We all know that consuming free sugars is not suitable for our health. It can lead to overweight, obesity and other diet-related non-communicable diseases like- dental caries, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Therefore there was a focus on reducing the free sugars to avoid all these ill health effects. As a result, Non-Sugar Sweeteners (NSS) emerged as an alternative in the market.
Table of Contents
What are Non-sugar sweeteners?
Non-sugar sweeteners are artificially produced compounds or natural extracts ((Steviol glycoside) that taste sweet (even much sweeter than the table sugar that we use commonly at our homes) without adding any extra calories.
WHO Recommendations on Non-sugar sweeteners
As per the recent guidelines published by WHO based on findings of a systematic review of the evidence available, the following observations were made:
In general:
- There are no benefits of long-term use of NSS in reducing body fats in adults or children. Rather “There is the possibility of long-term harm in the form of increased risk of obesity, type -2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality”
- Although WHO also concluded that further research is needed to confirm the genuineness of these findings.
In pregnant women:
- Results suggest that a high intake of NSS is associated with an increased risk of pre-term birth and low birth weight. however, there is low certainty evidence of this association and further research and studies are required to confirm the association.
In children:
- The effect of NSS largely remained inconclusive owing to less number of studies conducted. More research and studies are needed to comment upon any association.
Short-term vs. long-term Use of Non-Sugar Sweeteners (NSS)
In the guidelines, it is also observed that NSS may be beneficial in assisting short-term weight reduction as NSS significantly reduces energy intake as compared to sugars.
But on a long-term basis, they don’t help in weight control, rather pose the risk of noncommunicable diseases.
Recommendations in Nut-Shell
Based on all these observations WHO recommends Against the use of Non-Sugar sweeteners to control the body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases.
Inclusions and Exemptions from WHO Recommendations
- These recommendations include all synthetic and naturally occurring or modified NSS that are not classified as sugars in manufactured foods and beverages or sold in retail to be added by consumers into their food.
- These recommendations do not apply to people with pre-existing Diabetes
- Personal care and hygiene products containing NSS like-sugar alcohols, medications, toothpaste etc.
List of common non-sugar sweeteners:
- Acesulfame K
- Advantame
- Aspartame
- Cyclamate
- Neotame
- Saccharin
- Steviol glycosides
- Sucralose
All these NSS were studied for their effect on humans in their acceptable daily intake range by WHO.
What we can do to Avoid Added Sugars
As we know added sugars whether free natural sugars or non-sugar sweeteners are not healthy choices for us we can consider other ways to reduce free sugars
- Using unsweetened food or beverages
- Consuming food with natural sugars like fruits, milk
- Check the label of the packed food item to decide on sugars:
- 22.5 grams or more per 100 grams of food items is- High in sugars
- 5 grams or less per 100 grams of food items is- low in sugars
- Include more whole-grain food items
- Wholemeal toast
- Porridge oats- use skimmed or low-fat milk to make porridge.
- Use mashed banana in porridge instead of adding sugar
- Can alternate the sugary cereals with plain cereals
- Try to reduce the added sugar gradually (aj se thoda kum) and add some chopped fruits to compensate.
- Some ready-made soups or food may contain very high sugars. Avoid them
Difference Between Sugars and Non-Sugar Sweeteners
Both are used to add sweetness to the product
| Sugars | Non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) |
| Sugars are simple carbohydrates that are broken down into Glucose by the human body for energy (measured in calories) | These are usually artificial products that don’t provide any energy to the body (zero calories or very low calories) |
| Have specific calorific value | Zero or very low calorific value |
| Converted to Glucose by the body and act as a source of energy in the body | Not metabolized and therefore don’t act as a source of energy. |
Do We Really Require Sugars?
As per American Heart Association, our bodies don’t require sugars to function properly as Added sugars don’t contribute any nutrition to our diet. They only contribute extra calories and all calories above the requirement of the body are converted into body fats. Increased Fats in the body lead to overweight and obesity- a risk factor for a number of non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancers etc.
Therefore we should restrict the added sugars in our diet to less than 10% of the total calories required.
As per American Heart Association on added sugars:
- Not more than 100 calories (6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar) for most adult women
- Not more than 150 calories (9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most adult men
- For children 2-18 years the same as most adult women (6 teaspoons or 24 grams) and sugary beverages not more than 227 grams (equal to 8 ounces) a week.
What are the Leading sources of added sugars?
- Sweetened beverages like soft drinks/cold drinks
- sweetened tea-coffee
- energy drinks
- sweetened fruit drinks
- desserts (sweet items taken at the end of the meal)
- sweet snacks like ice cream, pastries, and cookies
we should avoid or limit them to avoid extra calories and their ill health effects.
References
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/how-to-cut-down-on-sugar-in-your-diet/#:~:text=Try%20swapping%20to%20water%2C%20sugar,try%20swapping%20to%20sweeteners%20instead.
- World health organization
- American heart association
- my.Clevelandclinic.org
- HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
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