The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that sweeteners are not effective for long-term weight control and may have unwanted effects, such as increased weight, when used over a long period of time. type diabetes risk 2, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.
For this reason, he advised against its use and explained that, in general, people should reduce sweets from their diet, and do so from an early age, in order to enjoy better health.
“replace the free sugar Sweeteners (refined and natural, present in fruits, honey and others) do not provide any long-term benefit in terms of reducing body fat in adults or children,” said the global public health organization.
Specific products that are discouraged include acesulfame K, aspartame, avantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, as well as stevia and its derivatives.
“People need to consider other ways of reducing their intake of free sugar, such as eating foods that naturally contain sugar, like fruits; or food and drink that are not sweetened,” said Francesco Branca, WHO director of nutrition and food safety.
This recommendation applies to everyone except those who have pre-existing diabetes,
WHO also noted that this new recommendation includes synthetic sweetenersNatural or modified, “not classified as added sugars found in industrial foods and beverages” or sold separately for addition by the consumer.
On the other hand, the organization clarified that its position regarding sweeteners does not apply to care products or personal hygiene which they may contain, such as toothpaste, skin cream or medicines.
nor does it contain sugar low in calories or sugar alcohols, since these are derived from sugar and contain calories, so they are not considered sweeteners.
This set of recommendations is based on the findings of a review of the scientific evidence and is part of the World Health Organization’s efforts to encourage countries to adopt policies that favor healthy eating habits and quality dietWhich reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
