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Bloomberg

Artificial sweeteners may not help people lose weight, the World Health Organization has said in new guidelines that warned against products like diet sodas.
The WHO’s advice is based on a scientific review found products containing aspartame and stevia – often marketed as diet foods – probably do not help reduce body fat in the long term.
“People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether,” Francesco Branca, WHO director for nutrition and food safety, said on Monday.
Artificial sweeteners were also linked with higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as of dying, according to the WHO.

.@WHO's new guideline recommends against the use of non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. The recommendation applies to all people except individuals with pre-existing #diabetes. https://t.co/QDUyblbBd6
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 15, 2023

The new guidance applies to all non-sugar sweeteners, including stevia derivatives and sucralose. Such products have become widely used and are commonly added to processed foods and beverages, like diet soda, or sold on their own.
Artificial sweeteners “are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value”, Branca said. They are also often used to replace sugar in highly processed foods and drinks, and therefore may encourage low-quality diets.
Popular consumer products like Diet Coke and Diet Snapple, rebranded last year to Zero Sugar Snapple, contain aspartame.
The Coca-Cola Co and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., the manufacturers, did not immediately return a request for comment.
1 a week: cut down on sugary drinks for a longer, healthier life
The new recommendation applies to everyone except those who already have diabetes, the WHO said.
The agency issued a draft guideline against sweeteners in July last year and opened it up to a public consultation.
The WHO has previously advised adults and children to limit their sugar intake to 10 per cent of total energy consumption, highlighting the connection between less sugar intake and lower body weight.


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World

Such diet products probably don’t help reduce body fat in the long term and instead are linked with a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease
The new guidelines apply to all non-sugar sweeteners, including stevia derivatives and sucralose


Such diet products probably don’t help reduce body fat in the long term and instead are linked with a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.


Healthy eating

World Health Organization (WHO)

Food and Drinks