WHO: Do not use non-sugar sweeteners for weight management

Key takeaways:

• WHO advised against the use of non-sugar sweeteners to reduce weight or the risk for noncommunicable diseases.
• Long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners may increase risks for mortality, CVD and type 2 diabetes.

WHO has issued a new guideline recommending against the use of non-sugar sweeteners to lose weight, as available evidence suggests it “does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children,” the organization said.

Non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) should also not be used when trying to reduce the risk for noncommunicable diseases, according to a WHO press release.

The world health agency said it found evidence that there may be “potential undesirable effects” from long-term NSS use, including an increased risk for mortality, CVD and type 2 diabetes in adults.

However, because the associations between NSS and disease outcomes may be confounded by complicated patterns of NSS use or baseline characteristics of study participants, the recommendation is “conditional,” signaling that policy decisions based on it “may require substantive discussion” in specific contexts, WHO said in the release.

“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages,” Francesco Branca, MD, PhD, director for nutrition and food safety at WHO, said in the release. “NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.”

The guidance is based on a systematic review and meta-analysis. It applies to everyone except those who have diabetes and includes all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified NSS that are found in manufactured foods and beverages or sold on their own to be added to foods and beverages by consumers.

The guidance does not, however, apply to personal hygiene and care products that contain NSS like skin cream, medications and toothpaste, nor does it apply to low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols, “which are sugars or sugar derivatives containing calories and are therefore not considered NSS,” according to the release.

References:

• Health effects of the use of non-sugar sweeteners: a systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429. Published April 12, 2022. Accessed May 15, 2023.
• Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073616. Published May 15, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2023.
• WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline. Published May 15, 2023. Accessed May 15, 2023.