World Health Organization Reports Undesirable Effects of Non-Sugar Sweeteners
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight.
The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.
Results of the review also suggest 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 global health body reviewed 283 unique studies that assessed the health effects of non-sugar sweeteners in adults, children and pregnant women. The WHO analyzed the results of these studies to make their recommendations. The recommendation applies to all people except individuals with pre-existing diabetes.
The non-sugar sweeteners include all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars found in manufactured foods and beverages, or sold on their own to be added to foods and beverages by consumers.
Common NSS include:
acesulfame K
aspartame,
cyclamates,
saccharin,
sucralose,
stevia and stevia derivatives.
What they found was that too often people used diet drinks as an excuse to eat more food!! Haven’t we all been there???
Does that mean that we can all just as much sugar as we want?
Not quite, they also recommended that sugar, whether the real stuff or not, should be consumed in moderation. No more than 36 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women, including what is found in foods that we eat.
We at Sugaright suggest that those delicious products made from our natural, liquid cane sugar be treated as sweet indulgences to be savored in moderation as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
So skip the bad stuff, and enjoy the good stuff!
