WHO had recently released a report on artificial sweeteners
A few months before, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had released new guidelines on the use of non-sugar sweeteners or NSS. In its report, the UN health agency had highlighted that "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." The WHO had disapproved the common usage of artificial sweeteners, which is weight control.
Artificial sweeteners might not give you good results in weight control
In the recent episode of "Science in 5", Dr Jason Montez, Scientist-Nutrition, Obesity and Diet related NCDs, WHO spoke to Vismita Gupta Smith on nonsugar sweeteners. Dr Montez said that people who are using these sweeteners to control their weight might not get the results they are hoping for. "The scientific evidence suggests that long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners may not help with body weight control and may increase your risk of developing type two diabetes or cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease or stroke," he said.
Plant-based sweeteners are no different
On the question of whether plant based sweeteners are healthier or not, Dr Montez said, WHO's guideline covers all types of sweeteners irrespective of their nature and chemical structure. "This is because all sweeteners, including sugar, use the same biological pathway when it comes to how we sense them as being sweet and consequently how they use might impact body weight and risk of disease," he explains.
How can one reduce sugar intake in food?
Dr Montez explains:
Avoid hidden sugar: He says foods loaded with hidden sugars do not necessarily taste sweeter. Foods like bread, soups, crisps contain non-sugar sweeteners.
Read nutrition information: Another way to cut down sugar intake is to know if the packaged food you are having has added sugar or non-sugar sweeteners. He suggests to read the nutrition table on the food products.
Include more unsweetened food in diet: "Try to introduce more unsweetened foods and beverages into your diet. Replacing sweetened beverages with water or unsweetened beverages is a great start and easy start," he recommends.
Opt for natural sugars: He recommends having natural sugars like fruits. According to him, if you follow these habits you are likely to have less craving for sweet things over time.
Non-sugar sweeteners have no nutritional value
WHO's report on non-sugar sweeteners or the NSS highlighted their empty nutritional value. The common artificial sweeteners which are massively popular worldwide are acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.
Diabetes: Poor lunch habits that are likely to cause frequent spikes in blood sugar level
Health risks associated with NSS
Artificial sweeteners have been an alternative source of sweet/ sugar for those with diabetes. However, NSS does not have any long-term benefit on the human body and in fact increases it the risk of developing metabolic disorders like diabetes and the complications that can arise out of it like cardiovascular complications. Overall, health experts have urged to cut down sugar intake in the diet.
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