The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), advising against their use for weight management or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The guideline is based on a systematic review showing that NSS use doesn't lead to long-term weight loss in adults or children. It also suggests potential risks from long-term NSS use, including higher chances of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.
"Replacing free sugars with NSS doesn't aid in long-term weight control. People should consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming foods with natural sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened foods and beverages," says Francesco Branca, WHO's Director for Nutrition and Food Safety. "NSS aren't essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. It's better to reduce overall sweetness in the diet from an early age to improve health."
This recommendation applies to everyone except those with pre-existing diabetes. It includes all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified non-nutritive sweeteners found in processed foods and drinks, or sold separately for consumer use. Common NSS include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.
The recommendation excludes personal care products like toothpaste, skin cream, and medications containing NSS, as well as low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols), which contain calories and aren't considered NSS.
Because the evidence linking NSS to disease outcomes may be affected by study participants' characteristics and complex NSS usage patterns, the guideline is conditional. This means policy decisions based on this recommendation may require substantial discussion in specific country contexts, especially regarding different age groups' consumption levels.
The WHO NSS guideline is part of a series of existing and upcoming guidelines on healthy diets. These guidelines aim to establish lifelong healthy eating habits, enhance dietary quality, and lower the global burden of NCDs.
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