
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against their use to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence and suggests that the use of NSS does not necessarily provide any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children. In fact, it suggests that long-term use of NSS could have undesirable effects, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.
The recommendation applies to all people except individuals with pre-existing diabetes. It includes 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, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives.
The guideline is part of a suite of existing and forthcoming guidelines on healthy diets that aim to establish lifelong healthy eating habits, improve dietary quality and decrease the risk of NCDs worldwide.
The guideline can be downloaded here