based on the conclusions of the review of scientific evidence and is part of the efforts of the WHO so that countries adopt policies that favor healthy eating habits and quality diets, which reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Source: EFE