(CNN) — Don’t use sugar substitutes if you’re trying to lose weight, according to new guidelines from the World Health Organization.
A systematic review of the available evidence by the World Health Organization suggests that the use of non-sugar sweeteners, or NSS, “does not provide long-term benefit in reducing body fat in either adults or children.”
The evaluation He pointed out that there may be “unwanted consequences” of long-term use of sugar substitutes, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with long-term weight management. People should consider other ways to reduce free sugar intake, such as eating foods with naturally occurring sugars, such as fruit, or unsweetened foods and beverages.” In a news release.
“NSS are not essential nutritional factors and have no nutritional value. To improve their health, people should completely reduce the amount of sugar in their diet early in life, Branca said.
The organization said the recommendation applies to all people except those with pre-diabetes.
“This new guideline is based on a thorough review of recent scientific literature, and emphasizes that the use of artificial sweeteners is not a good strategy for weight loss by reducing dietary energy intake,” said nutritionist Ian Johnson, emeritus fellow at Quadram Institute Biosciences, formerly the Institute of Food Research, in Norwich, United Kingdom.
“However, this should not be interpreted as an indication that sugar levels have nothing to do with weight control,” Johnson said in a statement.
Instead, one should cut back on sugar-sweetened beverages and “try to use raw or light fruits as a source of sweetness,” Johnson added.
Dr. Keith Ayoub, scientific advisor to the Calorie Control Council, an international association representing the low-calorie food and beverage industry, told CNN in an email that the WHO is “requesting a focus on preventing unhealthy weight gain and non-communicable diseases.” At least they are wrong.
“Low- and no-calorie sweeteners are an important tool for helping consumers manage body weight and reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council.
A total of 283 studies were included in the review. Both randomized controlled trials, considered the gold standard of research, and observational studies were included in the review. Observational studies only show association, not direct cause and effect.
“This suggests that policy decisions based on this recommendation should be tailored to specific national contexts, such as consumption rates in different age groups,” according to a WHO news release.
Results from randomized trials showed that consumption of sugar-free sweeteners had a “low” effect on body weight and calorie intake compared to sugar, and no changes in intermediate markers of diabetes such as glucose and insulin, the report said.
Observational studies also found a lower effect on body weight and fat tissue, but no change in calorie intake. However, those studies found a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and death from heart disease, the report found. A significantly lower risk of bladder cancer and early death from any cause was found.
The WHO said the recommendation was “conditional” because the link between sweeteners and disease outcomes could be confounded by complex sweetener consumption patterns and the characteristics of study participants.
In an emailed statement, the International Confectionery Association, an industry association, said, “It is unfortunate that the public health benefits of low/no-calorie sweeteners are not recognized and that the World Health Organization’s conclusions are based largely on low-certainty observational studies.” Reversal causes are at high risk.
The recommendation includes low or no calorie artificial sweeteners and natural derivatives, which may or may not be chemically modified, such as acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives, WHO said.
Many people consider stevia products to be more “natural” because they are derived from the stevia plant. Some natural and artificial sweeteners add a lot of sugar to their products to cut the sweetness and increase the baking yield.
A A recent study Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the US have found that erythritol – used to enhance or sweeten stevia, monk fruit and keto-reduced sugar products – Blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and early death.
People with a risk of heart disease, such as diabetes, have double the risk of heart attack or stroke if they have high levels of erythritol in their blood, the study found.
Non-sugar sweeteners are widely used in packaged foods and beverages and are sometimes added directly to consumer foods and beverages.
The World Health Organization In 2015, it issued guidelines on sugar intake. They recommend that adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake. Following that recommendation, demand for sugar alternatives has strengthened, the review says.
Even if you’re “addicted” to real sugar, the good news is that you can tame your sweet tooth, says registered dietitian Lisa Dreyer in Article for CNN. She gives the following steps.
Train your taste buds. If you gradually reduce sugar — including artificial sweeteners — and include more protein and fiber-rich foods in your diet, that can help you crave less sugar, Drayer said.
“When we consume protein and fiber with sugary foods, it reduces blood sugar spikes. It can help keep us satisfied and reduce our sugar intake,” she said. Previous interview.
Choose foods without added sugar and avoid all sugar-sweetened beverages. For example, choose whole-grain cereal or Greek yogurt. Sugar-sweetened beverages to take off your grocery list should include sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit punch. Choose water instead.
“If you like sweet carbonated drinks, add cranberry or orange juice to sesame or try flavored smoothies. You can also flavor your water with fruit slices for natural sweetness or try herbal fruit teas,” says Drayer.
Drink coffee and tea with no or less sugar. Dreyer, be careful in coffee shops. All those lattes and flavored coffees can have as much sugar as a can of soda or more.
Enjoy fruit for dessert. Instead of cookies, cake, ice cream, pastries, and other sweet treats, try cinnamon-baked apples, berries, or roasted peaches, says Drayer.
Watch out for hidden sugar. Added sugars are often found in foods you might not think of as “sweet,” such as sauces, breads, condiments and salad dressings, Drayer said.
“Prepackaged sauces — like ketchup, BBQ sauce, and tomato sauce — are the biggest culprits of hidden added sugar in the diet,” says Christy King, a senior pediatric nutritionist at Texas Children’s Hospital and spokeswoman for the National Academy of Nutrition. Nutrition and nutrition, said Drayer in an earlier interview.
Check Nutrition Facts labels. All foods and beverages must list the amount and type of sugar on the label.
Added sugar may go by other names such as “agave, brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, condensed cane juice, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, fruit honey, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose.” , malt syrup, maltose, molasses, maple syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, trehalose and turbinado sugar,” said Drayer.
The higher these added sugars are on the ingredients list, the higher the amount of added sugar in the product, she said.